New Apple security feature reboots inactive iPhones after 3 days
Apple’s new iOS 18 operating system for iPhone comes with a novel security feature that reboots the smartphone if it’s not unlocked for 72 hours, according to security researchers.
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai for TechCrunch:
On Wednesday, Jiska Classen, a researcher at the Hasso Plattner Institute and one of the first security experts to spot this new feature, published a video demonstrating the “inactivity reboot” feature. The video shows that an iPhone left alone without being unlocked reboots itself after 72 hours.
See the latest iOS inactivity reboot in action!
iOS 18 comes with improved anti-theft measures. Three days w/o unlock, the iPhone will reboot, preventing thieves from getting your data. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/H24Tfo1cSr
— Jiska (@naehrdine) November 13, 2024
“Inactivity reboot” effectively puts iPhones in a more secure state by locking the user’s encryption keys in the iPhone’s secure enclave chip.
“Even if thieves leave your iPhone powered on for a long time, they won’t be able to unlock it with cheaper, outdated forensic tooling,” Classen wrote on X. “While inactivity reboot makes it more challenging for law enforcement to get data from devices of criminals, this won’t lock them out completely. Three days is still plenty of time when coordinating steps with professional analysts.”
MacDailyNews Take: Anything that helps make iPhones more secure is a Good Thing.
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