Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
iPhone Guide Urges 4 Security Settings, Adds 3 Advanced Protections for High-Risk Users
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5

iPhone Guide Urges 4 Security Settings, Adds 3 Advanced Protections for High-Risk Users

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5

Summary

  • Four core iPhone protections top the guide: turn on two-factor authentication, verify Find My, hide full-text notification previews, and enable Stolen Device Protection.
  • A 30-second auto-lock, a device passcode, regular iCloud backups, and current iOS updates are presented as the baseline because they limit theft damage and patch known vulnerabilities.
  • Find My can locate, lock, message, or erase a missing phone, while Stolen Device Protection adds Face ID or Touch ID checks and a 1-hour delay before critical settings can be changed.
  • Three advanced options target higher-risk situations: Lockdown Mode against spyware, Advanced Data Protection for end-to-end encrypted backups, and Safety Check for people facing abuse or harassment.
  • The broader message is that layered phone security reduces exposure not only for the owner but also for contacts, conversations, photos, and other shared data.

Insights

If law enforcement can force biometric unlocks, are advanced iPhone security features a false promise of true data privacy?
As hacking tools become common, is user inaction, not Apple's technology, the biggest threat to iPhone security?
Apple is developing an automatic Theft Detection Lock. Could this new defense finally outsmart sophisticated phone thieves?