iPhone and iPad Are the First Consumer Devices Cleaned of NATO Classified Data

The iPhone and iPad can be used with information placed at a restricted NATO level after meeting NATO data verification requirements, Apple said today. No special software or settings are required.

Apple devices are the first and only mobile products to reach this level of government certification after safety testing and testing by the German government. iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are now certified for use with classified data in all NATO countries.

In the security clearance announcement, Apple revealed its security features.

Apple designs security into all of its products from the ground up, ensuring that the most sophisticated protections are built into every hardware, software, and Apple silicon. This unique approach allows Apple users to benefit from industry-leading security such as high-level encryption, biometric authentication with Face ID, and unique features such as Memory Integrity Enforcement. These same safeguards are now recognized as meeting stringent government and international security requirements, even for restricted data.

Apple’s vice president of security Ivan Krstić said the success shows Apple’s commitment to security.

This achievement sees Apple change the way security is traditionally delivered. Before the iPhone, secure devices were only available to high-level government and business organizations after investing heavily in bespoke security solutions. Instead, Apple has built the most secure devices in the world for all of its users, and those same protections are now specifically certified under the certification requirements of NATO nations — unlike any other device in the industry.

Apple’s iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are listed in the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalog, which states that Apple devices are able to provide secure access to Mail, Calendar, and Contacts through built-in apps.

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