A brand new security feature has just been added to iPhones with iOS 17.3 that will keep your device safe even after a thief has gotten their hands on it.
Named Stolen Device Protection, iOS 17.3’s standout security feature requires you to verify your device with Face ID or Touch ID to get access to your iCloud account, check finances, and use Apple Pay. If you want to change your Apple ID password or turn off Find My, you are required to authenticate the device with Face ID or Touch ID twice over different time periods. This check means the owner must be present at multiple times to verify that changes are made on behalf of the owner.
This is an excellent feature and one that I'm surprised the iPhone didn’t already have. However, there is no confirmation of the feature coming to iPads or any other Apple device yet — though it’d be just as valuable on those products too. If you want to use it for yourself on iPhone, you will need to turn the new feature on manually.
How to enable iOS 17.3 Stolen Device Protection
Before you enable Stolen Device Protection, you first have to know how to set up two-factor authentication for your Apple ID. Alternatively, according to the Apple Support website, you need the following: “a device passcode; Face ID or Touch ID: Find My; and Significant Locations.”As well as this, you need to make sure you have updated to iOS 17.3, which you can do by going to Settings, then General, then selecting Software Update.
After you have got your iPhone up-to-date, you can enable Stolen Device Protection by doing the following:
- From home, go into Settings
- Once here, go to Face ID & Passcode
- Put in your device’s passcode
- Go down and click Turn on Protection below Stolen Device Protection
