Apple Developing iPhone Anti-Theft Upgrade — But You May Need An Apple Watch, Too
Apple Developing iPhone Anti-Theft Upgrade — But You May Need An Apple Watch, Too
Publish Date: 2026-05-31 08:00:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
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A recent report has revealed an iPhone update that many will want, a system where if your phone is snatched from your hand, it’ll be instantly locked. But it seems there may be an aspect to this feature which many reports have overlooked: an Apple Watch may be essential to the process.
The original report came from 9to5Mac, which has seen code that seems to confirm that the new feature is under active development.
The Urban Epidemic Of Phone Snatching
If you live in a major city, like London or New York, say, you’ll know that phone snatching is endemic, and troubling not just because you’ve likely lost your phone forever, but because if the thief has snagged the phone when it’s unlocked, they may be able to access data such as banking apps, for instance.
Recent upgrades to Stolen Device Protection have limited thieves’ access, such as preventing Apple ID changes which would allow the thief to add themselves to your biometrics. And now Stolen Device Protection is on by default, rather than needing to be activated.
How Sensor Data Detects A Snatch-And-Grab
This new feature would be an improvement which uses the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope to calculate that the sudden movement indicates a snatch-and-grab.
However, what’s not clear is whether the system will work on the iPhone only or if an Apple Watch is required.
“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,” 9to5Mac said.
Does that mean it only works with the watch? Or faster? That’ll become clear when the feature is released.
Once activated, the current security protections apply. “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…
