Apple is rolling out a new feature on its iPhone devices known as Stolen Device Protection that would limit what thieves are capable of doing on stolen devices and passcodes.
The opt-in feature is now included in the iOS 17.3 beta and is available for developers. The new feature works by using a combination of location, biometric scans, and time delays. These would allow victims of theft to lock out the perpetrator and safeguard their data from any malicious activity.
Apple's New Stolen Device Protection Feature
The Stolen Device Protection feature seeks to snuff out a common practice where thieves in public will wait and discreetly watch users enter their passcode before snatching the device and running away.
With access to the device and the passcode, thieves can reset owners' Apple ID passwords, turn off Find My, add a recovery key, and factory reset the device to sell it before the original owner can do anything about the crime, as per Engadget.
For instance, when the Stolen Device Protection feature is not used, an iPhone thief who has access to the device's passcode can change the Apple ID password and lock the owner out of the device. This also allows the criminal to turn off Find My which is crucial to wiping the device so that it could be sold to a new user.
But when the new feature is turned on, the device will ask for a Face ID or Touch ID scan if the user is found to be away from a familiar location such as home or work. The device would also require a one-hour delay before the Apple ID password can be changed. After the wait, it would still ask for a Face ID or Touch ID scan.
This would make it much harder for thieves to hack personal information and give users more time to report the iPhone as stolen to lock out the criminal from accessing further data. The feature works similarly to Apple security settings.
Protecting Users From Theft
The tech giant is rolling out the new security feature after reports of a nationwide spate of thefts where criminals used iPhone passcodes to break into victims' accounts and upend their lives. Criminals have been reported in New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Minneapolis, and other cities, according to Fox Business.
The reports also highlighted how the crimes resulted in losses far beyond just the phones that were stolen. The new feature would require thieves to input two biometric scans an hour apart to change security settings.
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said that as threats to user devices continue to evolve, the company is tirelessly working to develop new protections for consumers and their data. He added that iPhone data encryption has long led the industry.
The spokesperson said that a thief would not be able to access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user's passcode. He noted that in the cases where criminals employ various tactics or scams to learn their victims' passcodes, the new Stolen Device Protection feature would add an extra layer of defense, said CNBC.
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