Apple released a new version of iOS on January 21st with some new features. These features include the likes of a collaborative Playlist and a new Unity wallpaper for Black History Month. Another key feature that comes with iOS 17.3 is “Stolen Device Protection.” As its name suggests, this feature is designed to be used when your phone gets stolen. With how much data that we store in our phones, when stolen, one of the primary risks that we face is a leak of our private Data. Therefore, iPhone users should turn on Apple’s Stolen Device Protection feature now!
But the question here is, “What is this feature?” In this blog, we discuss what iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection is and how you can turn it on.
What is the iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection?
As its name suggests, iPhone’s Stolen Device protection is a security feature of this device. This feature introduces a few additional steps when you try to activate sensitive data in unfamiliar locations. The sensitive data includes your payment details and Apple ID details. As for the specifics of the unfamiliar location, the device categorizes any and all locations where you do not use the iPhone frequently as unfamiliar locations.
The steps required to access your data in these unfamiliar locations fall under two categories: biometrics and authentication delay.
In the biometrics category, we have face ID or Touch ID. When you try to access payment information or change specific device settings, it requests for touch or face ID.
As for the second category, it simply asks you to wait for an hour and then perform a second Face ID or Touch authentication.
Furthermore, this is also applicable if you try to erase your data from your device. Some other situations where this security feature applies include the following:
- Accessing Keychain passwords
- Using payment method to autofill in Safari
- Filling out the application for a new Apple Card without visiting an existing Apple Card number
- Apple Cash and Savings settings inside Apple Wallet
- Turning off Lost Mode
- Setting up a new device with an existing phone.
- Furthermore, the security delay is activated when you change the following settings from an unfamiliar location.
Changing your password, signing out, or updating account security on your Apple ID
- Adding or removing Face or Touch ID
- Changing the passcode
- Turning off Stolen Device Settings
- Turning off Find My setting
- Resetting the phone.
This essentially means that you can erase all of your iPhone data remotely using another device within an hour.
How to turn on Stolen Device Protection on iOS?
Now, before you get all excited, you should note that this feature is turned off by default. If you want to use this feature, you should enable it first. But, How to turn on Stolen Device Protection on iOS?. To do this, you should follow the process below:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Face ID and Passcode
- Enter your Passcode
- Scroll down until you see the “Stolen Device Protection”
- Tap Turn on Protection
If you do not see the Stolen Device Protection section, you may need to set up a face ID or Touch ID first.
How to turn on/view Significant Locations on an iPhone?
Now you know how to activate this feature, some of you may wonder, “But how does my device know what is a familiar location and what is not?” For that, you need to set the familiar location in your settings and add features in Map, Car Play, and other apps. At the time of this writing, you cannot customize this data. This is automatically built over time based on your phone’s location and the duration spent at said location. However, you can view a summary of the data or clear data.
When you want to view this setting, you can follow the process below:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Privacy and Security
- Tap Location Services
- Select the system service option
- Scroll till you find a Significant Location and tap on it.
Additionally, you can turn the Significant Locations on and off. Additionally, you can also view your home location or clear out the existing data.
What happens if your iPhone is stolen?
If your iPhone is stolen or lost, you can use Find My or use an internet browser on another Apple Device to locate your device. Additionally, you can also use the Find My tool to mark your phone as lost. This tool allows you to lock your phone with a passcode and display a custom message.
Naturally, if you are sure that your phone is stolen, then you can use another Apple device to erase the data using the Stolen Device Protection option.
Conclusion
This is the age of smartphones. Therefore, our phones contain a lot of our sensitive information. The good news here is that if you are an iPhone user, you can now add an extra layer of security to protect your sensitive data on your phone. In fact, iPhone users should turn on Apple’s Stolen Device Protection feature promptly. This feature was recently launched on iOS 17.3 on January 21st and allows you to add Face ID or Touch ID along with Security Delay. These features give you time to wipe your phone off from another Apple Device.
In this blog, we discussed what this feature is and how to use Stolen Device Protection. We hope you found this helpful. If you want further insights into the world of technology, do check out some of our other blogs. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.
FAQ on Apples Stolen Device Protection
How does iPhone stolen device protection work?
This feature works by limiting the locations where you can perform certain actions, such as accessing your payment details and changing specific settings from the locations that the phone deems unfamiliar. You can only perform these actions by using biometrics and by completing the Security Delay check.
Should I turn on stolen device protection?
Yes, absolutely, you should. Although stolen device protection has its limits, it can add a layer of protection to limit the accessibility of the perpetrator. Furthermore, you can also use this feature to remotely wipe off the data from your device if your phone is stolen, preventing the perpetrator from accessing your important data.