Activating and Using Stolen Device Protection on Your iPhone

Apple recently released an iOS update that significantly enhances your iPhone's security in the event of theft.

Last year, we published an in-depth article highlighting iPhone security flaws that made it easy for thieves to access your data if they knew your passcode. In response to the understandable concerns from the Apple community, the company introduced a new feature with the release of iOS 17.3.

This feature, called Stolen Device Protection, provides two major security enhancements for your iPhone when you are outside of designated familiar locations:

• Requires Face ID or Touch ID: Certain actions will need biometric verification, with no passcode fallback if the biometric checks fail.
• Sensitive Operations: Actions like changing your passcode or Apple ID password will require two biometric confirmations with a one-hour delay between them to verify that it is truly you making the changes.

These features are disabled when you are in a "trusted" location, such as your home or office.

Here's a quick guide on how to enable this feature:

1. Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and select “Face ID & Passcode.” Enter your passcode if prompted.
3. Scroll halfway down and tap on “Stolen Device Protection” to activate it.

And that’s it! However, before enabling this feature, we recommend reviewing the detailed information available on Apple’s website to ensure you understand what you’re opting into. Tap on the blue “learn more” link below the option to activate Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone, or read more here.

For additional insights into why strict biometric requirements are valuable for your personal and professional security, refer to our comprehensive article on protecting yourself from phone and data theft. Note that not all devices can update to iOS 17.3, so this advice remains relevant. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be updating our extensive guide to include information about the new Stolen Device Protection feature for compatible iPhones. For local assistance, consider reaching out to IT support Kent.