iOS 17.4: How to Boost the Protection Against Stolen Devices on Your iPhone

Summary

On March 5, Apple released iOS 17.4, an update that included bug patches and new features for your iPhone, including the option to download apps from other shops and the addition of new emoji for everyone. However, it also offers you more control over your iPhone’s security by allowing you to adjust additional Stolen Device Protection options.

iOS 17.3 brought in the feature known as Stolen Device Protection, which adds an additional degree of protection to certain of your private information, as David Lumb of CNET noted. In order to access and modify some information, such as altering your Apple ID password or disabling Stolen Device Protection, the function needs you to input your biometric information once, wait an hour, and then enter your information again if you’re not in a familiar place like your home.

Your data could still be at danger, however, if you often visit coffee shops or reside in apartment buildings and misplace your iPhone there. These locations may be recognized by your iPhone as familiar ones, enabling someone else to get around this protection measure. However, iOS 17.4 allows you to configure your iPhone such that, wherever you go, it always requires the one-hour security wait.

This explains how to turn on stolen device protection at all times.

What is the iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection?

On iPhones, there is an optional security feature called Stolen Device Protection that adds extra hurdles when attempting to access important data in an unknown place. Nothing changes whether you use your iPhone at home, at work, or in another familiar place. However, iOS will take additional precautions to access sensitive data, such as credit card details or Apple ID credentials, if your iPhone is in a seldom used area.

By default, this feature only applies the additional procedures when traveling to a new place. However, iOS 17.4 gives you the choice to always have the extra security enabled, even while you’re in a place your iPhone deems important. If you work in an environment where phone theft is a possibility, live in an apartment building, or discovered that your iPhone was designating non-essential places as safe spots, this might be a perfect solution for you. (We’ll explain how to see the list of important places on your iPhone below.)
These additional processes may be divided into two groups: security delay and biometric authentication.

When gaining access to payment details or modifying certain device settings, such as disabling Lost Mode or deleting all material, Stolen Device Protection demands the use of Face ID or Touch ID. Once again, this only holds true when the iPhone is in an unknown place; if you are shopping from the comfort of your own sofa, nothing will change.

Apple claims that this covers both deleting and retrieving financial data, such as:

Accessing Keychain passwords
Using payment method autofill in Safari
Filling out an application for a new Apple Card or viewing an existing Apple Card number
Some Apple Cash and Savings settings inside Wallet
Turning off Lost Mode
Erasing all iPhone content and settings
Setting up a new device with the existing iPhone

Passcode overrides won’t be available for Touch ID and Face ID situations due to the requirements. The firm does clarify, however, that this does not extend to using Apple Pay to make payments, which makes sense given that Apple Pay is accepted in real businesses.

By creating a security delay, Stolen Device Protection attempts to protect critical data in two different ways. According to Apple, enabling this option would need biometric verification, a one-hour wait, and then additional biometric authentication for important security changes like creating a new Apple ID password.

Once again, this is limited to using your iPhone while you’re not at your usual places, like home or work. Apple warns that the security wait may shorten if the iPhone finds its way back to a known location.

However, if you need to change your Apple ID password to secure your account while on vacation, the wait can be an issue.

When certain parameters are changed away from a known location, the security delay is triggered:

Apple ID: Modifying account security settings, changing your password, or logging out
Security settings on an iPhone:

Changing the Face ID or Touch ID
Modifying the passcode
Disabling the Stolen Device Settings or Resetting the iPhone via Find My

How can I increase security on my iPhone?

How to mandate a one-hour security wait at all times

Go to Settings 2. Select Face ID and Password
Select Stolen Device Protection by swiping down.
If Stolen Device Protection isn’t on already, tap the toggle next to it.
After it has been enabled, go to the next step.
Select Always for Need Security Delay.

Now, if you or anyone else attempts to access or alter certain settings on your iPhone, it will always need the one-hour security wait, regardless of whether you’re in a familiar place like your home.

You must still take precautions to secure your other information since Stolen Device Protection only covers a limited number of settings. For instance, Apple points out that Stolen Device Protection won’t completely safeguard your cash since you may still use the password on your iPhone to make transactions using Apple Pay.

All users are still advised by Apple to enable Stolen Device Protection, even if you don’t always need the one-hour security gap.

For further information on Apple, see our iOS 17 cheat sheet, what was added to iOS 17.3, and the new features that will be available on your iPhone in iOS 17.4.

How to enable or disable the Stolen Device Protection

You must set up or enable the following on your iPhone in order to activate Stolen Device Protection: a device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, and Significant Locations* (Location Services). You must also utilize two-factor authentication for your Apple ID.

Additionally, you must have Find My enabled; once Stolen Device Protection is activated, it cannot be deactivated.

Under Settings, you may activate Stolen Device Protection:

Navigate to Settings and choose Face ID & Passcode.
Put the passcode on your smartphone here.
Toggle the on/off switch for Stolen Device Protection by tapping on it.
Select “Always” under Require Security Delay if you want your iPhone to always impose the extra Stolen Device Protection security measures, no matter where it is. By default, only when your iPhone is outside of well-known areas are the extra security precautions necessary.
When attempting to disable Stolen Device Protection outside of a known area, a security pause occurs before the feature may be disabled. Before you sell, gift, or trade in your iPhone, you should off stolen device protection.
How your device and accounts are protected with stolen device protection
When your iPhone is not in familiar surroundings, like home or work, some operations need extra protection when Stolen Device Protection is enabled.

Use Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification

When using Stolen Device Protection, you can’t do several things with your iPhone if it’s not in a familiar place until you verify using Face ID or Touch ID. These activities include the following:

Utilize passkeys or passwords that are stored in Keychain.
Utilize payment methods that are autofilled in Safari.
Switch off the Lost Mode.
Delete all settings and content.
Register for a fresh Apple Card.
View your virtual card number for your Apple Card or Apple Cash.
Perform specific Apple Cash and Savings operations in Wallet (such as transfers of Apple Cash or Savings).
To set up a new gadget (like Quick Start), use your iPhone.
You may still use Apple Pay to make transactions using your iPhone passcode.

Delay in Security

You may also have to wait an hour before using your iPhone to make any changes to important security settings or your Apple ID if you have Stolen Device Protection enabled. To update settings like the following, if your iPhone is not in a familiar place, you will need to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID, wait for the security delay to pass, and then authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID once again.

Modify the password for your Apple ID.
Log out of your Apple ID.
Change the security settings for your Apple ID account (e.g., add or remove a trusted device, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact).
Add or delete Touch ID or Face ID.
Modify the passcode on your iPhone.

Clear Out All Settings
Switch off Locate My Turn off Protection for Stolen Devices

For a while, the location of your devices may not be shown on iCloud.com if you use your iPhone to reset your Apple ID password.

When your gadget recognizes that you have reached a familiar place, it may terminate the security delay early.

How to turn on Stolen Device Protection on iOS

Apple’s Stolen Device Protection requires iOS 17.3 or later in order to be used. Additionally, a smartphone with the Significant Locations settings activated and either Touch ID or Face ID enabled is required. It just takes a few touches to activate the extra security if you have both of them set up.

Instructions for iOS 17.4 and later are provided below. Apple made it possible to activate the additional security even while in places you are comfortable with. That modifies the procedure a little. In step 4, if you are still on 17.3, you may turn on stolen device protection without taking any further action.

Launch the Settings application.
Touch Passcode & Face ID.
Enter your passcode here.
Select “Stolen Device Protection” by swiping down.
Turn on the Stolen Device Protection feature.
Select Always to always request an additional delay under Require Security delay, or Away From Familiar Locations to request the delay only when you are not in known areas.

How to turn on or view Significant Locations on an iPhone

Use of Significant Locations is required for the Stolen Device Protection. This option allows features to be added to Maps, Car Play, and other applications by using the place that your phone visits the most often. You are not currently able to change this data. Over time, Significant Locations data is compiled using the location of your phone. On the other hand, if you move to a different residence, for instance, you may get a summary of the data or clear the data.

To see the options for your Significant Location:

Launch the Settings application.
Select Security & Privacy.
Select Location Services by tapping.
Select System Services from the page’s very bottom.
Locate and choose Important Places.
This page lets you examine your home location, clean away your existing data, and toggle on and off Significant Locations.

What happens if your iPhone is stolen?

To stop criminals from wiping out your phone or taking important data, a new layer called Stolen Device Protection has been added to the current toolkit. It adds to the set of security features that already include the ability to remotely lock or delete a lost iPhone and Find My.

With Apple’s Find My, you may use an iPad or Apple Watch, or an internet browser, to find a lost or stolen device. You may also register your iPhone as lost using the Find My feature if you discover that it was stolen rather than misplaced. With this, you can not only lock your phone with a password but also see a personalized message on the screen that tells you where to find it if it gets misplaced.

Additionally, Apple will let you to remotely wipe your iPhone or iPad and update your Apple ID password using a web browser. AppleCare+ With Theft and Loss offers theft protection, but a warranty won’t cover theft or loss.

Why don’t I see stolen device protection on my iPhone?

Note: You may need to first set up Face ID or Touch ID if you don’t see Stolen Device Protection. Enable Device Theft Prevention. Take one of the following actions: When you’re not at home or at work, use stolen device protection: Slide away from Known Places.

Does iPadOS 17.3 have stolen device protection?

Stolen Device Protection is a critical new feature that Apple included with the release of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 for the iPhone and iPad. The function safeguards your data in the event that your iPhone or iPad is stolen, as we have previously discussed.