With iOS 18, Apple’s Activation Lock Will Make iPhone Harder To Steal & Repair
This feature was first announced in April following a request from law enforcement to combat an issue with the black market involving stolen iPhones.
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 to the public today, September 16. This new feature, revealed in the release candidate version of the operating system, aims to enhance theft protection. It introduces Activation Lock, a feature Apple has had for a while, but now it’s being strengthened to prevent unauthorized use of stolen iPhone parts on other iPhones.
On the one hand, this feature will deter or discourage iPhone thefts for parts. However, it will also make non-official iPhone repairs more challenging. Workshops and individual users who repair their devices themselves won’t be able to use parts from the gray market or illegal sources likely scavenged from stolen devices. This restriction could impact the availability of second-hand products.
This feature was first announced in April following a request from law enforcement to combat an issue with the black market involving stolen iPhones.
Activation Lock locks the iPhone and its components to the original owner. If the system detects a second-hand part, such as a battery or display assembly, it prompts the original user to enter their Apple ID and password. Without permission, the spare part remains locked. After a certain period, the iPhone parts’ IDs are assigned to the new user’s Apple accounts.
Many users who have been testing iOS 18’s release candidate have attempted swapping iPhone parts, and Apple’s iOS 18 isn’t just launching with the iPhone 16 series, set to release in India on September 20 for a starting price of Rs 79,900. It will also support older iPhones, including models released in 2018, such as the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR.
One of the most significant features of iOS 18 is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s entry into the generative AI domain. It even includes a revamped Siri voice and text-based assistant. However, this feature won’t be available on Monday, which includes Activation Lock. Instead, Apple will gradually introduce Apple Intelligence. The first batch of updates, including text summarization, proofreading, and image manipulation, will be released with iOS 18.1 in October.
