On Thursday 404 Media reported that police were freaking out about mysteriously rebooting iPhones. Now multiple experts have found that Apple introduced code that reboots locked phones after a period of time.

Apple quietly introduced code into iOS 18.1 which reboots the device if it has not been unlocked for a period of time, reverting it to a state which improves the security of iPhones overall and is making it harder for police to break into the devices, according to multiple iPhone security experts.

On Thursday, 404 Media reported that law enforcement officials were freaking out that iPhones which had been stored for examination were mysteriously rebooting themselves. At the time the cause was unclear, with the officials only able to speculate why they were being locked out of the devices. Now a day later, the potential reason why is coming into view.

“Apple indeed added a feature called ‘inactivity reboot’ in iOS 18.1.,” Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen, a research group leader at the Hasso Plattner Institute, tweeted after 404 Media published on Thursday along with screenshots that they presented as the relevant pieces of code.

  • @PriorityMotifEnglish
    2•11 days ago

    Some people’s job is to improve security by finding flaws.

    • @[email protected]English
      1•11 days ago

      When they say they’re part of the intelligence community, it seems highly likely that they are spying on their own citizens, or at least that’s what their job entails.

      • Echo DotEnglish
        1•11 days ago

        I assume being blown up by a terrorist is not everyone’s idea of a good time. Oh indeed anyones.

        • @[email protected]English
          0•11 days ago

          We have laws that prevent such things. We don’t need mass surveillance, just traditional LE

          • Echo DotEnglish
            1•9 days ago

            You’re right, we can make terrorism a crime. That will stop them.