How to Turn On iPhone Stolen Device Protection Feature?
Apple never compromises the security of its phones and other devices; it always provides the latest and best features that enhance the security of its phones. There is a latest update on iOS version 17.3; it is a security feature that will help you find your stolen phone. This feature will prevent thieves from modifying your data. In this blog, you will learn how to turn off stolen device protection is also included, also how to turn on stolen device protection on iPhone.
What Is Stolen Device Protection?
Before knowing how to turn on and off this feature on your iPhone. First, know its importance. Stolen device protection prevents thieves from resetting your iPhone or changing your personal information like passwords and IDs. If anyone has your device, then this feature will prevent any kind of unauthorized access to your iPhone.
Why Should You Not Turn Off Stolen Device Protection on Your iPhone?
The question is why you will turn off this useful feature when you are an iPhone user. It’s not always that your device will get stolen, but also if you left your device somewhere mistakenly.
This is why you should not turn off stolen device protection on your iPhone; it keeps your sensitive information, like passwords and other details, safe. For instance, if anyone tries to reset your iPhone using the Quick Start feature, which lets you transfer your data to another iPhone. To enable the Quick Start feature, you will be required to access it with your Face ID and passcode. Upon successfully enabling this feature, you can then start the transfer. However, both of these requirements are a must to bypass the security of QuickStart. If anyone knows your passcode, then don’t worry; the feature will need a unique physical feature for verification. “biometric data,” to proceed.
Also, the iPhone is smart, and when you need to change the password of your phone, it will ask for your biometric and passcode. These verifications might seem annoying, but they are very useful for making your device protected.
What Does Stolen Device Detection Do?
Stolen device protection on Apple is beneficial when your device isn’t with you. It makes your device protected anywhere. To access the feature, you will need to provide
- Passcode
- Face ID
- Touch ID
These requirements are followed when anyone wants to access your Apple Card: if you are a citizen of the US, if you have an Apple Card, then there’ll be all the information of your transactions. On iOS, the stolen device protection feature has a one-hour delay, which allows the user to change the passwords and make all the administration settings on their device if it’s at some other location. One one-hour delay would be enough for the user to make necessary changes for the security of an Apple account., so the device will be prevented from any immediate changes by the unknown.
How Does iOS Detect Unfamiliar Locations?
Your iOS device can easily detect if your location is familiar or not by location-based security.
Here are the steps that let you add familiar locations like your home and university or office and other familiar locations.
- Open settings on your iOS phone.
- Go to privacy & settings.
- Then go to Locations Services.
- On scrolling down, you will see System Services.
- From the Significant Locations.
- On successful verification by adding a passcode and biometric.
- A list of locations will appear that will be considered familiar.
- You can edit them by adding more locations or deleting any.
Security Biometric Authentication in iOS
Stolen Device protection acts as an additional layer of security on your device. It requires biometric authentications, including Face ID & Touch ID, and also the passcode.
Here are the best features because you shouldn’t turn off stolen device protection.
Password Manager and Passkeys
iCloud Keychain in iOS is a password manager that stores all the passwords and other credentials of an application or a website, in which you had logged in before. When you access the platform, it will automatically fill in the credentials in that platform, so you don’t have to remember your passwords.
Auto-fill Payment Details
This is another point that encourages you not to turn off your stolen device protection. While shopping online, your payment details, including your credit card number and other information, will be filled out automatically on Safari. However, Apple knows it’s unsafe, and due to this, here comes the use of biometric security. To access sensitive information (passwords and credit card info), you need to verify yourself through Face ID or Touch ID.
Lost Mode Or Erase All Data
Enabling Lost Mode on your phone can be helpful when you have lost your iPhone somewhere. It will show a custom message like “Call if found.” It will allow the person who had your device to make an emergency call from your phone. The lost mode also shows the location of your device so you can track the current location of your device. If you are confirmed that you can not find your device by taking all the measures, then simply erase data from your phone remotely to prevent any unauthorized access to your texts, photos, and other important data.
Applying For A New Apple Card
Apple Card contains all sensitive financial information, including credit card numbers and transaction history. If your phone gets stolen, then the stolen device protection feature in your iPhone prevents thieves from accessing your Apple Card, as it will require a verification of your Face ID, passcode, and Touch ID.
Quick Start
This feature allows you to transfer data on another iPhone device. However, if your device is stolen or lost, stolen device protection is enabled on your iPhone. When a thief or any unknown person tries to transfer your data to another iPhone, it will ask for biometric verification, making it impossible for the other person to transfer your data into their device.
Waiting One Hour to Prevent Immediate Changes
One hour’s delay helps you to make necessary changes to your device. An hour delay protects your device from unauthorized access and trying to turn off stolen device protection, which is not easy and requires biometric verification. If you are still wondering how to turn off stolen device protection from your iPhone, you need to verify yourself with the Face ID or Touch ID you have to wait for, making the following changes:
- You can change your Apple ID with a password.
- Signing out from your Apple account will not allow anyone to access your Apple services like Apple Card and Apple Store. As Apple services are linked to Apple accounts.
- Adding and removing devices that are connected to your Apple account.
- Changing passcodes and resetting all the settings of your iPhone.
- If a thief tries to turn off stolen device protection and the “Find My” feature. It will require a biometric verification process; it’s tougher for the thieves to disable this feature.
Steps to Follow Before Turning on Stolen Device Protection on iPhone Two-Factor Authentication
2FA (Two Factor Authentication) Just putting up a password is not enough to add extra security to your accounts. To make them protected from hackers. On the iPhone, first, enable two-factor authentication, then add other security measures like Face ID or Touch ID.
How to Turn 2FA on iPhone
- Go to Settings
- Tap on your name at the top.
- Tap Sign in & security
- Tap on Two Factor Authentication and continue.
- Enter personal phone number
- A verification code will be sent to your phone number.
- Enter the verification code on your iPhone.
Now two-factor authentication is enabled on your Apple account and your device.
Face ID & Passcode
Face ID & Passcode, if you put them on your iPhone, enhance the security of your device, and no one can enable your Apple Account easily since whenever any other person wants to access it, biometric verification will be required. If you are still thinking of how to turn off stolen device protection on an iPhone, then remember that Face ID & passcode just provides an additional security layer to the device.
How to Turn on Face ID & Passcode Feature on iPhone
- Go to settings.
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter the passcode (if you do not have one, create one).
- Tap on Setup Face ID.
To know the full instructions, check out the official site of Apple.
Location Recognition
Turning on Location Services lets you know where your device is if you left it at a known place like your office or home or any known place.
How to Turn on Significant Locations on iPhone
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Privacy & Security.
- Then go to Location Services.
- At the bottom tap System services.
- Now turn on Significant Locations.
Find My Feature
If your device is lost or stolen, the “Find My” feature provides the exact location of your device.
How to Turn on Find My on iPhone
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on your name.
- Tap on Find My.
- Now turn on Find My iPhone.
Once all these security features are enabled on your iPhone, you’ll know how to turn on stolen device protection.
Setting up Stolen Device Protection
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- Scroll a bit down; there you will see a “Stolen Device Protection.”.
- Enable the toggle to “yes.”.
- To enable this feature at familiar locations, select “Always.”.
How to Turn Off Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
Stolen Device Protection is a powerful tool on iPhone. If you do not need this feature on your iPhone, here are the steps for disabling it.
- Go to Settings of iPhone.
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- On scrolling down, you will see the “Stolen Device Protection” feature.
Now you can toggle off the stolen Device Protection feature if it’s already turned on.
Stolen Device Protection on iPhone (The Disadvantages)
Although Stolen Device Protection features are one of the useful security features of the iPhone. Moreover, it has some drawbacks, let’s check, these drawbacks aren’t something that you should consider to know how to turn off stolen device protection.
Additional Steps
When you are in a hurry, you don’t want to go through the additional stenos, which can waste your time. This includes the verification process of Face ID or Touch ID.
Compatibility Restrictions
You will see compatibility issues if your iPhone is not updated to iOS version 17.3 or later. If you want to enable the stolen device protection feature, then the Find My and Significant Location features must be turned on on your iPhone. Since these features are restricted in some regions due to law and privacy concerns.
Security limitations
There is still a security limitation. If anyone gets your passcode, your Apple Card can be accessible, and anyone with the passcode can purchase with your Apple Pay account. To access the Apple Pay account, your passcode is enough, and no other verification processes will be followed. Make sure to keep your passcode safe.
All Known Locations Aren’t Safe
Applesaysy familiar places that you often go to mostly, For instance, if you are going to one café nearby your home more often. Then Apple will consider that as a familiar place. However, this is risky, as not every place you go more often is trustworthy.
Minor Bugs
This feature of the stolen device feature is the latest update in iPhone, so there are minor bugs that can show up. Although all functionalities are tested before the deployment, and major issues are resolved before, some low-priority issues are still noticed by users that will improve in some time. Moreover, it’s not a good idea to turn off the stolen device protection on the iPhone, as it will protect the device just like any other newly launched software that has little bugs, which can also have bugs that cannot be called major bugs.
What Are Some Other Security Measures That You Can Take For Your iPhone?
Now you know how to turn off stolen device protection on your iPhone and how to turn on stolen device protection. Here are some other security features that keep your iPhone’s security more powerful and keep your personal information safe.
Keep Strong Passcodes
Always create strong passwords for your iPhone; you can link this with Face ID or Touch ID for more security. It’s difficult to remember passcodes, so don’t worry; the password manager will save all your passwords and codes, so whenever you log into any application, automatically your passwords will be added to it. If you are looking at how to turn off stolen device protection on an iPhone, then make sure your device is secure.
Put Auto Lock
Auto Lock will lock your device after a few minutes or seconds; you can set the time limit from settings, and it will prevent anyone from getting into your device and lock your phone after some time automatically.
Turn off Lock Screen Notifications
When you turn off the lock screen notifications, you can’t see text messages or any other private emails on the lock screen. So no one nearby can see your personal transaction details or any other information that notifications come to you.
Keep Auto Update On
On your iPhone, when you are familiar with how to turn on stolen device protection, that enables your automatic updates. So, whenever Apple releases any new update, it will install on your device automatically. This is beneficial when there’s any security update on your phone, and you don’t have to remember about updating your phone; it will install on its own.
iCloud for Data Protection
Create an account on iCloud to keep your data safe on one account, so in case your iPhone is lost or stolen, you still have the backup data and record. It also helps you locate your device if you misplace your iPhone somewhere or if it’s been stolen or lost.
Why is iProVPN Useful on iPhone?
To make your iPhone’s data highly encrypted, it’s a smart choice to use a VPN on your device. Not to use any VPN but to use a reliable and trustworthy VPN service like iProVPN, which can easily be installed on your iPhone. You just need to sign in, connect to an iProVPN server, and connect to the VPN. That’s it, and then you can explore all its best security features. It will conceal your real IP and allow you to browse using any country’s IP to access the restricted content or to get deals while shopping to use for your business meetings. VPN will protect you everywhere. However, it is not encouraged that you turn off a stolen device protection.
Conclusion
Stolen Device Protection is the latest update on iPhone version 17.3 or later. This feature keeps your device on track, and if your iPhone is lost or you have left it somewhere, then you have turned on stolen device protection. You can be able to exactly locate your iPhone. By having biometric verification that includes Face ID or Touch ID, your device is not easily accessible to any thief or unknown. Moreover, other security ways need to be set before enabling the stolen device protection for an extra layer of security on your iPhone. These ways include setting up two-factor authentication on your iPhone so you will receive a text message or an email if someone tries to log into your device’s applications.
More security features like Lost Mode can tell you the location of your device when it;’s lost or stolen by showing the custom message on your device “Call if found” to the person who found your device. Additionally, If you are thinking about how to turn off stolen device protection iPhone. Then do not forget that you can’t find your device once stolen or lost but one thing you can do is to delete all the data from your stolen or lost iPhone when you know that you can’t find it. You can easily delete this data remotely.
FAQs
- How to turn off stolen device protection on an iPhone?
If you want to turn off the stolen device protection on your iPhone, then
- Go to Settings on the iPhone.
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
On scrolling down, you will see the “Stolen Device Protection” feature. From there, turn the toggle off.
- Is it okay to turn off stolen device protection?
Turning off stolen device protection from your iPhone device makes it less secure. For example, if your iPhone is stolen or lost and the stolen device feature is enabled on your iPhone, then you can easily find your device. Moreover, to access the device it will require a Face ID or Touch ID for the verification. Which makes your device safe from unknown access
- What happens if I do not turn off the stolen device protection on my iPhone?
Don’t worry if you have not turned off the stolen device protection from your iPhone. Without an Apple ID password, no one can access your device.
- How to turn off stolen device protection on an iPhone?
If you want to turn off the stolen device protection on your iPhone, then
- Go to Settings on the iPhone.
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- On scrolling down, you will see the “Stolen Device Protection” feature. From there, turn on the toggle if it’s disabled.
- If i turn off stolen device protection, can I track my iPhone?
No, you wouldn’t be able to trace your smartphone in this case if it was lost or stolen if you had disabled stolen device protection function in your iPhone’s settings.
- Is a one-hour delay a feature of stolen device protection on the iPhone?
Yes! One hour delay is the feature of stolen device protection; in this one hour, you can take measures to find your iPhone, including changing the password of your Apple ID. In the meantime, you can also set up other security features like two-factor authentication if it isn’t set on your iPhone prior.
- How to get iProVPN on iPhone?
Purchase a preferred subscription from the official website of iProVPN, then install the iProVPN application on your iPhone, sign in to the application, and connect to a VPN server of any country, and then finally connect to the VPN.
