It’s been over a decade since the start of the Snowden leaks, which exposed mass surveillance programs in the US. I mention this because one of the smaller things Snowden (and others) drew attention to is the use of “stingrays,” also known as IMSI catchers. Police, military, and intelligence agencies have occasionally used these to intercept data on cellphone users without their knowledge – and criminals may now be making use of the technology as well.
All this makes it wise to learn a little bit about how stingrays work, and how you’re able to protect youriPhoneorAndroiddevice against them, since no one has an inherent right to intercept your cellphone traffic without a warrant. What’s interesting is that at the moment,Android 16seems to offer an advantage in this area – though Apple will presumably catch up sooner or later.
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What is a stingray, and how does it work?
Preying on hidden vulnerabilities
The first thing to point out is that legally speaking, the term “stingray” derives from a specific product – the StingRay, made by the Harris Corporation. It’s a lot easier to talk about stingrays than IMSI catchers, however, so the product became a catch-all term, much as some people refer to all facial tissues as Kleenex.
Any cellular device within range of a stingray is at risk of connecting to it, so your data may be snatched up even when you aren’t an intended target.
This may all sound like something your phone should be able to defend against, but stingrays can dupe your phone into using a protocol with weaker security, for instance by temporarily switching you from 5G to 2G, which most carriers have abandoned. Normally, automatic hopping is a good thing – it keeps you connected as you move between areas with different coverage. But if it’s not handled properly, it can become an attack vector.
One of the terrifying things about stingrays is that they’re non-discriminatory. That is, any cellular device within range of a stingray is at risk of connecting to it, so your data may be snatched up even when you aren’t an intended target. This and other issues have drawn the attention of scrutiny of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. There’s more to explain than I can possibly go into here, so I encourage you to learn more, particularly if you’re planning to join a politically sensitive protest.
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How to protect an Android device against stingrays
The best protection is reserved for the latest devices
The most important thing is keeping Android up-to-date, and being aware of its anti-stingray options. If you’ve got Android 12 or later, you may disable 2G connectivity completely by going toSettings -> Network & Internet -> SIMs, choosing your SIM, then toggling offAllow 2G. Don’t worry – most phone carriers have switched exclusively to 4G and 5G, so you won’t find any calls, texts, or data interrupted. Indeed even 3G networks are being deprecated, since they’re too slow to keep up with the demands of modern apps.
Android 14 expands this security with an option to block “null ciphers,” i.e. unencrypted communications. There’s no legitimate reason to be using unencrypted data anymore, given how dangerous the internet can be, so disabling null ciphers is an obvious way of mitigating the threat of stingray attacks. Android 15 takes yet another step forward, enabling a notification whenever a network asks for unique device identifiers, or forces weaker security.
The only zero-risk option, though, is to block cellular activity entirely.
Android 16 includes aMobile network securitypage to centralize things, which you should be able to reach viaSettings -> Security & privacy -> Safety Center. There’s a big catch, however – it only appears on devices with particular modems, and version 3.0 or later of Android’s IRadio hardware abstraction layer (HAL). You’re unlikely to see the page at all, even if you own something as recent as a Pixel 9. You may have to wait for your next phone upgrade to test this out.
The good news here is that many Android phones should support disabling 2G, at least. It’s just less convenient and secure than what the latest and greatest Android 16 devices are capable of.
If you’re in a high-risk situation, there are apps that can potentially warn you about stingrays, such asSnoopSnitch. The only zero-risk option, though, is to block cellular activity entirely, and that applies to both iPhones and Android devices.
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How to protect an iPhone against stingrays
Time to play catch-up
iPhones are lagging behind when it comes to stingray protection, but they’re not defenseless. You can, for example, go toSettings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data Options -> Voice & Dataand choose either5G OnorLTE. The 5G Auto option does improve battery life, but increases your chances of being kicked down to a less secure network.
If you use that step, you may also want to go toSettings -> Cellular -> Network Selectionand disableAutomatic, but be warned – this option can create havoc. You may find yourself unable to roam domestic networks, and you’ll have to manually select a carrier when you travel abroad. It’s probably not worth the hassle.
That’s partly because in iOS 16 or later, Apple offers a feature calledLockdown Mode. This enables a wide set of security measures, mostly intended for journalists, dissidents, and others at risk of being targeted by authoritarian regimes or foreign governments. If you’re truly worried about stingrays, though, Lockdown Mode forcibly disables 2G, and limits how your iPhone can interact with the outside world. It’s so draconian that you should avoid it unless absolutely necessary – even many websites and Messages attachments won’t work.
It’s not clear yet whether iOS 26, coming fall 2025, will offer any enhancements to stingray protection. I’m expecting Apple to catch up with Android at some point, however, since the company prides itself on security and privacy.
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