New feature to protect sensitive information of iPhone owners is included in an upcoming iOS update.
iPhone users are getting a new feature called Stolen Device Protection and it’s designed to shield sensitive information.
How Does This New Security Feature Work on Your iPhone
When you turn it on, the Stolen Device Protection will ask you to authenticate your identity via Face ID or Touch ID. One hour later and it will require you to authenticate the device again using the same security options to secure the most sensitive iCloud settings.
According to an article, the logic behind this new implementation by Apple is to make it difficult for thieves to reset an iPhone. This is because resetting the device will now demand a biometric entry, albeit a delayed one.
The delay is thanks to Security Delay that protects crucial info stored on the device but without obstructing the owner’s daily use. Plus, the biometric security doesn’t accept the passcode.
What Are the Things Protected
There are several sensitive details you can secure using the new feature, and here are some of them:
- Modifying the Apple ID password
- Updating the Apple ID account security settings
- Changing the iPhone passcode
- Turning off Find My
- Adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID
- Switching off the Stolen Device Protection feature
Apple also included something handy so users don’t have to endure the Security Delay. This mechanism isn’t required if users are at a familiar location, such as work, home, and another place where they spent a lot of time and have frequently unlocked their iPhone there.
However, the company hasn’t clarified the factors that make a location trusted. Using Wi-Fi frequently at a place won’t make it trusted automatically, for instance.
Stolen Device Protection will arrive on the iOS 17.3 update.
