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Apple Seeds Third Public Beta of iOS 17.3 With Stolen Device Protection

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its release. The second public iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 betas come almost a month after Apple released the first betas. Note that while Apple is calling these the third betas of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3, there was technically never a second public beta. Apple had to pull the second developer betas of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3, and opted to go straight to the third beta rather than releasing an updated public beta version.

iOS-17.3-Feature.jpg

Public beta testers can get the beta by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Public Beta. Signing up on Apple's beta testing website is required.

iOS 17.3 includes Stolen Device Protection, a feature that offers an extra layer of security in case your iPhone is stolen and the thief also obtains your passcode. With this turned on, Face ID or Touch ID authentication is required for viewing iCloud Keychain passwords, turning off Lost Mode, erasing an iPhone's contents, using saved payment methods in Safari, and more. There is no passcode entry option should Face ID or Touch ID fail.

Certain actions, such as changing an Apple ID password, updating a device passcode, turning off Find My, and removing Face ID require authentication and also a one-hour security delay.

The update also adds collaborative Apple Music playlists, a feature that lets Apple Music subscribers build playlists with friends, family members, and others who share their musical tastes. Any playlist can be turned into a collaborative playlist by tapping on the person-shaped icon and sharing the link.

Those who want to try it out in iOS 17.3 can click on the MacRumors playlist link to try adding a song.

We are expecting iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 to be released sometime in January.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Third Public Beta of iOS 17.3 With Stolen Device Protection
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/10/apple-seeds-ios-17-3-public-beta-3/
W

whiteashsaturday

macrumors member
Dec 27, 2020
45
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I'm still waiting till 17.3.1 is released. This beta cycle for 17.3 has all sorts of "gotcha's". Make sure you have a backup peeps'
 
Robert.Walter

Robert.Walter

macrumors 68040
Jul 10, 2012
3,111
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Would like to use the stolen feature but have misgivings about failure.

Yes I’m leaning into possibility as opposed to probability. I’ll eventually use it but will wait to see if it’s fully baked.

Also need to inform self, maybe missed, whether enabling airplane mode or wifi deactivation, etc can be protected behind this feature.
 
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zorinlynx

zorinlynx

macrumors G3
May 31, 2007
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MrSegundus said:
The stolen device protection should’ve come with iOS 17 last fall. WSJ has been reporting on stolen devices and people getting locked out of their Apple accounts in spring of 2023 and it’s asinine they’re only addressing it now.
Click to expand...
Apple tends to take extra time to make sure things are implemented well, instead of just diving into a quick solution. Frankly I prefer it that way when it's for stuff as important as device and account security.
 
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jchap

jchap

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Sep 25, 2009
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Regarding the “Stolen Device Protection” feature:

Touch ID on all of my Apple devices (iPad mini 5, MacBook Air M1 and M2, MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 models) that support it frequently fails for me during the winter months. It’s likely due to dry skin. The problem is so severe, I have to reauthenticate on all my devices at least two to three times a week. (My fingerprint must be incredibly hard for Apple’s sensors to read…)

Because of this, I have to wonder if activating this new “Stolen Device Protection” feature is going to make it exponentially harder to delete and reauthenticate fingerprints that no longer work. I read in the article above that “removing Face ID require authentication and also a one-hour security delay”, so I was naturally concerned whether this applies to Touch ID fingerprints as well. I realize that it’s a measure intended to deter theft, or at least make life harder for those who steal iOS devices and try to hack into them, but it would cause too much downtime for me, since Apple’s sensors are apparently not compatible with my shallow fingerprints and chapped skin in the wintertime…

If this feature will only be introduced to iOS and possibly iPadOS but not macOS, then it would only affect my use of the iPad mini 5, I suppose, and I imagine it could be disabled (or would be disabled by default), but that remains to be seen.

(Point of note: Samsung’s backlit under-screen fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Tab S8 works very nicely for me. Apple’s sensors are always failing for me, which is sad.)
 
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theboyfrombonao

theboyfrombonao

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2018
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They better add a feature on the stolen device protection, that after multiple attempts the front camera will snap a picture and send it to the phone's owner's email account on another device
 
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Tranel

macrumors member
Nov 13, 2019
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On my iPhone 15 pro and my old iPad iOS/PadOS 17 is working very stable and without any issues since the beginning. Together with the perfect macOS 14 it is really a pleasure. Good work Apple!
 
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jchap

jchap

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Sep 25, 2009
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theboyfrombonao said:
They better add a feature on the stolen device protection, that after multiple attempts the front camera will snap a picture and send it to the phone's owner account
Click to expand...
Good idea. Hopefully, that device is not the owner's only Apple device... otherwise, they may not be able to receive the e-mail/message.
 
Nickfulltime

Nickfulltime

macrumors newbie
Sep 21, 2016
2
2
jchap said:
was naturally concerned whether this applies to Touch ID fingerprints as well. I realize that it’s a measure intended to deter theft, or at least make life harder for those who steal iOS devices and try to hack into them, but it would cause too much downtime for me, since Apple’s sensors are apparently not compatible with my shallow fingerprints and chapped skin in the wintertime…
Click to expand...
DO NOT ACTIVATE. It will make it much harder to log in and authenticate. My FaceID is sketchy and doesn't work consistently no matter how many resets I do. I opted in to stolen device protection and now can't access passwords if i'm not home. Can't find a way to disable it.
 
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yukari

yukari

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Jun 29, 2010
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Nickfulltime said:
DO NOT ACTIVATE. It will make it much harder to log in and authenticate. My FaceID is sketchy and doesn't work consistently no matter how many resets I do. I opted in to stolen device protection and now can't access passwords if i'm not home. Can't find a way to disable it.
Click to expand...
You can disable it. You just have to slide the button to turn it off. You just have to wait 60 min. to have it take effect.
 
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jchap

jchap

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Sep 25, 2009
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yukari said:
You can disable it. You just have to slide the button to turn it off. You just have to wait 60 min. to have it take effect.
Click to expand...
That must mean that the feature is enabled by default... and requires user action to disable. Good to know, if that is so.
 
Jimmy Bubbles

Jimmy Bubbles

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Jul 10, 2008
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yukari said:
It does what it was intended for. You don't have to enable it, if you don't want to use the feature. However, once you enable it, you have to wait 60 min if you want to disable it. Exactly as intended.
Click to expand...
Noted, that's helpful actually. I was being a bit snarky, but really, it does sound like a possibly very helpful solution to deter "Apple picking". Did you happen to see the interview of the guy who got prison for having a Apple picking ring, and how he social engineered his way to getting users' phone passwords?
 
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