Apple has a new tool to help track lost and stolen phones
Setup a Home Base Before Setting Up an iPhone: How to Set up an iPhone before Setting Up Your Home Base (with an Appendix by Jake Moore)
The stolen iPhone protection is “likely to act as another barrier and put more pressure on thieves when targeting victims,” says Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity adviser at security firm Eset and a former police computer crime investigator. Selling phones will always be a big business, but criminals will need to work harder on their craft now.
These extra checks will appear when someone tries to access passwords or passKeys you have saved in iCloud, savesay savesay savesay savesay turn off Lost Mode, apply for a new Apple card, use your phone in the setup of a new Apple device, and save payment methods inSafari.
There are even more checks for more sensitive information. If your phone is not at a familiar location, Apple will also put in place a one-hour “security delay” after using your biometrics. When the delay is over, you must change the settings again. (Your iPhone will still be accessible during this hour.)
You don’t have to go a long way to find stories of stolen phones. Every six minutes in London, a phone is stolen. Subreddits are littered with people having their phones snatched by thieves. In some of the most extreme scenarios, crooks can also look over someone’s shoulder to see if they’re attempting to steal a phone. Social media accounts, passwords, and financial data could all be at risk.
In the unlikely event that you haven’t set up your home base on your iOS device, it might be a good idea to do so before you enable Stolen Device Protection, or you may have to wait that hour even if you’re sitting in your living room. Here’s one way to do it:
