In iOS 18, Apple has rolled out a brand-new a security feature that makes an iPhone to reboot automatically after three days of inactivity, as recently confirmed by security researchers.
Notably, a demo by security researcher Jiska Classen highlighted that an iPhone left untouched for 72 hours will initiate a restart – on its own. Furthermore, in a related blog post, GrayKey developer Magnet Forensics also pin pointed all the the ramifications of this new iOS 18 security feature.
To be more precise, this reboot measure is designed to double-down the device’s security. Note that when an iPhone restarts, it gets into a “Before First Unlock” state, where all the data is fully encrypted – for an extra layer of shield.
As a result, it makes the iPhone significantly harder to break into using forensic tools, which is commonly used by law enforcement and other parties, including potential bad actors. It’s worth noting that an iPhone that has been unlocked via Face ID or Touch ID and then locked again is more accessible for such tools but a recently restarted iPhone is deemed to be more secure.
As per several reports, Apple had set this inactivity reboot feature for seven days in the early iOS 18 release. However, the iOS 18.1 trimmed down the timeframe to three days in order to bolster the security aspect.
When an iPhone is in the “Before First Unlock” state, it shows a prompt requiring Face ID or Touch ID after a restart. But, if the device has been previously unlocked, it only asks for the passcode for the authentication.
Interestingly, Apple has not yet publicly commented on this new feature, which came into the limelight incidentally when law enforcement officers noticed unexpected reboots in iPhones after the iOS 18 launch.
In a report last week, officials in Detroit, Michigan, informed other agencies about the iOS 18 inactivity reboot feature. Although, initially, they thought that the automatic reboots might be some way or the other related to network connectivity. However, after a thorough inspection, it was later confirmed that the reboot takes place even without a network connection.
Several rumors came all guns blazing ssuggesting that an iPhone running iOS 18.1 could invoke reboots in nearby iPhones. But before those rumors could get enough traction, they were dismissed as untrue.
Before wrapping up the store, you should know that the law enforcement can still use brute-force tools to attempt unlocking iPhones powered by iOS 18 or later. However, unlike before, the timing has now become more critical, as access attempts must be done before the device reboots.
