Apple today launched a new tool for iPhones to help reduce what a thief with your phone and passcode can access. The feature, called Stolen Device Protection, adds extra layers of protection to your iPhone when someone tries to access or change sensitive settings on your device.
Expect a wave of fingers cut off and eyes picked together with a stolen phone? Or kidnappings more likely?
Got a slightly older Apple device that Apple refuses to update? Fuck you. Right in the ass. Dry.
My 2016 gen 1 iPad Pro isn’t getting this update for the first time (iOS 17). It barely runs the last iOS, but still gets security updates.
I’m fine with that.
What is a “slightly older” apple device in this context? They still support back to the xr/se2 with ios 17.3
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/iphone/iphe3fa5df43/ios
iPod 7 for one, it’s newer than the xr.
Internet user reading comprehension challenge (impossible)
Article says it’s for iPhones, not all apple devices
The iPod is an iPhone without cellular. It has Find My etc.
Ok
It does kind of suck though. Those devices are less likely to be stolen but still have wide open access to everything with just a passcode.
Hopefully support is expanded to other devices.
Turning on the iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection is simple—it’s just one small toggle in your phone’s settings.
There is one crucial detail that the article doesn’t mention: Find My iPhone must be enabled to enable SDP. That is to say, enabling Find My (along with biometric authentication) is a prerequisite for SDP.
Odd that biometric authentication is needed when it’s worse from a security standpoint.
The alternative is a separate passcode that many people will forget.
Relying more on biometrics hardly seems secure. Passwords can be changed, biometrics are forever and authorities do like to keep records of them.
Many people still use 4 digit PINs. This is a huge improvement in security for them.
