Apple quietly snuck a crucial new security feature onto the iPhone

I've taken the iPhone's Find My app for granted ever since it debuted. It lets me track the handset and enables Activation Lock. This is a key safety feature. It prevents thieves from using the iPhone if they ever get their hands on it. The iPhone will continue to be locked to my Apple ID, and my data will be safe.

The only scenario where I'd disable Find My concerns iPhone repairs. You have to remove the tracking protection before you hand the device in for repairs. That's generally not a problem if you go to an Apple retail store to hand in the phone in person. That's the way I'd go about repairing the handset. Removing Find My tracking could be an issue if you ship the device to Apple or use third-party repair shops. Things can happen in transit that are out of your control.

If only there were a way to continue tracking the handset during the entire repair process. Well, it turns out that Apple just invented one, and it'll be rolling out via the iOS 17.5 update. Apple added a Repair State feature to Find My via the iOS 17.5 beta 4 update that will let you continue tracking the handset during repairs.

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Apple quietly snuck a crucial new security feature onto the iPhone originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 1 May 2024 at 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.