Protect against theft with Stolen Device Protection
Overview
Stolen Device Protection adds a layer of security to iPhone when the device is away from familiar locations, such as home or work. It’s designed to protect the user’s accounts and personal information if a thief has the iPhone and knows its passcode.
When the feature is turned on and the iPhone is away from a familiar location, certain actions require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback, and changes to critical account and security settings also require a one-hour security delay. This gives the user time to mark the device as lost and secure their unmanaged (personal) Apple Account.
Stolen Device Protection is an iPhone feature, available with iOS 17.3 or later. The user needs to turn it on before the device is lost or stolen.
Requirements and expected behavior
To turn on Stolen Device Protection, the user needs an unmanaged Apple Account with two-factor authentication, a device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, Significant Locations, and Find My turned on. Find My can’t be turned off while Stolen Device Protection is turned on. The feature might be turned on by default. The user confirms or changes it in Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode settings. To confirm Significant Locations is on, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services.
Away from a familiar location, some actions require Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback, before the user can:
Use saved passwords or passkeys.
Use payment methods saved in Safari (AutoFill).
Turn off Lost Mode.
Open a locked app.
Erase all content and settings.
Apply for a new Apple Card.
View an Apple Card or Apple Cash virtual card number.
Take certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet, such as transfers.
Use the iPhone to set up a new device, for example with Quick Start.
Set up or transfer an eSIM.
The user can still use the device passcode for Apple Pay purchases.
Other actions require a security delay. To change critical security settings or their Apple Account, the user authenticates with Face ID or Touch ID, waits one hour, then authenticates again. This applies to actions such as:
Change the Apple Account password.
Sign out of the Apple Account.
Update Apple Account security settings, such as adding or removing a trusted device, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact.
Add or remove Face ID or Touch ID.
Change the device passcode.
Reset All Settings.
Enroll in a device management service.
Turn off Stolen Device Protection.
In a familiar location, these extra steps don’t apply, and the user can use the passcode as usual. Familiar locations are places where the user regularly uses their iPhone, such as home or work. When Require Security Delay is set to Always, these steps apply even in a familiar location.
To protect critical settings, the same requirements apply to certain actions the user takes on the web or on another Apple device. These security settings can’t be updated on the web at account.apple.com.
Reported behavior
A user reports that away from home or work, their iPhone won’t let them change the device passcode or Apple Account password without a one-hour security delay. They may also report that some actions, such as viewing a saved password, require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback. A user preparing to repair, migrate, or sell an iPhone may report that they can’t proceed until the security delay ends.
If the user changed their Apple Account password on the iPhone, they may also report that their devices’ locations don’t appear at iCloud.com/find for a period of time.
A user may report that they can’t turn on Stolen Device Protection, and that the message “Turning on Stolen Device Protection requires Find My iPhone to be turned on” appears.
Isolating the issue
These behaviors are expected. Confirm that Stolen Device Protection is turned on in Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode settings. Then check whether the iPhone is away from a familiar location, or whether Require Security Delay is set to Always.
A newly restored or transferred iPhone resumes Stolen Device Protection automatically, because the setting is restored. There may be a delay before the new device recognizes familiar locations, so the additional requirements may apply at first, even at home or work.
Troubleshooting
To complete an action that requires biometric authentication, have the user authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. For a setting affected by the security delay, the user authenticates, waits one hour, then authenticates again. Returning to a familiar location can end the delay early.
Before a repair, a migration to a new iPhone, or a sale or trade-in, have the user turn off Stolen Device Protection. Turning it off while away from a familiar location starts a security delay.
If the user can’t turn on Stolen Device Protection and sees the message that Find My iPhone needs to be turned on, confirm that Find My is turned on and that the user is signed in with an unmanaged Apple Account. For Managed Apple Accounts, Find My isn’t available.
Managed environments
Stolen Device Protection is a security feature that the user controls on their iPhone. On an organization-owned device, the user can turn it on only if the organization allows signing in with an unmanaged Apple Account and using Find My. A device management service can’t turn off Stolen Device Protection. For more information about Managed and unmanaged Apple Accounts, see Intro to Managed Apple Accounts.
If Stolen Device Protection is turned on and the device is away from familiar locations, enrolling in a device management service requires a one-hour security delay.