The iPhone is one of the safest smartphones around. A new feature makes it even more secure, causing frustration among forensic investigators.
Apple released iOS 18.1 last month, and this update makes it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations on an iPhone. The smartphone reboots faster, providing additional security.
That reboot makes it more difficult for investigators to use forensic tools. As a result, it takes longer to gather information.
Why iOS 18 makes iPhone frustrating for security agencies
iOS 18.1 includes a new feature that better protects your iPhone. If the iPhone is inactive for four days, it automatically reboots. With such a restart, more processes are closed, making the smartphone more secure.
This feature was discovered by security expert Christopher Vance, who shared with 404media. “We found an inactivity timer in the code of iOS 18 and above. This makes the iPhone restart after a certain amount of time.”
(Image: Sebastiën Hoek/WANT)
This reboot is important. Normally, this happens only when the battery is dead or when you manually turn off the iPhone. Restarting activates additional security.
You may have noticed this yourself: for example, when your iPhone reboots, Face ID doesn’t work right away, and you have to enter a code first. This startup process takes a little longer, partly because of the additional unlocking.
Easier data retrieval
When an iPhone is in fully unlocked state, it is easier to decrypt data. Functions such as the control panel and camera then remain accessible, making it easier to retrieve stored data such as messages, images, videos and Web-browsing data.
Therefore, if privacy is important to you, it may be a good idea to turn off your iPhone completely on a regular basis, especially when you are not using it. That way, your data will be better protected.
Of course, the chances of having to hide your data from the police are not very high, but perhaps it could also fall into the hands of hackers. Probably that danger comes more from the online corner like WhatsApp on which you try to access them. Still, you can protect yourself well on that too, if only through the features of apps themselves. For example, you can read more about a new security feature of WhatsApp here.
