It may be difficult to imagine, but it has already happened: in different parts of the world, Apple devices have managed to stop firearms from being fired, protecting their owners from serious injuries and even death.
Devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch offer a series of features capable of monitoring health and, in critical situations, saving lives. Functions such as emergency calls, fall detection and cardiac alerts provide users with real protection. But have you ever imagined an iPhone or MacBook physically saving lives?
Here are four impressive cases in which technology literally turned into a bulletproof vest.
In March 2025, a MacBook Pro saved a man’s life by cushioning a gunshot during a robbery in São Paulo. According to the Public Security Secretariat, the boy, a motorcyclist, was traveling around the city on a motorcycle when he was surrounded by five criminals.
During the approach, One of the robbers shot the victim in the back. The bullet hit the backpack he was carrying, but, fortunately, it was blocked by the notebook inside it. The shot was trapped in the MacBook, preventing a serious injury and leaving only superficial injuries to the motorcyclist.
iPhone 13 Pro saves life of Ukrainian soldier
In one of the most impressive cases, an iPhone 13 Pro managed to save the life of a Ukrainian soldier in the middle of a combat zone in mid-2022. The cell phone, placed on the front of his clothes, stopped the shot and prevented anything more serious from happening.
The projectile hit the center of the iPhone and, although it shattered the device, it did not go through it completely — thus avoiding a potentially fatal injury.
MacBook saves man in shooting
In 2017, a shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, in Florida (USA), killed five people. However, the number could have been higher. In an interview with CNN at the time, Steve Frappier, who was at the scene during the attack, revealed that his life was saved by Apple notebook that he carried in his backpack.
He said he was in the baggage claim area when he heard gunshots and threw himself on the ground with his backpack still on his back. As he lay down, he felt something hit him, but he thought it could be one of the suitcases that had fallen on him.
When he got up and went to the bathroom, he discovered that he had been hit by a bullet, which went through the MacBook’s screen and body and stopped in the inside pocket of his backpack.
The FBI later confirmed that the projectile was the same as the gun used by the shooter. According to Steve, if the notebook hadn’t been there, the shot would have hit him in the back and he could have died.
Accidental shooting is stopped by iPhone
In 2018, an iPhone managed to stop a projectile during a robbery in St. Albans, Vermont (USA). According to local newspaper WSAZ, a young man believed he was selling a gaming PC to an acquaintance, but upon arriving at the agreed location realized that he had fallen into an ambushwhen the attempted robbery was revealed.
During the confrontation, the victim and attacker got into a physical fight, causing a accidental discharge of the robber’s weapon. The shot went through the computer and only stopped when it hit the victim’s iPhone, which was in his pocket and absorbed the impact of the projectile. The iPhone model was not revealed at the time, but the cell phone ended up saving the day. Once again.
