A few hours after iOS 17.2 Apple made it available for developers the first beta of version 17.3 of the smartphone operating system. Among the new features introduced, a new security feature called Stolen device protection (Stolen Device Protection). This has been thought of protect user data in case of iPhone theft.
A report by tech journalist Joanna Stern (with the help of Nicole Nguyen) was fundamental for this feature. The well-known signature of Wall Street Journal investigated theincrease in theft of made-in-Cupertino smartphones in public placessuch as bars, restaurants and shopping centers, and shed light on a tactic used very often by thieves.
First, the victims are observed while entering the unlock code of your device. Then, once the theft is complete, the thief can use the code to access the device, change your Apple ID password, turn off Find My, access passwords stored in iCloud Keychain, and even block access to iCloud backups. In short, from the report we learn that a thief can essentially “steal a person’s entire digital life.”.
How Apple protects stolen devices: the new feature of iOS 17.3
«This new feature», explains Apple, «adds an extra layer of security in case someone has stolen your smartphone and also obtained your unlock code».
The additional level of security that the Cupertino company talks about translates into the following points:
- Access to saved passwords requires the recognition of the owner user’s face via Face ID
- Changing sensitive settings (like your Apple ID) is protected by a safety delay
- The delay is not expected when the iPhone is in locations known to the user owner, such as his apartment and place of work
As already mentioned, the security feature is currently only available in the beta version of iOS 17.3 (the final version will be released in a few weeks). In any case, to enable it, you need to go to Settings → Face ID and code and press on the command “Activate protection” related to the voice “Stolen Device Protection”.