Apple is working on a new security feature for iPhone that can automatically lock the device when it detects that it has been snatched from the user’s hands. Here are the details.
Apple targets iPhone thieves
Many of us know the feeling: one second you’re looking at your iPhone, and the next you’re looking at an empty hand. By the time you realize what has happened, whoever took the device is already out of range.
Over the years, Apple has significantly improved iPhone theft protections, with features like Find My, Activation Lock, and Stolen Device Protection.
However, many of these protections can become almost useless if a thief gets hold of the device while it’s still unlocked.
Apple includes time-based security delays to prevent major Apple ID changes, but the reality is that a thief can still cause significant damage once they get their hands on an unlocked iPhone.
That’s why Apple is working on a new feature that automatically locks the iPhone when the system detects that it has been snatched from the user’s hands, similar to Android’s theft detection lock.
These systems will rely on several signals, including the iPhone’s accelerometer, to detect when the device has been snatched from the user’s hands. Once the snatch is confirmed, it will automatically lock the iPhone.
To further determine whether the iPhone may have been taken from its owner, the feature will also observe the distance to a paired Apple Watch.
Additionally, once fully implemented and enabled, the feature will take into account the same rules that apply to protecting stolen devices: whether the iPhone is connected to a familiar WiFi network and whether it is in a familiar location, such as home or work.
If these conditions suggest that the iPhone was taken from its owner in an unknown location, in addition to automatically locking the device, the feature will restrict access to the same areas protected by Stolen Device Protection.
There are no details on when these features will be announced, but code seen by 9to5Mac makes it clear that they are under active development. Hopefully they will arrive as soon as possible.
You can learn more about protecting stolen devices here.
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