iPhone Stolen Machine Protection is thwarting prolific London thieves

Oliver Haslam Thu Jun 11 2026, 08:03 AM EDT · 1 minute learn Apple’s Stolen Machine Protection is getting the job executed The assortment of iPhones stolen in London which had been reactivated by thieves has plummeted in recent weeks, fighting them from being equipped and, optimistically, making iPhones much less inclined to be stolen in due course. The theft of iPhones has change accurate into an precise jam for London recently. So great in recount that some thieves had been known handy lend a hand a stolen mobile phone if it looks now to not be an iPhone. Thieves on the total expend mopeds to depart up to a victim earlier than snatching their iPhone and riding off. However the thieves don’t desire the iPhone itself; they’re eager to put it on the market on for money. And that handiest works if they’ll release and reset it. But in an interview with the BBC, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Tag Rowley admitted that’s going down much less than customary. The shriek got right here as Rowley changed into as soon as calling on tech firms to create stolen telephones more difficult to release and promote. But he also admitted that Apple looks to love already made a huge dent in the jam with an existing security characteristic. Stolen, but now not forgottenWhile iPhones like supported Stolen Machine Protection since 2023, Apple enabled it by default with the iOS 26.4 change in March 2026. Stolen Machine Protection, when enabled, requires biometric authentication when doing a fluctuate of issues. Vitally for stolen iPhones, those issues embody turning off Misplaced Mode as well as erasing its remark material and settings. Some security actions even require a prolong earlier than they are going to also be enacted, giving the owner of a stolen iPhone the time to stamp it as misplaced utilizing the Gain My community. This style that a thief can now not reset an iPhone, despite the incontrovertible reality that they know your passcode. And that will also just well had been ample to create iPhones more sophisticated for thieves to promote on. Rowley suggested the BBC Radio 4’s At this time program that thieves had been utilizing instrument to “manufacturing facility reset” devices earlier than selling them on. But he says that Apple has “cracked” the jam with records showing that “the overwhelming majority of telephones” stolen in recent weeks like now not been reset. Rowley also added that the Metropolitan Police has entered into an “intelligence sharing agreement” with Apple. It be hoped this also can just discontinuance up in a bigger working out of how iPhones are being stolen and equipped in London.