What is Lockdown Mode?
Lockdown Mode is an optional, extreme protection that’s designed for the very few individuals who, because of who they are or what they do, may be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats. Most people will never be targeted by attacks of this nature.
When Lockdown Mode is enabled, your device won’t function like it usually would. To reduce the attack surface that could potentially be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware, certain apps, websites and features will be strictly limited for security, and some experiences may not be available at all.
Lockdown Mode is available in iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura.
How Lockdown Mode protects your device
When Lockdown Mode is enabled, some apps and features will function differently, including:
- Messages – most message attachment types will be blocked, other than certain images, video and audio. Some features, such as links and link previews, will be unavailable.
- Web browsing – certain complex web technologies will be blocked, which may cause some websites to load more slowly or to not operate correctly. In addition, web fonts may not be displayed, and images may be replaced with a missing image icon.
- FaceTime – incoming FaceTime calls will be blocked unless you’ve previously called that person or contact.
- Apple services – incoming invitations for Apple services, such as invitations to manage a home in the Home app, are blocked unless you have invited that person previously.
- Shared Albums – shared albums are removed from the Photos app, and new Shared Album invitations are blocked. You can still view these shared albums on other devices that haven't enabled Lockdown Mode. When you turn off Lockdown Mode, you'll need to turn Shared Albums on again in your device settings.
- Device connections – to connect your iPhone or iPad to an accessory or another computer, the device needs to be unlocked. To connect your Mac laptop with Apple silicon to an accessory, your Mac needs to be unlocked and explicit approval provided.
- Configuration profiles – configuration profiles can’t be installed, and the device can’t be enrolled in Mobile Device Management or device supervision while in Lockdown Mode.
Phone calls and plain text messages will continue to work while Lockdown Mode is enabled. Emergency features, such as SOS emergency calls, will not be affected.
How to enable Lockdown Mode on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Under Security, tap Lockdown Mode and tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.
- Tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.
- Tap Turn On & Restart, then enter your device passcode.
When Lockdown Mode is enabled, you may receive notifications when an app or feature is limited, and a banner in Safari will indicate that Lockdown Mode is turned on.
Lockdown Mode needs to be enabled separately on each device.
How to enable Lockdown Mode on Mac
- Choose the Apple menu > System Settings.
- From the sidebar, click Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down to Lockdown Mode, then click Turn On.
- If prompted, enter the user password.
- Click Turn On & Restart.
When Lockdown Mode is enabled, you may receive notifications when an app or feature is limited, and a banner in Safari will indicate that Lockdown Mode is turned on.
Lockdown Mode needs to be enabled separately on each device.
How to exclude apps or websites from Lockdown Mode
While your device is in Lockdown Mode, you can exclude an app or website in Safari from being impacted and limited. Only exclude trusted apps or websites and only if necessary.
On iPhone or iPad
To exclude a website while browsing: tap the Page Settings button 
, then tap Website Settings. Then turn off Lockdown Mode.
To exclude an app or edit your excluded websites:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Under Security, tap Lockdown Mode.
- Tap Configure Web Browsing.
To exclude an app, turn that app off in the menu. Only the apps that you’ve opened since enabling Lockdown Mode and that have limited functionality will appear on this list.
To edit your excluded websites, tap Excluded Safari Websites > Edit.
On Mac
To exclude a website while browsing: choose the Safari menu > Settings for [website]. Then untick the Enable Lockdown Mode box. To include the website again, re-tick the box.
To edit your excluded websites:
- From the menu bar in Safari, choose the Safari menu > Settings.
- Click Websites.
- In the sidebar, scroll down and click Lockdown Mode.
- From the menu next to a configured website, turn Lockdown Mode on or off.
Configuration profiles and managed devices
If a device is in Lockdown Mode, new configuration profiles can’t be installed, and the device can’t be enrolled in Mobile Device Management or device supervision. If a user wants to install a configuration profile or management profile, they’ll need to turn off Lockdown Mode, install the profile and then re-enable Lockdown Mode, if necessary. These restrictions can prevent attackers from attempting to install malicious profiles.
A device that was already enrolled in Mobile Device Management before Lockdown Mode was enabled will remain managed. System administrators can install and remove configuration profiles on that device.
Lockdown Mode is not a configurable option for Mobile Device Management by system administrators, as it’s designed for the very small number of individual users who may be targeted by extreme cyber attacks.