How to enable Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone, and why you should

There’s no greater fear than looking through your pockets and realising your phone is missing. More so, if you have saved for days, only to find it gone within seconds. However, Apple, with its iOS 17.3 update, has made stealing iPhones a lot more challenging with its Stolen Device Protection feature. Here’s everything you need to know about it: 

What does the Stolen Device Protection feature do?

Earlier, anyone with your passcode could break into your iPhone and make critical changes. These include changing your Apple ID password, locking you out of your own account, and turning off Lost Mode.

The attacker could also get access to your saved passwords, putting your non-Apple accounts also at risk. Together with the ability to disable Find My on your iPhone, this could result in catastrophic consequences.

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This is why Apple has introduced the Stolen Device Protection feature, that will reinforce your passcode with Apple’s Face ID recognition. This will, in return, successfully stop anyone from breaking into any sensitive data, especially if your iPhone is in an unfamiliar location. 

Your iPhone will also set a one-hour mandatory delay for anyone trying to bypass the lockscreen using a passcode, or make changes to your Apple ID. After an hour, they will have to pass through a Face ID check to be able to make these changes. 

How to activate Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone

With a few simple steps, you will be able to activate Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone. However, keep in mind that it requires to be updated to iOS 17.3 for it to show up for you. Once you are updated to iOS 17.3, you can follow the following steps.

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone and navigate to Face ID and Passcode.
Step 2: Once you scroll down, you will find Stolen Device Protection. Tap the Turn On Protection option listed under it.

With this, the feature will be activated on your iPhone and will stay on until you turn it off. That said, it is crucial to note that your iPhone will still be accessible to those who have your passcode, and any of actions that don’t require a Face ID will be unrestricted to the perpetrator.

So, while FaceID does make it difficult for an attacker to tamper with your Apple ID, they may still be able to do quite a bit of damage. Hence, the best way to protect your iPhone is to not leave it unattended and by making sure you;re the only person who knows the phone’s passcode.