Apple reveals the truth behind rumours that iPhones have secret FM radios

IT HAS long been rumoured that iPhones have secret FM radios that the US Federal Communications Commission ordered they enable. But do they exist?

FM radio could prove incredibly useful in an emergency when phone networks crash but radio services remain operational (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

APPLE fans are getting very angry about a “hidden” FM radio that is allegedly refusing to switch on.

So much so, that the US Federal Communications Commission has requested the iPhone makers enable the frequency in the interest of public safety, reports The Sun.

As old-school as it might seem, FM radio technology is more than a way to listen to your fave radio show without draining your data allowance.

It could prove incredibly useful in an emergency when phone networks crash but radio services remain operational.

And following recent natural disasters in the US, politicians are calling upon tech giants to enable the function.

But Apple has poured cold water on the idea they could simply switch the technology back on.

The two latest generations, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8, don’t have an FM radio chip, it claimed.

Even if they did, the absence of a headphone jack would mean there’s no antennae for it to connect, either.

Apple said in a statement that it “cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that’s why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products”.

They have allowed phone users to dial emergency services directly from the lock screen and it allows government emergency notifications.

“iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products,” it wrote. It did not comment on earlier versions of the phones.

Many phones have potential to connect to FM radio as they use Qualcomm’s LTE modem chip, which has in it an FM radio component.

This story first appeared on The Sun.

Originally published as Apple reveals the truth behind rumours that iPhones have secret FM radios