Apple is working on an addition to its Stolen Device Protection feature that would bring it on par with Google’s Android.
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Apple’s Stolen Device Protection is a great feature that protects your data if thieves get hold of your iPhone. But at the moment, a thief who acts quickly while your iPhone is still unlocked can still be successful.
It is with this weakness in mind that Apple is apparently working on a new iPhone security feature that’ll see your device automatically lock if it is grabbed from your hand. That’s according to Apple focused site 9to5Mac, which has seen code indicating that the feature is in active development.
The site describes how the potential new feature will use the accelerometer to detect when your iPhone is snatched in a similar way to Android’s Theft Detection Lock. It could also observe the distance between your iPhone and Apple Watch, if you have one, to further evidence a theft.
If launched, the feature will allow Apple to immediately lock your iPhone if it takes into account a number of factors, such as your distance from home or work, and whether you are connected to a familiar Wi-Fi network.
If your device does detect these factors in play, it could protect your crucial data by not allowing you to change core settings such as your Apple ID password, according to the report. At the same time, Touch ID or Face ID are required for access to apps such as banking and passwords.
Stolen Device Protection was turned on in Apple’s iOS 17.3 in response to a spate of iPhone thefts in the U.S. and U.K. The feature is now enabled by default as of iOS 26.4 for enterprises and iOS 26.4.1 for other users. And rightly so, since the consequences of a theft go far beyond the hardware itself.
Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET is impressed with the upgrade to Apple’s Stolen Device Protection. “Utilising extra data such as familiar locations and proximity to the user’s Apple Watch could make this feature very impressive,” he says.
However, he points out that criminals still use tools — such as tools favored by law enforcement including GrayKey — that can crack locked iPhones. “So people will still need to know what to do in the first golden hour of a phone theft in terms of killing the SIM, contacting their banks and locking their apps out of the stolen device.”
It’s also still vital to use multiple levels of authentication such as Face ID in addition to a password, says Moore. However, do not use SMS, he warns “If users enable Face ID on their individual apps, it can help slow down the criminal processes.”
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