Apple has announced that the iPhone and iPad have been approved for use with classified information at the NATO Restricted level, marking a first for consumer mobile devices.
The certification means iPhone and iPad running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can be used by government and defence organisations across NATO countries without requiring custom security software or special device configurations.
According to Apple, no other consumer smartphone or tablet has previously met NATO’s information assurance requirements at this level.
The approval builds on earlier certification in Germany, where Apple devices were cleared to handle classified government data following an extensive security evaluation by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). That assessment has now been extended to cover all NATO member states.
As part of the process, BSI carried out detailed technical reviews, security testing and analysis to ensure Apple’s built-in protections met NATO’s operational and assurance standards.
The certification applies to Apple’s native platform security features, including system encryption, biometric authentication through Face ID, and hardware-level protections built into Apple silicon.
With the approval in place, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 have been added to the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue, formally recognising the platforms as suitable for handling restricted NATO information.
The move reflects a broader shift in how governments view modern consumer technology, with Apple’s off-the-shelf devices now considered secure enough for certain classified environments without bespoke modifications.
