Can an Apple Account be compromised by using another iPhone on the same account?

Is it possible to compromise an Apple ID , one of which is the owner of an account, by using another phone on the same account? My son takes his phone to his mother’s that is linked to my account, and it seems that somebody/something has more control over all the devices (5) that are on the account. I have gone to the ends of the earth trying to get this resolved, but in the end, I still have that orange and green dot watching and listening while I am operating my apple phone. I have gotten 3 new phones, all new apple ids and yet there is still no resolution.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Fraudulent access

Posted on Nov 1, 2026 12:02 AM

1 reply

Servant of Cats

Level 9 (55,707 points)

Nov 1, 2026 3:10 AM in response to Loony-38

Loony-38 wrote:

Is it possible to compromise an Apple ID , one of which is the owner of an account, by using another phone on the same account?

If you have two phones that are signed into the same Apple Account, then, as far as the system knows, both phones are owned by the same person.

My son takes his phone to his mother’s that is linked to my account, and it seems that somebody/something has more control over all the devices (5) that are on the account.

There are many options for synchronizing data between two phones logged into the same Apple Account. E.g., if both phones are using iCloud Photos, any add, edit, or delete made on one phone will synchronize to iCloud, and from there, to the other phone.

If one of the phones is "in the wrong hands" (because you are sharing access to an account – something Apple does not recommend), that person now has access to your photos – no hacking required. It is as if you gave the person a copy of your house keys and your car keys only to discover (gasp!) that they had the ability to use your car, and get into your house, when you weren't around.