Note: This feature was first published on 3 January 2024.
(Image source: Apple)
Stolen Device Protection is a new security setting that will appear in iOS 17.3. It is designed to protect users even if their passcodes were somehow compromised by thieves or attackers.
This new feature was born after The Wall Street Journal reported on a rise in iPhone thefts and a vulnerability that allowed thieves and attacks to break into victims’ devices.
As you can from the video above, the key to any theft is the passcode. Thieves or attackers would typically observe their targets entering their passcodes. And if they can’t do that, they’ll engineer a situation in which their targets would need to enter their passcodes. In some cases, they might even trick their targets into revealing their passcodes.
The scary bit comes after they get hold of their targets’ passcodes. They would steal their targets’ phones and then quickly change their Apple ID password with their passcodes, and turn off Find My iPhone to lock the owners out of their phone and their iCloud account. Next, they would add their faces to Face ID, and finally, they would go through any banking or money apps and drain the victims’ accounts of their money. Once that is done, they would factory reset the phone and sell it for extra cash.
It appears that many are unaware of just how important their passcodes are. They are not merely codes which you use to unlock your phones. Clearly, more education and protection is needed and this is where Stolen Device Protection comes in.
You'll find the setting under Face ID & Passcode in the Settings app.
Stolen Device Protection is disabled by default, but you can easily turn it on by going into the Settings app and then Face ID & Passcode. When you turn it on, it does a number of things.
- Whenever you are not at a location that is commonly associated with you, biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID) will be required to change your Apple ID password.
- In addition to this, there’s a one-hour security delay where you’ll need to scan your face or fingerprint again to confirm the change.
- This also applies to adding new faces to Face ID, new fingerprints to Touch ID, and disabling Find My iPhone.
- The one-hour security delay is not applied if you are at a familiar location, such as home and work.
Needless to say, these changes makes it much more tricky for thieves or attackers to steal and gain access to your phone.
The Security Delay adds a layer of protection for users.
All other functions of the phone will still work as usual even during this security delay. You will still be able to take and make calls, and send and receive messages, and you’ll still be able to use Face ID to use Apple Pay and banking apps. In other words, there’s almost no downside to turning this feature on.
That said, there’s no replacement for good security habits. Follow these guidelines to keep safe:
- Don’t use simple passcodes. Use longer passcodes or even alphanumeric ones.
- Never disclose your passcode to anyone.
- Don’t enter your passcode in public – you never know who is observing you.
- Don’t hand your phone to strangers to get their contact info. Insist that they give it to you.
- Don’t connect to unprotected public Wi-Fi networks.
- Avoid using public phone chargers.
When is Stolen Device Protection going to be available?
Stolen Device Protection is going to be available with iOS 17.3, which is currently available as a public beta. Apple hasn't announce when iOS 17.3 will be dropping, but there's a good chance it will be released sometime in late January or by mid-February. We'll update this section once we know more.
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