The new Activation Lock can now render a stolen iPhone useless for fixing damaged iPhones.
There are black markets that use parts of stolen iPhones and law enforcement asked Apple to address the issue.
Included in the upcoming iOS 18, the new Activation Lock will shield an iPhone down to its hardware components. In case it’s stolen and the feature is enabled, even if the device is stripped into pieces, it can’t be used to repair a damaged iPhone.
Some parts protected by Activation Lock include the battery, display, and camera. All of these are crucial parts in enjoying an iPhone, so rendering them useless for repair makes the stolen iPhone useless.
However, there’s a limit to protection coverage. It only shields parts of iPhone 12 and later if they are linked to an Apple Account with the feature enabled. The stolen parts will ask for the ID and password once inside a repaired device. They will remain locked until the necessary credentials are provided.
The feature is now available in the Release Candidate build of iOS 18. A commercial build of iOS 18 is scheduled for launch on September 16.
Will you use Activation Lock on your iPhone?
