Apple's new iPhone update is locking law enforcement out of phones

Apple made your iPhone more secure and apparently no one really noticed until law enforcement got locked out of devices they had previously or were trying to crack.

Last week, 404 Media reported on a new phenomenon occurring that was freaking out law enforcement. iPhones that were being stored for forensic investigations were "mysteriously" rebooting, making it harder for LEOs to collect evidence from the devices.

Now, a researcher at the Hasso Plattner Institute, Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen appears to have solved the mystery. Apple quietly rolled out a new feature in iOS 18.1 that reboots a user's iPhone if it has not been unlocked for a certain period of time.

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Inactivity reboot now makes an iPhone more secure

The new feature causing police headaches is called "inactivity reboot." While it may be stifling some police investigations, it's generally good for most users.

The inactivity reboot code basically brings an inactivity timer to users' iPhone devices with iOS 18 and higher installed. The clock on the timer starts after it is unlocked or when a user first unlocks their iPhone since it has been turned on. 

After four days of a device being unused and locked, inactivity reboot kicks in and reboots the iPhone. The reboot brings the iPhone into a "Before First Unlock" state, which makes it much harder for third parties like bad actors or law enforcement to then access with forensic or cracking tools.

One cryptographer explained to 404 Media that the practical reason for this feature is to deter thieves from stealing iPhones, cracking the devices, and then reselling them or using your private data for nefarious purposes. However, it does appear that law enforcement officials are being affected by the change and are now spreading the word to others in the field about how to deal with it.

Regardless, though, it is good that Apple continues to make updates and changes to further protect the security and privacy of its users.