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An unintended downside: imagine you have a close friend or family member pass away. You/their family want to access their devices afterwards for photos, remembrance, information about their final days, etc. Absent the biometric and passcode (which I am assuming you don't have) you will need the cord access to get in. With a billion devices out there, I am thinking this will happen more frequently than the law enforcement access it is intended to prevent.

And to anyone who wonders why this would even be necessary, I submit you have not suddenly lost a loved one. Not uncommon to go looking for answers or solace in their devices, notify friends of the passing, etc. Asking people to try to get in there within 7 days isn't always realistic or feasible.
Actually, Apple Support will assist if you provide them an original copy of the death certificate. Already been down this road.
 
Agreed. I have multiple iPads and iPhones. Sounds like a bad idea to me unless it can be user configurable. Can you even charge the iphone or iPad after the 7 day period? CRAZY!

Never mind. After re-reading the article i believe as long as the item is in my possession I can unlock it any time I want using the normal process even if it has been sitting in a desk drawer for a few weeks or longer.

Guessing most people didn't read the article. The port becomes a charging port after seven days until you put your code into the device.
 
So if I forget my passcode and get locked out after 7 days I’m assuming this means I have a brick and can’t even restore it and wipe all data?

Yes, unless there is a way to activate the port by verifying that you’re the user with a Mac or PC tied to the same Apple ID or something like this through 2 factor.

But seriously if you only remember one password, it should be the one for the device you use the most!!!
 
An unintended downside: imagine you have a close friend or family member pass away. You/their family want to access their devices afterwards for photos, remembrance, information about their final days, etc. Absent the biometric and passcode (which I am assuming you don't have) you will need the cord access to get in. With a billion devices out there, I am thinking this will happen more frequently than the law enforcement access it is intended to prevent.
I know its macabre, but biometrics do work with dead people.
 
I think I understand, but could someone confirm for me:

The iPhone that I keep around in a drawer and, once a year, re-activate and put my SIM into...I charge that up, enter my passcode, and use it...nothing changes with that, right?

Correct. This has nothing to do with locking you out of you own phone. If you know the passcode you are fine. This simply prevents the lighting port from working so somebody cannot use that port to try to hack your passcode.
 
This great. Looking at the face value of it, it should be one day in my opinion.

The only time I really sync to my computer is when I'm updating the OS or setting up a device like new.
 
This is a great idea. But 48hrs or even 24hrs would be plenty for me.

If I need to use the lightning port for data typing in my passcode is really no inconvienance.
 
I'm still in iOS 10 so meh. If I update my iPhone 7 doesn't it disable the mic too?

This is nonsense. I updated my 7 Plus as soon as iOS 11 released. As long as you don’t care about not being able to run your older 32-bit library, there is no reason not to be on the latest firmware! You’re missing out on lots of new stuff. The only reason to not upgrade is if you don’t want to lose a JB.
 
The security implications of this are great, but what about when someone forgets the passcode on an iPhone that has been sitting around for a while and needs to restore the device? I'd personally keep this enabled, but there is definitely potential for certain people to end up with a bricked device unless it is still possible to restore it in Recovery mode.
When you restore a phone from a backup, you by definition wipe the phone beforehand. Presumably wiping an iPhone by putting it into DFU mode should still be possible (and reactivate the Lightning port).
 
I'm still in iOS 10 so meh. If I update my iPhone 7 doesn't it disable the mic too?
I don’t get not updating. Security issues are out there, and I think KRACK was patched sometime in 11?

I have two of the cheaper iPads that I use when I travel that I don't even access for weeks!
This might be a problem for me.

Plug it in, charge it, and put in your passcode to unlock it. It doesn’t cut off charging it, just data transfer until the device is unlocked.
 
Right, but only after 7 days. I’m saying this gray box thing should be useless anytime an iPhone is locked, whether it be after a few minutes or a few years

You can't turn off data always, some of us use carplay. I don't have to unlock my phone to use car play.
 
I know its macabre, but biometrics do work with dead people.
Very macabre. More importantly, though, in those situations, next of kin aren't always thinking about getting a decedent's fingerprints or Face ID (assuming either would still work) to get into a phone before a burial. These things are often considered when regrouping after a burial and in the weeks that follow.
 
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Yes, unless there is a way to activate the port by verifying that you’re the user with a Mac or PC tied to the same Apple ID or something like this through 2 factor.

But seriously if you only remember one password, it should be the one for the device you use the most!!!
Hmm... while I think the situation I described is likely to be rare, you may have people who have an iPad that they use rarely, and also it is likely to be more common than someone trying to hack your phone/device.
 
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