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In the iOS 17.3 developer beta, Apple has introduced new security measures, including Stolen Device Protection, aimed at preventing hackers from accessing sensitive information.

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On 12th December 2023, Tuesday’s iOS 17.3 developer beta included new security settings that Apple said would stop hackers from cracking your passcode and obtaining your personal information, including account passwords. In a few weeks, Apple is probably going to release iOS 17.3 in its final form.

One of the new security measures is that users must use Face ID or Touch ID before completing sensitive tasks like viewing passwords or accessing stored payment methods in Safari.

According to Apple, the iOS 17.3 beta will require users to enable the Stolen Device Protection setting by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection.

Apple has a new Stolen Device Protection mode in the iOS 17.3 developer beta. Image Credits: Apple

When you enable this setting, the device will need biometric authentication to perform tasks such as retrieving iCloud keychain passwords, disabling lost mode, transferring funds from Apple Cash to your bank account, deleting all data and configurations, and utilizing your iPhone to initiate a fresh device setup. Additionally, some actions (like changing your Apple ID password, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID, disabling Find My, and turning off stolen device protection) will require biometric authentication and will take some time to complete. For additional security, after an hour, users will need to pass the biometric authentication again in order to finish these tasks.

Even if hackers manage to figure out your passcode, the new features Apple unveiled in the developer beta will make it more difficult for them to alter passwords or obtain payment details.

The Wall Street Journal published several articles earlier this year detailing how thieves would watch people at bars and then take their iPhones in order to decipher the passcodes safeguarding these devices. The moment the devices were taken, the robbers swiftly entered passcodes and altered the passwords of the users, including those for their payment and iCloud accounts.

We put forth great effort into creating strong new safeguards for our users’ data as risks to user devices keep changing. The industry has long been led by iPhone data encryption, which prevents thieves from accessing data on a stolen device without the user’s passcode. Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection in the rare event that a thief can watch the user enter the passcode and then take the device, according to a statement from Apple.

People testing the developer version of the feature can access it right now, and when the company releases the final version of iOS 17.3, all users will be able to use it.