If you take a step back and think about it, it’s truly amazing what a smartphone actually does. It’s a handheld computer that contains more power than any of the military or corporate-based computers of the 1950s through the 1990s. In fact, the amount of technology that we casually carry around with us from day to day is amazing, especially when you look at someone carrying an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and a fitness ring at the same time. They have more tech on them than the entire Pentagon had available to them during every war or major engagement up through the Vietnam War combined! It’s truly unbelievable!
It’s also very understandable that someone carrying all that tech might also be the subject of a theft. Thankfully, that thought has crossed Apple’s mind, and they’ve incorporated a new security protection in the latest version of iOS 17, version 17.3, called Stolen Device Protection for iPhone.
What is Stolen Device Protection
Stolen Device Protection is a layer of security for your iPhone (not your iPad or any other iDevice, just your iPhone for now) that establishes a pattern of geofencing around the areas you frequent – like your home, your place of work (if you’re fully back in the office or are hybrid), your gym, etc. When your iPhone is in a geolocation it doesn’t recognize; it will implement additional security features to keep your personal information safe.
When the feature is enabled, it will prevent someone who knows your device’s passcode from making critical changes to your account or to your device. It does this through two critical security requirements:
- Face ID or Touch ID Authentication – Some actions, such as accessing stored passwords and credit cards, will require biometric authentication without a passcode fallback. You must successfully use either a registered fingerprint or face to access the information you need.
- Security Delay – if you’re not in a recognized, “frequented place,” performing an AppleID password reset or other high security, account-level activities will not only require a biometric authentication at the time you try to do it but will also require a SECOND biometric authentication prompted by the device, an hour later.
If your device is stolen, the security delay is designed to prevent the thief from performing these critical operations. The delay gives you time to get to another Apple device to mark it as lost or stolen.
How to Activate Stolen Device Protection
You will need iOS 17.3 on your iPhone and will need to have the following security features enabled for your AppleID as well as your iPhone:
- Two-Factor Authentication – gather up your additional Apple devices. You’ll need at least one other to confirm you’re making a change to your devices.
- A Device Passcode – a minimum of 4 digits will be necessary, but I’d recommend either 6 digits or a passphrase instead.
- Face ID or Touch ID Enabled – you’ll need to turn on biometric security and register your face or at least one finger
- Find My – You’ll need your Apple ID and password
- Significant Locations – Location Services will need to be turned on and you will need to make certain you have identified/labeled your home location and any other location you frequent a great deal – called a Significant Location
Enable or Disable Stolen Device Protection
Stolen Device Protection can be enabled or disabled in Settings:
- Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- Tap to turn Stolen Device Protection on or off.
Settings – Stolen Device Protection
Please note that if you try to turn off Stolen Device Protection when you’re not in a Significant Location, a Security Delay will start before it can be turned off. You must also turn off Stolen Device Protection before you sell, give away, or trade-in your iPhone.
Protected Activities
The following are Protected Activities as defined by Stolen Device Protection. If you attempt to do any of these things, and you have SDP enabled, you will trigger it if you are NOT in a Significant Location:
- Use passwords or passkeys saved in Keychain
- Use payment methods saved in Safari (autofill)
- Turn off Lost Mode
- Erase all content and settings
- Apply for a new Apple Card
- View Apple Card virtual card number
- Take certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet (for example, Apple Cash or Savings transfers)
- Use your iPhone to set up a new device (for example, Quick Start)
Security Delay Triggers
If you have SDP enabled and attempt to do any of the following and are NOT in a Significant Location, a Security Delay will be triggered, and you will need to verify the activity an hour later:
- Change your Apple ID password
- Sign out of your Apple ID
- Update Apple ID account security settings (such as adding or removing a trusted device, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact)
- Add or remove Face ID or Touch ID
- Change your iPhone passcode
- Reset All Settings
- Turn off Find My
- Turn off Stolen Device Protection
If you use your iPhone to change your Apple ID password, the location of your devices may not be visible at iCloud.com for a period of time. Your device may end the security delay early after it detects that you’ve arrived at a familiar location.
Additional information can be found in the Apple Knowledge Base.
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