Your iPhone is now less appealing to thieves if it features on this list

iPhones are some of the most secure smartphones on the market, but if yours is stolen it is surprisingly easy for criminals to access your personal information, bank accounts, and other sensitive apps. All they have needed is your iPhone’s passcode – until now.

Apple has just pushed out iOS 17.3, which gives your iPhone a new feature called Stolen Device Protection. It addresses the issue on older versions of iOS that if someone stole your phone and knew your passcode – simply by watching you type it in and then grabbing your phone from you – they could change the passcode to your phone and therefore bypass security measures to gain access to your information.

“Without multiple layers of protection, thieves would be able to access a user’s entire digital life, from personal photos to bank accounts and emails, just with a PIN code, which is easily observed when the phone is used in public spaces,” said Michael Covington, VP of Strategy at Jamf.

This has been a problem globally, hence why Apple is acting now to ensure you can turn on this optional protection.

“Stolen Device Protection adds a layer of security when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, such as home or work, and helps protect your accounts and personal information in case your iPhone is ever stolen,” Apple said on a support page.

“When Stolen Device Protection is enabled, some features and actions have additional security requirements when your iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work. These requirements help prevent someone who has stolen your device and knows your passcode from making critical changes to your account or device.”

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With the feature on on, accessing stored passwords on your iPhone will require Face ID or Touch ID, and won’t allow access with your passcode, as is the default. You’ll have to upgrade your phone to iOS 17.3 and then go to the Settings app, then tap Face ID & Passcode. You can then enter your passcode and turn Stolen Device Protection on. You’re able to turn it off and on whenever you want.

By not allowing criminals to use your passcode to reset your passcode, Apple hopes fewer victims of iPhone theft will also fall victim to fraud.

If you have an iPhone XR or XS from 2018, then you have the oldest models that are compatible with iOS 17.3 and can therefore get Stolen Device Protection. Older phones such as the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 7 miss out on the latest software from Apple.

Here’s a full list of the phones that can run iOS 17.3: