Apple working on iPhone anti-snatching feature that locks the device automatically

Apple is working on a new iPhone security feature that can automatically lock the device when it detects that it has been snatched from the user’s hand. Here are the details.

Apple goes after iPhone snatchers

Many of us know the feeling: one second you’re looking at your iPhone, and the next, you’re staring at an empty hand. By the time you realize what happened, whoever took the device is already out of reach.

Over the years, Apple has greatly improved iPhone anti-theft protections, with features such as Find My, Activation Lock, and Stolen Device Protection.

However, many of those protections can be rendered nearly useless if a thief grabs the device while it is still unlocked.

Apple does include time-based security delays to prevent major Apple ID changes, but the reality is that a thief can still cause significant damage once they get their hands on an unlocked iPhone.

That is why Apple is working on a new feature that automatically locks the iPhone when the system detects it has been snatched from the user’s hand, similar to Android’s Theft Detection Lock.

These systems will rely on several signals, including the iPhone’s accelerometer, to detect when the device has been snatched from the user’s hand. Once the snatching is confirmed, it will automatically lock the iPhone.

To further determine whether the iPhone may have been taken from its owner, the feature will also observe the distance from a paired Apple Watch.

Additionally, once fully implemented and enabled, the feature will take into account the same rules that apply to Stolen Device Protection: whether the iPhone is connected to a familiar WiFi network, and whether it is at a familiar location, such as home or work.

If those conditions suggest the iPhone has been taken from its owner at an unfamiliar place, in addition to automatically locking the device, the feature will restrict access to the same areas protected by Stolen Device Protection.

There are no details on when these features will be announced, but code seen by 9to5Mac makes it clear they are under active development. Hopefully, they will come sooner rather than later.

You can learn more about Stolen Device Protection here.