A phone is snatched every eight minutes in London — but iPhones could soon get this Android-inspired upgrade to frustrate thieves
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 09:46:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
- A report claims Apple is working on a new theft protection feature for iOS
- This will automatically lock your iPhone if it’s stolen
- It uses your iPhone’s sensors to detect if it’s been snatched from your hands
Phone theft has become such an epidemic in places like London that a device is snatched every eight minutes in the UK’s capital, according to the latest government data. In 2024, Android launched its Theft Detection Lock feature in a bid to fight back, and now it looks like Apple is about to follow suit.
That’s because 9to5Mac claims to have seen unreleased iOS code that hints at this feature. If it comes to fruition, it could mean users of both major phone operating systems have a way to keep their private info out of the hands of thieves.
It sounds like Apple’s idea could be a simple yet effective system. The report says iOS will use various signals — including your iPhone’s accelerometer and the distance of the phone from a paired Apple Watch — to work out when the device has been quickly taken from your hands. When that happens, it automatically locks your iPhone, keeping your data shut off from the thief.
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Once iOS has confirmed those criteria and has locked your iPhone, it then checks if your device is on a familiar Wi-Fi network and at a familiar location. If not, additional safety measures come into effect, including requiring Face ID or Touch ID to access credit cards and passwords and adding a time delay to changing your Apple Account password. These mirror what you’ll find with Apple’s Stolen Device Protection feature.
Better protection
(Image credit: Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash)
While Stolen Device Protection, Activation Lock and Find My are all useful, they don’t fully protect you in all circumstances. That’s because having your phone suddenly snatched out of your hands has one major disadvantage for you (and a big advantage for the crooks) in that your…
