Apple has a new security feature coming to keep your iPhone even safer from thieves. While the functionality requires Face ID or Touch ID authentication, to keep your most sensitive iCloud settings secure, Apple will require 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.
Stolen Device Protection, as the setting is named, is a new optional feature that Apple nonetheless recommends everyone turns on when it arrives in the next full version of iPhone’s operating system. It’s available now in the just-released developer beta of iOS 17.3, and is 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 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, they 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 Apple ID account security settings (like adding or changing recovery contacts), changing your iPhone passcode, and adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID.
Crucially, a Security Delay will not be required if the user is at a familiar location like at home or at work — places they’ve spent a lot of time and unlocked their 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.
By adding a second delayed biometric scan, opportunistic thieves or even direct attackers demanding an initial passcode and face scan ultimately won’t be able to change account ownership of the device. This is another tricky balance to add protection without potentially escalating the situation, and Apple studied commonly reported scenarios to find an effective solution, according to an Apple Representative.
Stolen Device Protection is in the iOS 17.3 developer beta available now, and Apple plans to be included in an upcoming public iOS 17 update.
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