No Activation Lock for Apple Watch?

[doubleokevin]

Activation Lock has dramatically reduced the amount of theft with iOS devices. Even if a thief nukes a stolen iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch he needs the victim's iTunes password to unlock the device. He also can't sell the device because it has been added to a database used to deter unwitting future purchasers from buying the hot devices.

Wouldn't it be safe to assume that Apple Watch works the same way? We all know about the AutoLock that occurs when a thief rips it off your arm, but can't he just hold down the contacts button, force touch Power off to reveal Erase Content and Settings, and have himself a brand new $350-$17,000 watch?

It appears we don't even have a Find my Apple Watch for our most expensive Apple product.

I have yet to actually tap on Erase Content and Settings (I am just starting to soar with the watch, I don't want to start over!). But can I expect for the Watch to insist that it be paired with my iPhone after it is nuked?

Or am I and my family going to be open season when it comes to would-be-thieves looking to cash in on this hot gadget?

Has anyone hit Erase all Content and Settings on Watch? Were there any Activation Lock security measures once you tried to re-pair?

 

[Danny80y]

1. Any idevice can be restored and sold on if you know how.

2. The apple watch depends on the iPhone connection so a find my watch app would be pointless as it would only work if in range of your phone...

3. Yes, the watch has a passcode when it's off your wrist so your personal data is safe.

 

[doubleokevin]

1. Can you link to resources online that shows someone how to bypass Activation Lock? [update: I have found some resources but users had mixed results on their authenticity. Still the immense drop in iPhone thefts in major cities STILL merits the question]

2. So is Find My iPhone useless for all the millions of iOS devices that are wifi only? From personal experience, no it isn't.

3. That was never my question, thanks.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Unless at a gunpoint, I'll put an activation lock on them using an armbar.

 

[doubleokevin]

Ha!

My fear is that I am on my upteenth mile run and someone approaches me. I'll have little strength and little speed to evade my attacker.

...and even more concerned for my wife.

My hope is they would say, "Forget it. Same thing will happen to me when I tried to pawn that hot iPhone." But it doesn't look like that is the case.

 

[Danny80y]

1. It's called a hard reset and can erase all data including iTunes accounts. (Some carriers offer imei blocking but not many)

2. The watch doesn't connect to wifi direct so unless your thief stole both phone and iPhone find my watch would never work and if it did then would show the same location as phone...

3. Referenced you didn't understand that apple security and passwords protect your data not stopping crime... If that was the case perhaps they should add an idestroy app so the thief can't use it...

 

[sterl320]

Activation Lock has dramatically reduced the amount of theft with iOS devices. Even if a thief nukes a stolen iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch he needs the victim's iTunes password to unlock the device. He also can't sell the device because it has been added to a database used to deter unwitting future purchasers from buying the hot devices.

Wouldn't it be safe to assume that Apple Watch works the same way? We all know about the AutoLock that occurs when a thief rips it off your arm, but can't he just hold down the contacts button, force touch Power off to reveal Erase Content and Settings, and have himself a brand new $350-$17,000 watch?

It appears we don't even have a Find my Apple Watch for our most expensive Apple product.

I have yet to actually tap on Erase Content and Settings (I am just starting to soar with the watch, I don't want to start over!). But can I expect for the Watch to insist that it be paired with my iPhone after it is nuked?

Or am I and my family going to be open season when it comes to would-be-thieves looking to cash in on this hot gadget?

Has anyone hit Erase all Content and Settings on Watch? Were there any Activation Lock security measures once you tried to re-pair?

well to be honest, if they managed to take it, it would still be a loss for you, no matter if they were able to use it or sell. As long as they cant take your personal data from it, then you should be ok. And you can always file a police report and manage to get a new one.

 

[DreamPod]

2. The watch doesn't connect to wifi direct so unless your thief stole both phone and iPhone find my watch would never work and if it did then would show the same location as phone...

Actually, the watch *does* connect to wifi direct for a few functions, as long as it's a wifi source that you had setup in your phone.

And yeah, you can require a passcode to be entered into your phone every time you remove the watch before the watch is functional again.

 

[doubleokevin]

1. The traditional hard resets do not bypass Activation Lock (you do know what that is, don't you?). The only way pass Activation Lock is through a lot of hackery, which the vast majority of thieves do not bother with.

2. I recognize the constraints of the Watch and the Find My solution. However, there are millions of iOS and OS X devices that lose their Find My capabilities when thieves leave the building with them. Yet, Find My STILL exists for these products.

3. Activation Lock and Find My ARE seen and even advertised as theft deterrent tools (why would Find My have wipe capabilities? Why would Activation Lock even exist?)

And quite frankly sir, your perceived condescension and even ignoring of certain things I've written is causing me to not even bother reading your replies altogether. So thanks for your contributions (genuinely). But others are writing with more understanding. I'm going to read what they have to say.

 

[Dwalls90]

1. Can you link to resources online that shows someone how to bypass Activation Lock? [update: I have found some resources but users had mixed results on their authenticity. Still the immense drop in iPhone thefts in major cities STILL merits the question]

2. So is Find My iPhone useless for all the millions of iOS devices that are wifi only? From personal experience, no it isn't.

3. That was never my question, thanks.

Lose the attitude, he was trying to help. There are ways around activation lock, but they're not to be discussed on this forum because they're less than what would be thought of as legal.

Find My iPhone is useless for the Apple Watch (not talking about other devices in this forum), because it ONLY has connectivity through your iPhone or through any WiFi networks your iPhone has previously connected to. Thus, if it were to be stolen, it would never connect to a network again, unless the thief chose to bring it to one of the very few networks your iPhone knows.

 

[doubleokevin]

Lose the attitude, he was trying to help. There are ways around activation lock, but they're not to be discussed on this forum because they're less than what would be thought of as legal.

Find My iPhone is useless for the Apple Watch (not talking about other devices in this forum), because it ONLY has connectivity through your iPhone or through any WiFi networks your iPhone has previously connected to. Thus, if it were to be stolen, it would never connect to a network again, unless the thief chose to bring it to one of the very few networks your iPhone knows.

Apologies. I was retaliating. Not becoming of me.

I love this Watch. I'm just afraid for my family's safety in certain situations. We have walked boldly with our iPhones. Now, it appears we need to be selective in wearing it.

I could have sworn it would have at least been unable to be nuked unless you activated the reset from a paired phone. Guess I assumed too much.

----------

Thus, if it were to be stolen, it would never connect to a network again, unless the thief chose to bring it to one of the very few networks your iPhone knows.

Again, doesn't this apply to the millions of wifi only iOS and OS X devices that exist?

 

[Danny80y]

Sorry, wasn't meaning to insult. I think overall data is safe as once it's off your wrist it locks. As far as theft I think police are always the best option as tracking a stolen iPhone or watch ect could ultimately be dangerous anyway.

 

[doubleokevin]

The apologies are mine, sir.

Thanks for your help.

You'd think after two decades online I would learn of the difficulty understanding tone through this medium.

Thanks for your contributions.

 

[pocketdoc]

Now I need to be worried about being mugged for my watch?

The Milanese Loop is difficult to take off on my own, so I doubt it could be lifted without me knowing it (pickpocket). The tab stops at the body.

I'll just show them the scratches and hopefully they will say "forget it".

 

[doubleokevin]

I was at a stadium yesterday with around 60,000 people, pick pockets were a concern for me.

New feature request: Once the auto lock activates when removed from your wrist, ping the iPhone. To avoid the ping from occurring with legitimate removal of Watch, triple press the crown, or tap a glance, or ForceTouch the darkened display or something like that.

...guess that isn't too intuitive.

OR, when you are in these situations you can elect to turn on the AutoLock ping.

This thread makes me sound paranoid or live in a high crime area. I don't! This is just the most expensive thing I've ever worn. I just don't want for me and my wife to feel like sitting ducks when we travel.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I wanted to know if there was an Activation Lock feature on the WATCH. Considering it could be easier than an iPhone to lose or be stolen, I'm surprised Apple didn't incorporate it in WatchOS as they've done in iOS. I know that there's a Passcode Lock that increases in timeouts just like iOS, but is there a way to perform a full wipe if it's locked, and if so, has anyone been able to activate an WATCH on a different Apple ID once afterwards?

 

[HopefulHumanist]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I wanted to know if there was an Activation Lock feature on the WATCH. Considering it could be easier than an iPhone to lose or be stolen, I'm surprised Apple didn't incorporate it in WatchOS as they've done in iOS. I know that there's a Passcode Lock that increases in timeouts just like iOS, but is there a way to perform a full wipe if it's locked, and if so, has anyone been able to activate an WATCH on a different Apple ID once afterwards?

The problem is the watch can't send data to iCloud by itself. The thief would take your watch and it'd be unable to send its location or respond to a ping request or anything. It would need the ability to connect to the internet independently in order for this feature to work.

On the other hand, it doesn't require someone slipping the watch off of your person, which I can't see happening short through the use of force.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

FWIW, the Watch does connect to the Internet or at least the Wi-Fi network. Upon pairing, it appears to grab all the credentials of all the hotspots from your iPhone and mirror them onto the Apple Watch, much like Keychain on the Mac. I can see my Watch connected on my FiOS router, its own IP address and fully authenticated to the Wi-Fi.

 

[Cuyler]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I wanted to know if there was an Activation Lock feature on the WATCH. Considering it could be easier than an iPhone to lose or be stolen, I'm surprised Apple didn't incorporate it in WatchOS as they've done in iOS. I know that there's a Passcode Lock that increases in timeouts just like iOS, but is there a way to perform a full wipe if it's locked, and if so, has anyone been able to activate an WATCH on a different Apple ID once afterwards?

It's not the same as doing a remote wipe, but there is an option to erase all data after ten failed passcode attempts. Go into the Apple Watch app and under Passcode there's a switch for Erase Data. I don't know if this just resets the watch so it can be paired with another iPhone or if it would require your iPhone or Apple ID to re activate it (I'll let someone else test that )

Some older posts noted that a "find my watch" app on your phone would be useless since a thief would have to be in a known Wi-Fi spot. While true it'd be useless for theft prevention, it might be handy for finding where you misplaced it in your home (although you're less likely to lose a device that's strapped to your wrist most of the time).

 

[adammull]

I was at a stadium yesterday with around 60,000 people, pick pockets were a concern for me.

New feature request: Once the auto lock activates when removed from your wrist, ping the iPhone. To avoid the ping from occurring with legitimate removal of Watch, triple press the crown, or tap a glance, or ForceTouch the darkened display or something like that.

...guess that isn't too intuitive.

OR, when you are in these situations you can elect to turn on the AutoLock ping.

This thread makes me sound paranoid or live in a high crime area. I don't! This is just the most expensive thing I've ever worn. I just don't want for me and my wife to feel like sitting ducks when we travel.

You realize there are people all around you wearing watches that cost far more than this, right? Heck unless you ride a bicycle, your car is far more valuable and useful. Does your wife wear an engagement ring, because that's way more valuable and easier to pawn.

You are being paranoid.

I never understand these threads. People freak out like their iPhones and other Apple devices are super valuable without taking a step back and examining life in general.

 

[Javabird]

You realize there are people all around you wearing watches that cost far more than this, right? Heck unless you ride a bicycle, your car is far more valuable and useful. Does your wife wear an engagement ring, because that's way more valuable and easier to pawn.

You are being paranoid.

I never understand these threads. People freak out like their iPhones and other Apple devices are super valuable without taking a step back and examining life in general.

I think it is a valid concern. I live and commute daily in an area where people are often mugged for their iPhones, to the point where the police have issued bulletins advising people not to walk on the sidewalks with their iPhones held out in the open.

 

[flur]

Ha!

My fear is that I am on my upteenth mile run and someone approaches me. I'll have little strength and little speed to evade my attacker.

...and even more concerned for my wife.

My hope is they would say, "Forget it. Same thing will happen to me when I tried to pawn that hot iPhone." But it doesn't look like that is the case.

Get one of those chunky cases for when you go out on a run. People will think it's a $20 watch and not worth mugging you for. Problem solved.