Apple is adding a new iPhone feature called Stolen Device Protection that limits what thieves can do with a stolen phone and passcode. Created following a report earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, the opt-in feature is included in the iOS 17.3 beta, now available for developers. It works using a combination of location, biometric scans, and time delays, allowing victims to lock out the perpetrator and safeguard their data.
Stolen Device Protection is designed to thwart a common tactic employed by iPhone thieves in public spaces. These thieves observe users entering their passcodes and quickly snatch the device before making a swift getaway. In such scenarios, the perpetrator could exploit the stolen device by resetting the owner’s Apple ID password, disabling Find My, adding a recovery key, and performing a factory reset on the phone for resale—all before the victim has a chance to take any counteraction. a new iPhone feature
Without Stolen Device Protection enabled, an iPhone thief armed with your passcode can easily change your Apple ID password, effectively locking you out of your own device. This gives the thief the opportunity to disable Find My, a crucial step in wiping the device clean for a new user. Consequently, the thief can sell the device at its full used value, rather than attempting to sell a iCloud-locked device for a considerably lower price.