iPhone Safety And You - Be Careful Out There and Enable Stolen Device Protection Today!
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Personal security is very important, and cybercrime is rampant. More than half of my relatives have had their identity or email account stolen, and I’ve devoted several posts to protecting your finances and critical accounts.
In recent months, iPhone thefts have become an epidemic. If you’ve never had your phone stolen, you probably know someone who has. And if you haven’t, just read these two stories:
A Basic iPhone Feature Helps Criminals Steal Your Entire Digital Life explains the newest tactics—a thief watches you enter your passcode, and then grabs your phone and immediately afterward locks you out of your Apple ID account.
He Stole Hundreds of iPhones and Looted People’s Life Savings. He Told Us How profiles a thief who stole as many as 30 iPhones each weekend.
Thankfully, in the newest iOS update (iOS 17.3), Apple has unveiled Stolen Device Protection. The feature provides a critical safeguard—if you’re away from a familiar location (such as your home or office), certain critical tasks like resetting your Apple ID require a one-hour waiting period and another biometric (Face or Touch ID) scan. This gives you valuable time to log into Find My iPhone and remotely lock or erase the device, likely stopping a thief from stealing your Apple ID.
Shockingly, however, the feature is not automatically enabled when you update your iOS. To do so, simply follow these two steps:
Make sure you’ve updated your iOS - (Settings → General → Software Update).
Go to Face ID & Passcode (Settings → Face ID & Passcode) and scroll down to Stolen Device Protection and tap “Turn on Protection”
There are certain (limited) circumstances in which this feature could be inconvenient (e.g., if you need to reset your Apple ID away from home). But for most, this is a smart move, particularly if you live in a major city in which phone theft is common.
And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
How Much for Thin Mints? Some Girl Scouts Raise Cookie Prices.
The $1 Billion Art Collection That’s Tearing a Family Apart
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.