How much harmful radiation your iPhone actually emits as users worry about consequences
Something you might never have considered when using your iPhone is the fact that it actually emits radiation whenever you're using it, leaving many to wonder upon this discovery whether it is actually harmful to your health to use your phone every day.
While you could argue for ages about the negative mental health effects of using your phone for hours every single day, as people who have cut out their devices have seen a dramatic increase in cognitive ability, there's still another potential health danger you might want to consider.
Much like microwaves, phones have always emitted some form of radiation due to the radio frequency (RF) signals that are sent to and from nearby cell towers, and these are technically a form of radiation, specifically non-ionizing.
Health experts have asserted that modern gadgets pose no risk to humans when it comes to the radiation, and there's no scientific evidence to support claims that radiation exuding from these devices causes cancer, but many have started to wonder quite how dangerous Apple's devices can be.
How much radiation do iPhones emit?
As reported by BGR, the amount of radiation emitted from your iPhone is thankfully very small and well below limits set by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), although it's very much still there.
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Measured radiation is split into two categories, where the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is calculated for the Head and Body, in situations where the phone is closer to each respective body area.
Additionally, this radiation value is measured in watts per kilogram (W/kg), with the FCC limits being 1.6 W/kg averaged over one gram and 2 W/kg averaged over 10 grams.
Modern iPhones in general emit on average 1.2 W/kg (one gram) and 1.49 W/kg (10 grams), meaning that they're significantly below the limits, and that's even slightly lower in the case of the first measurement for the new iPhone 17, with the one gram average coming in a 1.19 W/kg.
How to reduce iPhone radiation
While these figures mean that it's completely safe to use your iPhone with no fears surrounding radiation, you might still want to reduce the amount that your body consumes just to be extra careful.
There's no way of actually altering this on your device, but you instead need to adapt how you use your phone and how often you're picking it up.
First and foremost, it might sound silly but the best way you can reduce the radiation level is to simply stop using your phone as much, as to hold it further away from you when you do decide to pick it up.
Additionally, taking calls on speakerphone or using earphones instead of holding the handset up to your ear can make a small difference, but for the former you might also want to consider the noise pollution you'll be putting onto anyone surrounding you if you pick up in a public place!