Apple’s New Stolen Device Protection Feature Adds Another Layer of Security
Apple is taking steps to make it harder for iPhone thieves to access personal information if they get a hold of a device’s passcode. The company has included a new Stolen Device Protection feature in its iOS 17.3 beta that, when enabled, will require authentication through Face ID or Touch ID to perform certain actions.
The move comes in response to concerns raised in previous reports by The Wall Street Journal, which described how thieves watch their victims type in their iPhone passcodes and then steal their devices. This gives thieves access to a trove of personal and financial information stored on the device, allowing them to lock victims out of their iCloud accounts and spend thousands of dollars using saved payment information.
With the Stolen Device Protection feature enabled, users will have to verify their identity with face or fingerprint biometrics when doing things like viewing saved passwords in iCloud Keychain, applying for a new Apple Card, factory resetting the device, using saved payment methods in Safari, and turning off Lost Mode. This extra layer of protection will make it difficult for thieves to access sensitive information even if they have the phone and passcode.
For even more sensitive actions, such as changing an Apple ID password or turning off Find My, the new feature adds an additional hurdle if the device is somewhere other than locations users often frequent, such as at home or in the office. It requires users to not only verify their identity with Face ID or Touch ID but also to wait one hour and then repeat the authentication process again.
According to Apple spokesperson Scott Radcliffe, “iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can’t access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user’s passcode. In the rare cases where a thief can observe the user entering the passcode and then steal the device, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection.”
The addition of the Stolen Device Protection feature should make stealing iPhones less enticing for thieves and much more difficult to carry out actions that could upend users’ digital lives.
This article has been updated with a statement from Apple.