There is a new feature in iOS called Stolen Device Protection. When enabled, it provides increased security requirements for certain actions when your phone is away from known locations, such as your home or your office.
These security enhancements should make it harder for someone who steals an iPhone and knows the user’s passcode to make changes to the phone’s Apple ID account or access certain phone settings.
How it works
When you enable Stolen Device Protection, if your phone is not in a familiar location, you must authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID before you can take certain actions, such as:
∗Using saved passwords from Keychain
∗Using saved payment methods in Safari
∗Turning off Lost Mode
∗Erasing all content and settings
∗Applying for a new Apple credit card
∗Viewing your Apple Card or Apple Cash virtual numbers
∗Making certain transfers from Apple Cash
∗Using your iPhone to set up a new device
Security delay
Stolen Device Protection also will introduce a one-hour delay before using the phone to make changes to your Apple ID. If your phone is not at a known location, you must first authenticate with your Face ID or Touch ID and then wait an hour, then re-authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID before you can:
∗Change Apple ID password
∗Sign out of the Apple ID account
∗Update Apple ID security settings
∗Add or remove Face ID or Touch ID
∗Change the phone passcode
∗Reset all settings
∗Turn off Find My
∗Turn off Stolen Device Protection
I know these settings work because I changed my Apple ID password when I was visiting my mom recently and I was forced to wait an hour before making the change.
Why is a one-hour delay helpful? It can give a person time to realize their phone was stolen and then be able to put it into Lost mode.
You enable Stolen Device Protection in the Settings under Face ID or Touch ID and Passcode. You have the choice to require the security delay “away from familiar locations” or “immediately.”
If your iPhone is ever stolen, the first thing you should do is log into iCloud.com/find, select your device and then select Mark as Lost. This puts the device in Lost Mode, which lets you create a message that’s shown on the device’s screen that says it’s lost and how to contact you.
If the lost device does not have a passcode, you’ll be asked to create one that will lock the device and it must be used to unlock it.
Lost mode will show you the device’s current location on a map, as well as track changes to the location.
It will also suspend payments, cards and services.
Jim Rossman is a tech columnist for Tribune News Service. He may be reached at jrossmantechadviser@gmail.com.
