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Hi, I've searched in the forum but I did't find an answer:
Can Pythonista access to SMS iPhone database? I've read that Pythonista can access the iOS Contacts Database, access Photo Library on iOS, access to the iOS Reminders Database. And SMS?

Purpose: I want to create a script that :

-) reads for all SMS messages in the iPhone database (with some constraints by user like searching of messages from date X to date Y, etc...),
-) selects only the SMS messages that contain some repetitive text and numeric fields that changes (for example: "Your expense was 100 euros", where only the number "100" can change),
-) saves in variables the numeric values,
-) performs some operations with the variables (any).

So again: can Pythonista access to the SMS environment of iPhone to only read SMS messages (I don't want to delete messages)?

Thanks !
Matteo

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Without jailbreak, is not possible for any app to access your SMS database.

Ok thanks omz!
I don't want to jailbreak, so I wait and hope that Apple will allow access to various iOS environments, such as SMS, as it is already possible to access photos and reminders with external applications.
Really I do not understand why Apple prevents the access to SMS and allows access to contacts or photos, which I consider even more sensitive than simple text messages like SMS, even if those messages may contain passwords or important codes ...).

Apple mysteries...

Regards
Matteo

I love the fact that Apple does not allow application developers to access my SMS messages.

Some Windows or Mac applications are able to download iCloud backup of iOS devices, and then to extract messages from these backups, thus it should be possible...

@ccc
You are right about it, my question is why photos or contacts and why not sms.
In my opinion and for example the ios could allow external apps to access to only some sms in the internal database, for examples the sms that are sended by some phone numbers and dont allow access to sms sended by other phone numbers that user can choose and flag via ios setting.

Apple, if wants and in my opinion, could improve a lot the usability of own devices without decrease the main security, for now the ios, coupled with great tools like Pythonista, is pretty a useless os for any automatic personal tasks.
Bye
Matteo

@ccc general observation-couldn't access to SMS messages (or for that matter other banned areas) be controlled by permissions similar to photos or the microphone, etc? I don't understand why the os can't let users decide what apps can access.

@cvp You are right, with external computer (PC, Mac) it is possible to do a lot of things, like backup some ios data to computer memory to perform some operations on that data. But it needs a computer, I'd prefer to do some operations only with my smartphone and Pythonista (because with iphone, always connected to internet via sim and with very low energy consumption, I could obtain an answer about my data analysis every time I want on the fly, with a computer I should switch on it, wait, use touch-pad, connect it to phone, etc....).
Bye

I think SMS are extremely sensitive because they're often tied to 2fa codes.

@omz Yes omz, you are right. I also use sometimes sms to receive second part of password to use some internet services related to banks or other sensitive tasks, but by default ios system could prevent all sms reading by external apps and allow only sms from phone number that user decides to read/analyze programmatically (with Pythonista). For example, if I know that from number 12345 (it a example number) I receive every week a sms with some info in the text, I'd like to analyze the text programmatically; so I could change ios setting (ios settings are not accessible by any external apps) about sms access to be able to read programmatically all sms from only 12345 (the example). Every other sms from all other numbers would be inaccessible by default by ios. Only if user decide to unlock the sms from other numbers, it would be possibile, by external apps, to read these sms.
Am I wrong about someting?
Thank you for your interest in answering me
Bye
Matteo

@omz I agree but these codes are only valid during a little delay, thus no danger...

I think a "problem" most of us have generally speaking are not sitting around thinking of ways to steal stuff from people. So some security measures are no so evidant to us. In the early days, I had no idea why Apple was not allowing 3rd party keyboards. Of course I see the danger now. Ok, that one is not so subtle, but it was to me in the beginning. I thought apple were just being stubborn for the sake of it.

@Phuket2 Hi, it is an interesting argument for me: what do you know about risks related to using 3rd party keyboards as you said?

I undoubtedly agree with you when you says that user can't understand immediately the reasons about something and he must wait for some time to understand completely why some things are done in one way and not in another way.

But we are in 2017 and iOS exists since about 2008, so a lot of security issues related to any technology should be already resolved, in my opinion.

Thanks
Bye
Matteo

@Matteo , with 3rd Party keyboards, if you give them full access in settings (really which they need to learn) they can potentially sniff/save all your keystrokes. Eg, logging into your bank account etc... I am not sure how it works under the hood, but keystrokes are pretty raw. Just because you are typing into a password protected field with encryption, keystrokes are before that.
Not to be crazy, but people have setup microphones before near keyboards, and can figure out keystrokes based on the recordings. Just saying, its a pretty crazy world out there. There was an article appeared in the last few days how Alexa's mic could be turned on to just act as a real time microphone, in a way you would not know. But ok, in that article they stated the hack required physical access to the device.

I am really not a paranoid person. I don't have much if anything to hide. My point was just there are some shitheads that sit around all day trying to figure out how to steal from people. And they are really good at it, because they put in the time.

It is interesting that Android devices seem to thrive in spite of the absence of sandboxing. Presumably Apple's paternalistic approach is mostly motivated to protect App Store revenues, not user's security. Just saying...

@ihf , that's a whole different conversation. I am not trying or am a apple fan boy. I am just commenting on security in general. Any platform these days are a target. Anything we can image or unfortunately what we cant imagine.
Again, i am not being paranoid, its just today's reality, and its very sad.
But i will shut up now.

@Phuket2 Thanks for your answer, it is true : reality overcomes fantasy!

And thank you all for your replies.
Regards
Matteo