Apple will tamp down on stolen iPhone parts with new iOS 18 feature

A new iOS 18 beta feature aims to stop thieves from selling stolen iPhone parts.

According to Beta Profiles, a site for Apple beta software info, the upcoming iOS 18 update will have something called Activation Lock for valuable iPhone parts.

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Activation Lock is an existing anti-theft feature for Apple devices within the Find My app. If you think your iPhone has been stolen, you can prevent it from being used by remotely activating Activation Lock. But this has led to stolen iPhones being taken apart for valuable parts like batteries, cameras, and sensors that are then sold on the black market.

Now, as discovered in the iOS 18 Release Candidate (RC), which is the final build before it's released as a beta update, Activation Lock will work for iPhone parts. According to an Apple announcement in April explaining the upcoming feature, here's how it works: "If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted." Apple will ask for the user's account information to verify the ownership of the part.

Some say rendering parts useless will contribute to e-waste. Right to Repair advocates have also pointed out that it might hamper the secondhand and refurbishing market. "Apple trying to kill the second hand parts market. Now no repair shop is going to buy parts because they won't have any way to know if it is 'unlocked,'" said one X user. "How many people do you think will bother to 'unlock' their battery before trade in or disposal?"

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But for many, closing a loophole within the iPhone black market is a welcome change. The iOS 18 update will be available on September 16 to those with iPhone XR or later.