Apple Eyes Stronger iPhone Security With Auto-Lock Theft Protection

Apple is reportedly working on a new iPhone security feature that would automatically lock the phone moments after it is ripped from the user’s hands.

The feature proposed is to detect movement patterns that are usually associated with phone theft and immediately lock down the device before thieves can access sensitive personal information.

The new protection would build on Apple’s existing Stolen Device Protection system, which was introduced to add extra layers of security when an iPhone is away from trusted locations such as a user’s home or workplace, Story Board 18 reported.

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Theft Detection Technology:

According to Apple’s support documentation, Stolen Device Protection must be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID before you can perform sensitive actions such as viewing saved passwords, viewing payment information, changing account settings, and turning off Lost Mode.

Certain critical actions will also have a one hour security delay before they can be completed.

The new feature is designed to mitigate a different security flaw where an iPhone is stolen while already unlocked.

In these cases, existing protections like Find My, Activation Lock, and Stolen Device Protection may not immediately prevent thieves from accessing apps, financial information, or account settings before the owner can react.

Apple’s proposed system, according to 9to5Mac, would use signals from multiple devices to determine whether there might have been a theft.

The technology would use accelerometer data capable of detecting abrupt movements such as those seen in grab-and-run incidents.

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Apple Watch Integration:

Reports say the feature might also work with proximity information from a connected Apple Watch to discern if an iPhone has suddenly moved away from its owner.

The system could also determine whether the device is connected to a trusted Wi-Fi network or is in a known area such as home or work, before opting to activate the security response.

If the software believes the device is likely stolen, the iPhone would reportedly lock itself automatically and apply the same restrictions currently enforced through Stolen Device Protection.

The idea is similar to theft-detection capabilities already present on some Android smartphones, which are designed to automatically lock devices after detecting unusual movement patterns that are common in theft.

Apple has been slowly adding more anti-theft capabilities in recent years.

Apple released Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 following concerns that thieves were watching users type in passcodes before stealing their phones and using that information to access banking apps, change passwords or disable security settings.