Apple is developing an advanced security feature for iPhones that aims to combat phone theft crimes by monitoring the moment the device is taken from its owner’s hand and automatically locking it, according to what software details revealed in the beta versions of the iOS 18.2 operating system (or iOS 27.2, depending on what is reported).
According to a report published by the “9to5Mac” website, which specializes in Apple news, this upcoming feature is called “AutoLock,” and it relies on a smart system that combines several indicators instead of just one signal, in order to determine whether the phone has been stolen or not.
The working mechanism includes monitoring sudden movements or accelerations that match the scenario of the phone being snatched from the user’s hand, in addition to tracking the connection status between the iPhone and the Apple Watch.
The system also uses additional criteria, including the continued disconnection of the smart watch, or the phone losing its connection to the network for a specific period of time, before making the final decision to lock the device and reducing the time window available for the thief to use the phone while it is in unlocked mode.
To avoid false locks, the feature is designed to evaluate integrated factors rather than rely solely on movement, as the results of user authentication methods, such as the success of the facial recognition system, may influence the decision to activate automatic lock or not.
This step comes within the framework of Apple’s ongoing efforts to enhance security protection for iPhone devices, given that the first minutes following the theft represent a critical window that thieves usually exploit to access personal data or change account settings.
Although the components of this feature were monitored in the beta versions of the system, the “AutoLock” feature is still under development and has not been fully activated yet, which means that its working mechanism and its official launch date may be subject to changes before it reaches the final version for users.
