An Apple spokesperson told CBS Moneywatch that they are testing the new setting "as threats to user devices continue to evolve.”
Apple announced it will be issuing an update to its latest iPhone operating system that keeps users protected from thieves with access to their passcodes with a new feature called “Stolen Device Protection.”
Stolen Device Protection, which is only in the developer beta phase of release, is said to require users to enter their biometric information, such as a face scan or their fingerprints to access certain phone functions, like changing one's Apple ID password or removing Face ID, CBS News reported.
The protection mode activates when a phone is in an unknown location and users will be prompted immediately and a second time just one hour later, CBS News reported.
An Apple spokesperson told CBS Moneywatch that they are testing the new setting "as threats to user devices continue to evolve.”
"iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can't access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user's passcode," the spokesperson said. "In the rare cases where a thief can observe the user entering the passcode and then steal the device, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection."
The new security feature was released Tuesday on the iOS 17.3 developer beta, the New York Post reported.
“Stolen Device Protection” will be accessible to all users when Apple releases the final version of iOS 17.3 in the near future, TechCrunch reported.
