Apple Developing iPhone Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen Phones Instantly

[MacRumors]

Apple is developing a new feature that will lock your iPhone if it's snatched from your hand by a thief, according to Apple code seen by 9to5Mac. The option will use the gyroscope, accelerometer, and other sensors to determine when an iPhone has been grabbed. It'll also rely on a paired Apple Watch to detect when the iPhone has suddenly moved away from the owner's wrist.

Once the iPhone is yanked from your hand, it will lock and activate Stolen Device Protection to prevent thieves from accessing information on it.

Stolen Device Protection adds extra security to your iPhone when you're away from familiar locations like home or work. It requires biometric authentication for actions like accessing stored passwords or credit cards, and there are built-in hour-long delays for actions like changing an Apple Account password.

The feature was originally designed to protect iPhone users from stealthy thieves who observe someone's passcode and then snatch an iPhone. With a passcode, thieves could get into apps and access bank account data and other sensitive information, but Stolen Device Protection prevents that from happening.

Android already has a Theft Detection Lock feature that locks a smartphone in a snatch-and-grab theft situation.

There is no word on when the new feature might be added to the iPhone.

Article Link: Apple Developing iPhone Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen Phones Instantly

 

[sniffies]

Now thieves will be extra gentle when engaging in a tactical asset migration so as not to trigger gyroscopes.

 

[EllZ89]

Definitely making this feature with central London in mind with the scrotes on bikes

 

[ghostface147]

I’d still like a way to prevent them from turning it off so I can at least still track it using Find My.

 

[BeatsByTim]

Does it stop police from using cellbrites or whatever to unlock your phone?

 

[triumvirate]

Definitely making this feature with central London in mind with the scrotes on bikes

Kind of sad it’s a thing now.

 

[Sanlitun]

Nice! Now I can go to London.

 

[mw360]

Does it stop police from using cellebrites or whatever to unlock your phone?

Sadly no. They used Tom Hanks to unlock mine.

 

[winxmac]

It's possible that this feature will be limited to newer models or only those that support Apple intelligence and not be available to older models.

 

[BeatsByTim]

Nice! Now I can go to London.

"Oi! A Chav nicked me mobile!"

 

[Robert.Walter]

Just read yesterday an article about scooter grabs and thought “why isn’t a feature to sense and lock iPhone already a thing, all the hardware is there it’s just a small software patch to implement,” and now today this news.

Looking forward to it soon.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

What use is an anti-scratching feature to prevent phone theft? Don't they already have Gorilla Glass?

 

[awshucks]

What use is an anti-scratching feature to prevent phone theft? Don't they already have Gorilla Glass?

Anti-snatching

 

[CasinoOwl]

This is when you find out if your friends are the kind of d*cks that will grab your phone and run so it gets locked.

 

[lovehateapple]

This is when you find out if your friends are the kind of d*cks that will grab your phone and run so it gets locked.

It's all in good fun. There has to be a way to unlock it in the case of error. My mom's apple watch thinks she's fallen a few times a day so she has to cancel the detection before it calls emergency services.

 

[DogHouseDub]

Now make it automagically dump the battery’s contents to the metal frame.

 

[CarAnalogy]

OK this seems like not the worst idea, but they still refuse to address the real security issue:

Stop letting the iPhone PIN override all other account security

At least give me that as an option. They'll potentially force lock me out of my device by forcing on SDP without a Face ID scan, with the chance that Face ID will fail. But they won't give me the option to trust myself not to forget my Apple ID password.

 

[Justin Cymbal]

What about a setting that would enable (a user opt-in option) for TWO separate user iPhone passcodes to be implemented and set?

One user passcode (that could be set to be short) so 4-8 numerical PIN could be set to effectuate exclusively at specific user generated, geo-locations within settings (i.e. home and work) and a SEPARATE 15+ character ALPHANUMERIC passcode that would be set to enable EVERYWHERE a user goes, that is OUTSIDE of the parameters defined by those⬆️ users generated geo-fences - everywhere someone goes, outside of work or home

Doing this would maintain maximum user security (when it becomes warranted and necessary to do so) while balancing a user-convenient approach when security is obviously not as necessary (while a user is at home or at work)
Or if Apple allows even more customization: a third, forth or fifth (user input) geo-location

Apple’s current passcode security infrastructure is literally already designed around a geo-fence approach. What you are allowed to do outside of your home or work (password and security wise) is vastly different than the security/administrator options while you are at home. For example, there is a time sensitive wait requirement for changing one’s password while out and about - as there SHOULD be:

 

[CarAnalogy]

It's all in good fun. There has to be a way to unlock it in the case of error. My mom's apple watch thinks she's fallen a few times a day so she has to cancel the detection before it calls emergency services.

She should probably take it off before teaching her Judo classes.

 

[Matthew.H]

All great apart from the fact that it requires you to have an Apple Watch linked. Useless feature for me as I don't have an Apple Watch. The basic SE starts at £219 which isn't cheap for a body worn device liable to get knocked. I work in hospitality and I'm currently wearing a Fitbit Inspire 3 which has got bashed a fair few times but it cost me £35 on sale. Not risking a £200+ smartwatch which is probably more likely to get damaged.

 

[cwm]

I'd like to imagine the test lab where they are developing this and tim cook is spending his last day running around snatching phones out of developers hands so they can fit a better algorithm

 

[Isidore]

Not sure that will make much difference. Although it does add security, it does not significantly reduce the value of a stollen phone: my daughter had her phone snatched will crossing the road in north London by a lowlife on an electric bike. Two days later it’s location was in a block of flats in East London and a few days after that it was in Shenzhen in China. No doubt its parts ended up in the second hand parts food chain. That possibility is what needs to be kilked.

 

[UliBaer]

Congrats to the well earned second place! 👍 😀

 

[Charlesrfinal]

I’d love a setting that automatically requires the PW if it loses connection to my watch.

 

[OldNewMBP]

Now thieves will be extra gentle when engaging in a tactical asset migration so as not to trigger gyroscopes.

Same with parents with their children's phones.