Apples new iPad Pro cuts off the microphone when its case is closed to prevent snooping

Recent MacBooks have included a security feature that shuts off the microphone at a hardware level when the lid is closed. Apple has now introduced the same feature on iPads, beginning with the 2020 iPad Pro. The iPad doesn’t have a lid, of course, so Apple instead activates the mic cut-off whenever a case with the company’s “Made for iPad” certification is closed over the screen. This should work with Apple’s own Smart Folio, Smart Keyboard Folio, and the upcoming Magic Keyboard (due out in May), among other third-party cases.

The feature is outlined in the latest version of Apple’s Platform Security guide, originally spotted by 9to5Mac. As the guide highlights, the disconnect means that no software can engage the microphone when the...

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