iOS 8 hoax ad claims users can re-charge iPhones in microwave

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iOS 8 users urged to ignore spoof ad, which has reportedly already resulted in at least one person destroying their iPhone

iOS 8 users are being urged not to microwave their phones, following the circulation of a spoof online ad telling them that doing so would quickly re-charge their iPhones and iPads.

The fake Apple ad details a fictitious new feature of iOS 8 called Wave that reportedly allows devices to be "charged wirelessly through microwave frequencies".

It then goes on to state that Wave is automatically activated when users update to iOS 8, the latest version of Apple's iPhone and iPad operating system which was released on Wednesday 17 September.

"You can now Wave-charge your device by placing it within a household microwave for a minute and a half," the ad states.

"iOS 8 contains new drivers that interface with your device's radio-baseband allowing it to synchronise with microwave frequencies and use them to recharge your battery."

The missive has been distributed around social networking sites, including Twitter, with some users falsely claiming to have successfully charged their devices in their kitchen microwaves.

The new Apple Wave allows you to charge your IOS 8 Iphone using a microwave. http://t.co/fjZUShVpnS :)Marc Arndt (@zamedic) September 19, 2014

Just tried iOS 8 Wave and it REALLY WORKS!!(@yippiekiyaymfer) September 19, 2014

New iOS 8 feature is wave charging, wirelessly charge your device by putting it in the microwave for 1 minute, I am not joking this workspepperoni playboy (@swaggycunt69) September 19, 2014

Meanwhile, another Twitter user claims to have tried it, but succeeded only in burning his iPhone.

I tried using the new IOS 8 feature WAVE where you can charge your phone with a microwave, does not work @Apple pic.twitter.com/IWsWnVboUlFallen (@Fallenbot) September 18, 2014

This isn't the first time iPhone and iPad users have been targeted by online pranksters. In the wake of last year's iOS 7 release, users were told upgrading to the new mobile operating system would result in their devices becoming waterproof.

IT Pro contacted Apple for comment on this story, but was still awaiting a response at the time of writing.

Caroline Donnelly
Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.