iPhone Feature Blamed for ‘Signalgate’ National Security Blunder

A simple iPhone feature intended to make contact management easier has been linked to a major national security breach now dubbed “Signalgate.”

The incident involved a White House senior official mistakenly adding a journalist to a confidential Signal group chat focused on U.S. military planning. The source of the error? A contact suggestion from Apple’s Siri-powered system according to an investigation by The Guardian.

How a Journalist Ended Up in a Secret Group Chat

In October 2024, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, emailed the Trump campaign requesting comment on an upcoming article. His email, which included his phone number in the signature, was forwarded internally.

Eventually, the message reached then-Congressman Mike Waltz, a national security adviser to the Trump campaign.

At this point, Waltz’s iPhone automatically suggested that Goldberg’s number be added to an existing contact—Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes—since it came through in a forwarded message from Hughes.

iPhones can make these kinds of suggestions under a feature called “contact suggestion updates”, which uses Siri to match contact information across apps like Mail and Calendar.

The system is designed to identify useful new contact details, but it can also misattribute data, especially when forwarded messages blur the original source.

Waltz appears to have accepted the suggestion without verifying the number. Months later, when he went to create a Signal group chat related to military operations in Yemen, he meant to invite Hughes but instead selected the mislabeled contact—Goldberg.

The journalist received a Signal invitation on March 11, 2025, and was added to the confidential group just two days later. The breach wasn’t discovered until the chat was already active and included senior members of the Trump team.

A Common iPhone Feature With Risky Side Effects

The Siri contact suggestion feature is on by default. According to Apple’s support documentation, it can recommend new phone numbers or emails based on your activity—like messages and invitations.

These suggestions typically require the user to confirm or reject them, but a small oversight or quick tap can lead to mistakes, as in this case.

This isn’t an isolated issue. Apple’s support forums include years of user reports where contact suggestions have caused phone numbers to be added to the wrong people.

In daily life, this might result in an awkward message to the wrong contact. In national security contexts, the consequences can be far more serious.

How to Protect Yourself From Similar Mistakes

To reduce the risk of this kind of error, iPhone users can disable contact suggestions. Go to Settings > Apps > Contacts > Siri, then turn off Show Contact Suggestions. This will stop your iPhone from automatically proposing contact updates from your communications.

Additionally, for sensitive contacts or messages, it’s best to double-check recipient information manually. Even helpful tech features can create vulnerabilities if not used with caution.