Apple is developing a new security system that can automatically lock the device of iPhone users if their phones are snatched from their hands. The feature, which has not yet been officially announced by the company, has come to the fore again thanks to new code references in iOS 27.2 beta 2.
9to5Mac has noticed that Apple is working on a system internally called "AutoLock." The system will decide whether to automatically lock the device by evaluating multiple signals that might suggest the iPhone has been taken from the user.
How to know if iPhone is stolen?
The system is expected to evaluate multiple indicators together rather than relying on data from a single sensor. According to the codes revealed in iOS 27.2 beta 2, the following are among the signals that the system can take into account: a sudden and violent acceleration that may occur during a phone grab, a paired Apple Watch remaining inaccessible for a period of time, the connection between iPhone and Apple Watch being lost, the device losing network connection for an extended period of time, or the iPhone remaining unlocked for a period of time.
Apple Watch connectivity, in particular, can help the system understand the user's physical distance from their phone. For example, when the iPhone is suddenly removed from the user's hand, the disconnection between the phone and the Apple Watch on the user's wrist can be considered as a signal that increases the possibility of theft.
How to avoid accidental locking?
One of the most striking aspects of the system Apple is working on is that it will use multiple security mechanisms to prevent false signals. Code in iOS 27.2 beta 2 shows that AutoLock may work through some sort of voting system. Accordingly, while signals indicating the possibility of theft may request automatic locking, successful biometric verification such as Face ID or the presence of the device in a familiar location can prevent this process.
It appears that certain user activities in some apps can also prevent automatic locking. This aims to prevent unnecessary locking of the device, for example, if the user physically moves the phone, the network connection is temporarily interrupted, or another normal usage scenario is perceived as theft.
Apple is also working on a standby mechanism that could temporarily disable the system after repeated auto-lock events. This mechanism is intended to prevent false detections from constantly causing the device to crash.
Location information can also play an important role in AutoLock's operating logic. The codes contain references to a security mechanism that takes into account whether the iPhone is in a familiar location.
This approach is similar to Apple's existing Stolen Device Protection system. The current system imposes additional biometric authentication and security delays for some critical operations if the iPhone is located in an unfamiliar location, such as a home or workplace. On the contrary, AutoLock focuses directly on the moment when the phone is physically removed from the user.
Although new codes indicating that Apple is working on AutoLock are available in iOS 27.2 beta 2, the feature is not currently available to users. Apple has enabled some components of the AutoLock service in the background. However, it is stated that the section that will actually automatically lock the iPhone has been disabled.
This indicates that Apple may be testing the system without accidentally locking the devices of real users. Although the codes revealed in iOS 27.2 beta 2 show that the development process of the feature continues, it does not confirm that AutoLock will be available in the final version of iOS.
It is not yet known when Apple will make the feature available or what working principles it will use in the final version.
