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Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

This is why my Apple Watch and iPhone and iPad keep rebooting as I don’t always use them. I hate hate hate this feature and the fact enabled it and said nothing and then doesn’t allow it to be turned off is beyond retarded.

I’ve filed so many bug reports of this. Thanks a lot Apple.
 
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Reactions: Victor Mortimer
If it’s true, it may be leveraging on a reported feature that Apple was supposedly working on where iOS devices establish peer-to-peer connections to provide cellular connectivity to devices that can’t directly connect to mobile towers.
Example for first responders underground
 
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They think too highly of Apple. It's most likely a bug. Haven't they notice that their personal iPhones ask for the passcode or restart at the most inconvenient and unexplainable times?
 
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Am I understanding this right? They’re theory is that when you bring a device running iOS18 close to a device running iOS17 or older, which has been offline for a period of time, somehow the iOS18 device communicates with the iOS17 device and forces it to reboot?

Yeah…. no.

1. Surely they’re turning off all the radios in these devices, so how would they communicate?
2. Building in a feature whereby one device can forcibley, remotely control another device? Yeah, that sounds like a great security feature…
 
coolfactor said:
Do you need to ask? Impressions are impressions. 😃

I hope it's revealed that this is a proactive measure taken by Apple to keep the devices secure. Rebooting while (a) not connected to a network, and (b) not in active use - should have very little impact to ordinary users, but resets the security state of the phone.

If this isn't a feature, it should be! Go Apple!
Click to expand...
But if it is a feature, why bother rebooting? Just switch to the higher security setting w/o rebooting.
 
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Reactions: FlyingToasterStrudel, Timpetus and verdi1987
This is a really interesting topic. For all the times I’ve stood behind iOS over Android in social forums, this example (if confirmed) illustrates the importance of choosing Apple over other device manufacturers for security and the extended history of Apple’s security-conscious approach when government organizations have chimed in. I don’t condone conducting activities which would justify this level of security, however I think it’s important to draw distinct boundaries between citizens and law enforcement/government organizations.

I really hope this is true because this is some really interesting stuff. This is akin to the AirTag detection mechanism which is powered by every iOS15 (?) and beyond device iPhone. Think about AirTags in luggage. The fact that anonymous iPhones can serve as a connectivity solution is incredibly interesting and there are likely many other use cases out there which could benefit from the connectivity of 1 billion+ nearby users.

I really hope this is confirmed and kudos to Apple for having a spine. The alternative is bending over, which 90% of tech companies are glad to do.
 
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Reactions: gusmula, Timpetus, Victor Mortimer and 1 other person
Wasn't there a bug a few months ago where everyone woke up random mornings to find their phones had rebooted in the middle of the night? I'd say that's more likely the cause than some secret feature.
 
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Bluetooth LTE or Low Power Radio does this already. When using a Bluetooth scanner (such as from a Node.js package) you can detect a lot of things. The name of Bluetooth LTE devices, the manufacturer etc. This is how AirTags work. The iPhone detects the AirTag and reports its location down the line because of Near Field Technology and an encryption token, to Apple’s Servers. An iPhone already knows other iPhones are near it using the same technology. You’d be surprised what devices handshake this way. It’s important to know, that out side of some ids - for the most part an actual connection and pair has to be made to perform anything but basic functions. But you can have Bluetooth LTE Low powered devices that operate with no handshake at all.
 
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iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a security feature that Apple added in iOS 18.
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Wait. Apple did not limit this feature to iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro models? I'm shocked!
 
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Is this just the same bug some folks here were discussing where the phone would freeze and maybe reboot?
 
transmaster said:
Why can't the iPhone be remotely bricked from your Apple Account at Apple.com.
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I believe it is possible to remotely reset (clear out) a phone though it must be connected to a network which apparently these phones were not (Faraday cage or such?)
 
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