September 19th 2014
Get Safe Online would like to warn you to ignore any advice to the effect that you can charge your iPhone by placing it in a microwave oven. However unlikely the claim may sound, we are concerned that some people may be taken in by the latest, convincing hoax.
The false advice is contained in what appears to be in an official Apple advertisement describing Wave, a 'new technology' which comes bundled with Apple's newly-released iOS 8 operating system which will allow you to charge your iPhone wirelessly by placing it in a household microwave oven. It claims that Wave will be automatically activated as soon as you install iO S8, enabling you to charge your iPhone battery by microwaving it for a minute and a half.
The message appears to be going viral on social media, prompting concerns that some will put the claim to the test.
iOS8, in common with every other operating system, does not have any such 'microwave charging' functionality, and microwaving your device will damage it beyond repair. Containing a large proportion of metal, it will probably wreck your microwave as well.
Some readers may remember that a year ago almost to the day, a not dissimilar hoax was circulated claiming that Apple's then new iOS 7 operating system made devices waterproof.
