What the Tech: What Apple is doing to crack down on stolen phones
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Tech Reporter
Apple is making an important iPhone security change and most people will never even notice it.
But it could prevent thieves from stealing everything on your phone.
The change is called Stolen Device Protection, and Apple is now turning it on automatically with the latest iPhone update.
And there is a reason for it.
What happens to stolen phones
Last summer, my daughter’s phone was stolen. We tracked it using Find My for days. First it showed up in Miami. Then two weeks later, Hong Kong.
Then the messages started. At first, the texts looked like they were from Apple. They said someone was trying to buy something in China using her phone and told her she needed to remove the device from her account.
Then the messages got more threatening. They claimed they had access to her email and credit cards. Then they said they would sell the phone on the black market with her personal information. They even sent step by step instructions showing how to remove the phone from her Apple account.
That is all part of the scam.
Once an iPhone is locked with a passcode and tied to an Apple ID, it is very difficult to reset or resell. The only way thieves can use it is if they trick the owner into removing it from their account remotely.
What Stolen Device Protection does
This new Stolen Device Protection feature makes that much harder.
Even if someone knows your passcode, they still cannot make major changes to your Apple account without Face ID or Touch ID. That includes changing your Apple ID password, turning off Find My, or removing the device from your account.
And if the phone is in an unfamiliar location, the phone will require a one hour delay before those security changes can be made. That gives the real owner time to mark the phone as lost or erase it remotely.
How to turn it on
If your iPhone is updated to iOS 26.4, Stolen Device Protection should turn on automatically.
If you want to check:
● Open Settings
● Tap Face ID and Passcode
● Tap Stolen Device Protection
● Make sure it is turned on
The bottom line
This is one of those features you hope you never need, but you definitely want turned on. Because when a phone gets stolen, thieves are not just trying to sell the phone anymore. They are trying to steal your digital life.
And by the way, if someone does steal your phone, ignore their texts and do not remove the phone from your Apple account. The thieves will only be able to sell it for parts.
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