Leading iPhone maker Apple is working on a new and handy security feature that addresses the common concern of users regarding stolen devices.
The new rollout that is currently in its beta phase has been dubbed Stolen Device Protection and it’s created to protect thieves from taking data after attaining control of the user’s iPhone. And while it was a long time coming, the thought of progress being made on this front from the Cupertino firm is being welcomed with open arms.
Knowing that your passcode and phone have been stolen is obviously a concerning matter but this new rollout will limit what the thief can do with the user’s information. This was produced after a report was launched during the year’s start by a leading journalist at WSJ dubbed Joanna Stern. Moreover, such opt-in features included the likes of iOS 17.3 beta.
It’s now up for grabs solely to developers but there’s no reason why we won’t be seeing it get launched for the masses soon.
The feature works as a combo of biometrics, location, and time delay detailing. This means victims could prevent the criminal from accessing the device by locking them out and keeping their data safe at all times.
Such endeavors are designed to prevent the common ordeal of perpetrators who are lurking in the most common public places. They are watching everyone closely in terms of what their passcodes may be. And it’s interesting how a user wouldn’t even be aware that they’re the next target before the device is actually stolen.
In such an endeavor, the criminal has the chance to reset the user’s ID and switch off their protective Find My offering. In the same manner, they will include recovery keys and a new factory reset feature for phones that are set for resale purposes. This is just before the victim may do anything linked to it.
For instance, if this feature was not in place, the criminal who stole the iPhone and the passcode would use that to alter Apple’s ID password and this would lock the user out from their own iPhone.
In the end, the criminal simply switches off the useful Find My feature and that’s important in terms of ensuring they have full control and access to the iPhone and data located inside of it.
In the end, the thief would sell off the phone at its full value instead of making attempts to pass it off as the iCloud-locked device that would sell for a much lesser amount.
Instead, the feature that’s switched on will request some sort of identification for proceeding. This could be Face or Touch ID scans in case the user is a little far away from a famous location such as their work location or their home address.
In the same manner, the rollout would require a certain period of delay, usually one hour, before altering the password for Apple ID on such a phone.
After the time is up, it would request for Face ID or a Touch ID Scan, right before it alters the ID password on such a phone. Moreover, it would go about asking for Face IDs or Touch Scans before making the change from the respective iPhone.
All of these workings just make it so much tougher for criminals to access while giving the device’s owner more time to generate complaints on this front if and when stolen, ensuring the thief is locked out at all times.
You can think of this new feature as one that’s quite similar in action to that seen in security settings for tech giant Apple. The process of including recovery keys or updating accounts belonging to the user’s device is just another tactic used by criminals to ensure the real owner is locked out. Similar to other places, this new feature is going to ask for double biometric verification with a one-hour difference between them if it detects some kind of untrusted or new location.
Similarly, the iCloud Keychain password also needs the user’s Face or Touch Scan for verification. This is another name given to the firm’s password manager that’s built into the device. Moreover, such passcodes aren’t actually backups for biometric scans that fail when the feature is respectively working.
As per the recently published report on this front, Apple hopes to encourage more and more users to make the most of it when it’s launched for its iOS 17.3. Since the tech giant just rolled out the initial beta today, we know that the general public will require a wait comprising several weeks before experimenting with it.
Image: Apple
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The new rollout that is currently in its beta phase has been dubbed Stolen Device Protection and it’s created to protect thieves from taking data after attaining control of the user’s iPhone. And while it was a long time coming, the thought of progress being made on this front from the Cupertino firm is being welcomed with open arms.
Knowing that your passcode and phone have been stolen is obviously a concerning matter but this new rollout will limit what the thief can do with the user’s information. This was produced after a report was launched during the year’s start by a leading journalist at WSJ dubbed Joanna Stern. Moreover, such opt-in features included the likes of iOS 17.3 beta.
It’s now up for grabs solely to developers but there’s no reason why we won’t be seeing it get launched for the masses soon.
The feature works as a combo of biometrics, location, and time delay detailing. This means victims could prevent the criminal from accessing the device by locking them out and keeping their data safe at all times.
Such endeavors are designed to prevent the common ordeal of perpetrators who are lurking in the most common public places. They are watching everyone closely in terms of what their passcodes may be. And it’s interesting how a user wouldn’t even be aware that they’re the next target before the device is actually stolen.
In such an endeavor, the criminal has the chance to reset the user’s ID and switch off their protective Find My offering. In the same manner, they will include recovery keys and a new factory reset feature for phones that are set for resale purposes. This is just before the victim may do anything linked to it.
For instance, if this feature was not in place, the criminal who stole the iPhone and the passcode would use that to alter Apple’s ID password and this would lock the user out from their own iPhone.
In the end, the criminal simply switches off the useful Find My feature and that’s important in terms of ensuring they have full control and access to the iPhone and data located inside of it.
In the end, the thief would sell off the phone at its full value instead of making attempts to pass it off as the iCloud-locked device that would sell for a much lesser amount.
Instead, the feature that’s switched on will request some sort of identification for proceeding. This could be Face or Touch ID scans in case the user is a little far away from a famous location such as their work location or their home address.
In the same manner, the rollout would require a certain period of delay, usually one hour, before altering the password for Apple ID on such a phone.
After the time is up, it would request for Face ID or a Touch ID Scan, right before it alters the ID password on such a phone. Moreover, it would go about asking for Face IDs or Touch Scans before making the change from the respective iPhone.
All of these workings just make it so much tougher for criminals to access while giving the device’s owner more time to generate complaints on this front if and when stolen, ensuring the thief is locked out at all times.
You can think of this new feature as one that’s quite similar in action to that seen in security settings for tech giant Apple. The process of including recovery keys or updating accounts belonging to the user’s device is just another tactic used by criminals to ensure the real owner is locked out. Similar to other places, this new feature is going to ask for double biometric verification with a one-hour difference between them if it detects some kind of untrusted or new location.
Similarly, the iCloud Keychain password also needs the user’s Face or Touch Scan for verification. This is another name given to the firm’s password manager that’s built into the device. Moreover, such passcodes aren’t actually backups for biometric scans that fail when the feature is respectively working.
As per the recently published report on this front, Apple hopes to encourage more and more users to make the most of it when it’s launched for its iOS 17.3. Since the tech giant just rolled out the initial beta today, we know that the general public will require a wait comprising several weeks before experimenting with it.
Read next: WhatsApp Rolls Out Handy Feature That Allows Users To Pin Chats Within Conversations
