Apple’s New iOS 17 Security Feature Blocks Opportunistic iPhone Thieves

Apple has a new security feature coming that’s designed to keep your iPhone safer from thieves. Stolen Device Protection, as the setting is called, requires Face ID or Touch ID authentication, but to keep your most sensitive iCloud settings secure, it requires you to scan your face or enter a fingerprint a second time an hour later — preventing shady characters from unlocking your phone and speeding off with it.

It’s an optional feature that Apple nonetheless recommends everyone turn on when it arrives in the next full version of the iPhone’s operating system. It’s available now in the just-released developer beta of iOS 17.3, and it’s the latest feature Apple has added to help iPhone users protect their data and devices.

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The feature uses a new mechanism called a Security Delay to make it harder for thieves and opportunists to access your most sensitive settings on iPhones, yet it’s designed not to obstruct everyday use — a tricky tightrope to walk. Once turned on, the feature requires users to enter their biometric info (facial scan or fingerprint) once and then again after an hour — and no, you can’t bypass it by using a passcode. 

Only a handful of settings will be locked under Stolen Device Protection, including changing your Apple ID password, updating your Apple ID account security settings (like adding or changing recovery contacts), changing your iPhone passcode, turning off Find My, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID and turning off Stolen Device Protection itself.

Crucially, a Security Delay will not be required if you are at a familiar location like home, work or another place you’ve spent a lot of time and unlocked your phone regularly. While Apple hasn’t clarified what makes a location trusted, it won’t just be places you’ve frequented and are logged into Wi-Fi (which would include places like bars or coffee shops where you might run into situations Stolen Device Protection is designed to protect against). 

By adding a second delayed biometric scan, thieves or attackers demanding an initial passcode and face scan ultimately won’t be able to quickly change account ownership of the device. While it’s tricky to add protection without potentially escalating the situation, Apple studied commonly reported scenarios to find an effective solution, according to a representative.

Stolen Device Protection is in the iOS 17.3 developer beta available now, and Apple plans to include it in an upcoming public iOS 17 update.

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