What The Tech: What is ‘Lockdown Mode’ for your smartphone?
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
Everyone wants to make their computers and smartphones more secure. But a little known iPhone setting called Lockdown Mode is suddenly in the headlines.
A Washington Post reporter recently used the feature, and court filings say it prevented the Federal Bureau of Investigation from extracting data from the device.
That raised a big question for many iPhone users: What exactly is Lockdown Mode, and should you be using it?
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Lockdown Mode?
Apple introduced Lockdown Mode as an extreme security setting designed to protect against highly sophisticated cyberattacks.
When you turn it on, your iPhone shifts from convenience to security.
You can find it by going to:
Settings
Privacy and Security
Lockdown Mode
Once enabled, the phone restarts, and several features are restricted.
What Changes When Lockdown Mode Is On?
When Lockdown Mode is enabled:
● Message attachments are blocked
● Link previews disappear
● Certain web technologies are disabled
● Incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers are blocked
● Wired data connections are restricted
In short, your iPhone limits how it functions in order to reduce potential attack points.
Can Someone Just Use Your Face or Fingerprint to Turn It Off?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions.
Face ID and fingerprints can unlock the screen. But turning off Lockdown Mode requires your passcode.
Even if someone held your phone up to your face and unlocked it, they could not disable Lockdown Mode without entering your passcode.
That distinction is important.
Face ID unlocks the screen.
The passcode protects the data.
Should You Turn On Lockdown Mode?
For most people, the answer is no.
Lockdown Mode is designed for a very small group of users, including journalists, activists, and government officials who could be targeted by advanced spyware or forensic data extraction.
When it is turned on, some apps and websites may not work as expected. Your phone stops being a convenient pocket computer and becomes a device running at its most restrictive security setting.
For the average iPhone user, the best protection is much simpler:
● Keep your phone updated
● Use a strong passcode
● Enable two-factor authentication
● Never share your passcode
Lockdown Mode is there if you truly need maximum protection. But for most of us, good security habits are more than enough.
