How to Set Up the Must-Have iOS 17.3 Stolen Device Protection Feature

First, make sure your iPhone is running iOS 17.3 or later (earlier versions don’t have this feature). Then open the Settings app, tap Face ID & Passcode, and toggle on Stolen Device Protection. (If you have an older iPhone with Touch ID, your settings will look different.)

After you enable Stolen Device Protection, your iPhone will require additional authentication for the user to access some information, and it will also prevent certain changes if it detects that it isn’t at a trusted location such as your house or your workplace.

For example, if you try to change your Apple account password or your phone’s passcode when your iPhone isn’t at a trusted location, Stolen Device Protection requires you to wait an hour and then authenticate your identity a second time with Face ID or Touch ID. Even if a thief knows the passcode to unlock your iPhone, that delay gives you time to use Apple’s Find My tool to remotely lock or wipe the stolen device. Without the delay, a thief could deactivate the anti-theft and security features using only your iPhone’s passcode.

You can also require a one-hour security delay on changes to your Apple account, even if you’re at a familiar location. To activate it, go to the Stolen Device Protection page in Settings, and check Always in the section labeled Require Security Delay. This can prevent accidental changes, for example from handing your phone to a child to play with, but also guard against malicious activity in familiar locations.

Stolen Device Protection also limits what information a thief can access on your iPhone by requiring biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID, depending on which iPhone you have) to do things like view saved passwords or make changes to an Apple savings account. This prevents thieves from using your unlocked iPhone to steal your money or open an Apple credit card in your name.

The changes may in part be a response to reports of thieves snatching devices after observing iPhone owners logging in with their PIN. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, iPhone thieves were able to steal money, open credit card accounts, and more once they access the devices. And thieves can completely lock victims out of their Apple accounts, making it very difficult for the victims to disable or track their stolen iPhones with Apple’s Find My feature. Victims are sometimes unable to access their photos and files saved on iCloud as well.

Stolen Device Protection makes it harder for thieves to use a stolen iPhone to ruin your life. It might pose an inconvenience for you in some moments, but it’s still worth switching on.