Apple is developing a new feature that will lock your iPhone if it’s taken out of your hands by a thief, according to Apple code seen by 9to5Mac. The option will use the gyroscope, accelerometer and other sensors to determine when an iPhone has been seized. It will also rely on a paired Apple Watch to detect when the iPhone suddenly moves away from the owner’s wrist.
Once the iPhone is taken out of your hand, it locks and activates Stolen Device Protection to prevent thieves from accessing the information inside.
Stolen Device Protection adds extra security to your iPhone when you’re away from familiar places like home or work. It requires biometric authentication for actions like accessing stored passwords or credit cards, and there are built-in one-hour delays for actions like changing an Apple account password.
This feature was originally designed to protect iPhone users from stealth thieves who observe someone’s passcode and then steal an iPhone. With a password, thieves could access apps and access bank account data and other sensitive information, but Stolen Device Protection prevents this.
Android already has a theft detection lock feature that locks a smartphone in case of snatching.
It’s unclear when the new feature might be added to the iPhone.
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