---
title: "Apple: Keep Your New iPhone At Least 6 Inches Away From Pacemaker"
description: "After a study found that an iPhone can shut down an implantable defibrillator by being near it, Apple is recommending to keep it at least 6 inches away."
date: "2021-01-25"
modified: "2021-01-25"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/apple-iphone-away-pacemaker"
categories:
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Prosthetics and Devices"
tags:
  - "apple"
  - "defibrillators"
  - "iPhone"
  - "pacemaker"
---

# Apple: Keep Your New iPhone At Least 6 Inches Away From Pacemaker

![After a study found that an iPhone can shut down an implantable defibrillator by being near it, Apple is recommending to keep it at least 6 inches away.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/apple-iphone-away-pacemaker.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Futurism\</em\>*

It's best to keep your MagSafe-enabled iPhone away from your pacemaker or implanted defbrillator during normal use. That's according to a [new support document](<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211900>) published by Apple over the weekend, as [first spotted by *MacRumors*](<https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/23/apple-updates-iphone-magnet-support-document/>).

"Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact," the document reads. "To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches/15 cm apart or more than 12 inches/30 cm apart if wirelessly charging)."

The news comes after [a study](<https://www.heartrhythmjournal.com/article/S1547-5271(20)31227-3/fulltext>) published in the journal *Heart Rhythm* earlier this month found that an iPhone 12 can [fully shut down](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/iphone-12-shut-down-pacemaker-near-it>) an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) just by being near it. That's thanks to a circular magnetic array on the back of the device designed for wireless charging.

"Once the iPhone was brought close to the ICD over the left chest area, immediate suspension of ICD therapies was noted which persisted for the duration of the test,” the paper reads. "This was reproduced multiple times with different positions of the phone over the pocket."

ICD maker Medtronic says it's aware of the issue.

"As a precaution, we advise patients implanted with cardiac devices to maintain a distance of six inches (15 cm) between all cell phones and their implanted devices, consistent with recommendations for other low wattage electromagnetic devices," [a statement](<https://www.theverge.com/22248748/iphone-magsafe-pacemaker-interference-risk>) reads.

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)