About Stolen Device Protection
When Stolen Device Protection is enabled, some features and actions have additional security requirements when your iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work. These requirements help prevent someone who has stolen your device and knows your passcode from making critical changes to your account or device.
- Face ID or Touch ID biometric authentication: Some actions such as accessing stored passwords and credit cards require a single biometric authentication with Face ID or Touch ID — with no passcode alternative or fallback — so that only you can access these features.
- Security Delay: Some security actions such as changing your Apple ID password also require you to wait an hour and then perform a second Face ID or Touch ID authentication.
In the event that your iPhone is stolen, the security delay is designed to prevent a thief from performing critical operations so that you can mark your device as lost and make sure your Apple account is secure. Learn what to do if your iPhone is lost or stolen.
When your iPhone is in a familiar location, these additional steps are not required, and you can use your device passcode like usual. Familiar locations typically include your home, work, and certain other locations where you regularly use your iPhone. If you choose, you can set up Stolen Device Protection to always require these additional security measures, even when your iPhone is in a familiar location.
Stolen Device Protection is available with iOS 17.3 or later and must be turned on before the device is lost or stolen.
How to turn Stolen Device Protection on or off
To turn on Stolen Device Protection, you must use two-factor authentication for your Apple ID and set up or enable the following on your iPhone: a device passcode; Face ID or Touch ID; and Significant Locations* (Location Services).
You also need to have Find My turned on, and you can't turn it off while Stolen Device Protection is enabled.
You can turn on Stolen Device Protection in Settings:
- Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- Tap Stolen Device Protection, then turn Stolen Device Protection on or off.
If you'd like your iPhone to enforce the additional Stolen Device Protection security measures regardless of its location, choose "Always" under Require Security Delay. By default, the additional security measures are required only when your iPhone is away from familiar locations.
If you try to turn off Stolen Device Protection when you’re not in a familiar location, a security delay starts before you can turn it off. You should turn off Stolen Device Protection before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone.
How Stolen Device Protection protects your device and accounts
When Stolen Device Protection is turned on, certain actions have additional security requirements when your iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work.
Face ID or Touch ID biometric authentication
With Stolen Device Protection, if your iPhone is not in a familiar location, you must authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID before you can take certain actions, including the following:
- Use passwords or passkeys saved in Keychain
- Use payment methods saved in Safari (autofill)
- Turn off Lost Mode
- Erase all content and settings
- Apply for a new Apple Card
- View your Apple Card or Apple Cash virtual card number
- Take certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet (for example, Apple Cash or Savings transfers)
- Use your iPhone to set up a new device (for example, Quick Start)
You can still use your iPhone passcode for purchases with Apple Pay.
Security Delay
With Stolen Device Protection, you may also be required to wait an hour before using your iPhone to make changes to critical security settings or your Apple ID. If your iPhone is not in a familiar location, you must authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID, wait for the security delay to end, then authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID again to update settings such as the following:
- Change your Apple ID password
- Sign out of your Apple ID
- Update Apple ID 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 your iPhone passcode
- Reset All Settings
- Turn off Find My
- Turn off Stolen Device Protection
If you use your iPhone to change your Apple ID password, the location of your devices may not be visible at iCloud.com for a period of time.
Your device may end the security delay early after it detects that you’ve arrived at a familiar location.
If your iPhone is lost or stolen
*Significant Locations is an option within Location Services: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations.