Apple introduced new security settings with its iOS 17.3 developer beta on Tuesday to prevent thieves from entering your password to get your information, including account passwords. Apple will likely release the final version of iOS 17.3 in a few weeks.
New protections include requiring Face ID or Touch ID before performing sensitive actions such as looking up passwords or using saved payment methods in Safari.
Apple said users should select the Stolen Device Protection setting Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen device protection on iOS 17.3 beta.
Apple has a new stolen device protection feature in iOS 17.3 developer beta. Image Credits: apple
Once you enable this setting, the device will require biometrics for things like accessing iCloud Key passwords, turning off Lost Mode, sending money from Apple Cash to your bank account, erasing all content and settings and using your iPhone to set up a new device. Additionally, some actions will require biometric authentication along with a delay, such as changing your Apple ID password, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID, turning off Find Me, and turning off stolen device protection. Users will need to pass biometric authentication again after a one-hour delay to complete these tasks for added security.
New changes introduced by Apple in the developer beta will make it harder for thieves to change passwords or get payment information even if they know your password.
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote multiple References describing how thieves observed people in bars before stealing their iPhones to figure out the passwords that protect those devices. Once the thieves stole the devices, they quickly entered passwords and changed users’ passwords, including their iCloud and payment accounts.
“As threats to users’ devices continue to evolve, we are working tirelessly to develop powerful new protections for our users and their data. iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief cannot access a stolen iPhone’s data without knowing the user’s passcode. In the rare event that a thief might observe the user entering the passcode and then steal the device, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection,” Apple said in a statement.
The feature is currently accessible to those who are testing the developer version, and the final version will be available to all users when the company releases the final version of iOS 17.3.
