Lizzard899
macrumors 6502
Yea at first I read it that way but then it also says its on by default now so I got confused
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iOS 26.4 Enables Stolen Device Protection by Default for All iPhones
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I don’t use Face ID — I think these things should definitely have a passcode fallback.
This is a terrible feature that should never be turned on. The device has plenty of protections already. All this does is lock people out of their own devices.
It really isn't. I had no issue with turning it off before trading it a device.
I don't use Face ID because it is so simple for someone to hit you over the head then unlock your phone. This is about as stupid and it gets. If you want to go to the hospital, then go for it.
I don't want it turned on. I want to be able to make my own risk decisions.
Another nanny rule that should be an option not default on.
FaceID only works when your eyes are open. Hitting someone unconscious would not work to unlock the phone. Of course, they could still coerce you by threatening force. But I guess there is nothing you can do about that.
Besides, where do you live where thieves act like this? I have never heard stories about phone thieves acting this brutally. I almost all cases they will just grab your belongings and run.
Apple_Robert
Contributor
I like this kind of protection and have it turned on for all applicable devices, along with Lockdown Mode.
k1121j
macrumors 68000
Omg nooo turn this off jeez Apple I turned it off for a reason. What a huge pain this was for me with employee locked devices and multiple day waiting periods to reset passwords.
Not only that, you have to be looking at the screen. My nephews would always try to get into my phone by holding it up to my face, but all I had to do was look off to the side or squint my eyes to stop them from unlocking it. They've never been successful.
It is hit or miss but I've used it successfully on a family member. Maybe 1/3 time caught them by surprise to make it work.
Should note that data protected by biometric identification is currently assumed to be outside 5th amendment protections in the US. That is authorities can force you to unlock your phone if biometrics are enabled.
If a thief knew the passcode and then steal the phone, they’ll be able to bypass any remote lock command initiated via Find My simply by inputting the passcode. This is exactly the scenario that Stolen Device Protection is designed to prevent, by mandating biometrics authentication for certain sensitive operations.
DonutHands
macrumors 6502
This is going to cause more trouble than it’s worth.
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
All of this anecdotal recounting ignore that for the billions of iPhone users it’s a net positive.
It took me 2 weeks to remotely unlock/restore an iPad for which my dad lost the password. There are so many things wrong with Apple's recovery processes, it was absolute hell. Now they make it even harder. Because thiefs could... not steal the phone anyway because nobody uses their password.
TheOldChevy
macrumors 6502a
This is a difficult call. Reducing value of stolen items is very good. But what do you do when TouchID only intermittently works? Is the solution worse than the original issue?
I activated it to test it when it came out, and when I wanted to restore my phone, it told me to wait an hour, so I deactivated it. I hope it stays that way forever and that Apple doesn't bother me about this again. The truth is, all that protection doesn't prevent anything once someone gets into your device through any exploit or has your passcode. Your data is just as exposed with this activated as with it deactivated. The only thing it adds is a false sense of security, which is useless if someone takes advantage of an exploit or you run something you shouldn't. It's also a headache for legitimate users if they want to make any changes to their Apple ID, which is ultimately what this feature is most focused on.
Then you just wait an hour or use the phone at a frequently visited location (aka your home).
Apple_Robert
Contributor
You and a few others in the thread are blaming Apple when the real blame is on the owner of the phone. Just because it was annoying to have to fix a family member’s phone because he or she acted without knowing what he or she was doing doesn’t make the feature bad.
Apple_Robert
Contributor
Then make sure they know what the feature is, and how to turn it on and off.
lepetitnicolas
macrumors member
All those discussions about this option which would be turned on by default : is it a good thing or is it a bad thing ?? I don't know. All I know is that people nowadays forgot we don't need a smartphone, a smartwatch, a computer, etc. to enjoy life. "Should I keep it turned on to protect against theft of data or should I turn it off for convenience ?" .... I don't know. I guess do as you think is good for you. You have the choice. If you like the thing then keep it "on". You don't like it ? Just turn it off.
Afraid of stolen data because they are in the cloud to begin with ? Maybe ask yourself "Do I really need to put those data on the cloud ?" and if the answer is "no" then you'll have a great solution at not getting your data stolen from the cloud. Phone numbers synced with all my devices.... you know the human brain is capable of memorizing a bunch of them. And you can also write them in a little book : no one can remotely stole them, you don't need to remember a password to access them and you don't need te charge your battery to see them. Pictures ? You can put a bunch on a memory stick and a copy at home on a hard drive or ssd. Backups ? Same thing.
....I know, I sound like "it was better in the past" and if I prefer the past because it's always better then I should travel back in time in prehistory that will be the best : no problem of price of ram increasing, no data leaks from cloud providers, no smartphones stolen, no wifi problems, etc. but I choose to stay in 2026 because it gives me the choice : if I want technology and smartphones I can use them. If I want to spend days or weeks without my smartphone I just turn it off. And I don't have to run all day after my food and risk being eaten by some giant saber tooth tiger.
Afraid of stolen data because they are in the cloud to begin with ? Maybe ask yourself "Do I really need to put those data on the cloud ?" and if the answer is "no" then you'll have a great solution at not getting your data stolen from the cloud. Phone numbers synced with all my devices.... you know the human brain is capable of memorizing a bunch of them. And you can also write them in a little book : no one can remotely stole them, you don't need to remember a password to access them and you don't need te charge your battery to see them. Pictures ? You can put a bunch on a memory stick and a copy at home on a hard drive or ssd. Backups ? Same thing.
....I know, I sound like "it was better in the past" and if I prefer the past because it's always better then I should travel back in time in prehistory that will be the best : no problem of price of ram increasing, no data leaks from cloud providers, no smartphones stolen, no wifi problems, etc. but I choose to stay in 2026 because it gives me the choice : if I want technology and smartphones I can use them. If I want to spend days or weeks without my smartphone I just turn it off. And I don't have to run all day after my food and risk being eaten by some giant saber tooth tiger.
clayj
macrumors 604
Not the point, at all. We don't usually know in advance when we are going to need to do work that can't be done if SDP is turned on. This will now add an hour of wait time to a lot of the work that I have to do -- time that they have to pay for. I am probably going to recommend to them all that they turn this off permanently.
