Apple is getting ready to release a new feature that will stop hackers using stolen iPhones from accessing the personal data of their victims, even if they know their passcodes. The feature, known as “Stolen Device Protection,” will prevent a cunning burglar from using the passcode fallback by concealing user data and factory reset options behind Face ID.
If your cellphone is taken without your permission by a pickpocket or an inquisitive family member, one of the greatest methods to safeguard your data is to use passcodes. However, the consequences can be disastrous if that defense fails—for example, if a pickpocket discovers that you entered your passcode in a public area. Passcodes can currently be used to unlock a phone, modify someone’s Apple ID credentials, access apps that would normally require Face ID (such banking apps), or factory reset the phone to resell, as demonstrated by one iPhone user’s terrifying “first date” earlier this year.
The goal of stolen device protection is to seal that gap. The functionality will require the owner of the device’s face in order to proceed, instead of enabling thieves to enter their victims’ passcodes after Face ID has failed. Under certain conditions, Face ID verification may even trigger a one-hour waiting period under Stolen Device Protection, necessitating a second facial recognition check after the hour has passed.
According to MacRumors, you have to turn on stolen device protection; it won’t turn on by itself. Once activated, Face ID will be needed to access Apple Cash and Savings, turn off Lost Mode, see or apply for an Apple Card, use saved payment methods in Safari, set up a new device using the pilfered iPhone, and factory reset the device. The feature adds an additional layer of security by imposing a one-hour waiting period before modifying the iPhone’s passcode, deactivating or adding Face ID, altering the Apple ID security settings (including the password), or turning off Find My or Stolen Device Protection.
This week, the iOS 17.3 beta allowed developers to test the stolen device protection feature. The feature will function with all iPhones that iOS 17.3 is compatible with when it launches officially, including iPhone XS and later models.