iPhone's new 'lock', stolen parts can't be sold
September 21, 20245 Mins Read

Science and Technology Desk: Phone theft is no longer just a device theft. Sensitive information such as credit card passwords may be stored with the phone. Access to your e-mail, social media, and other important sites can go to a complete stranger. And if a hacker gets this information and access, then there is no end to the danger.

iPhone

Activation Lock
To ensure the safety and security of personal information, Apple introduced the 'Activation Lock' feature to the iPhone in 2013 through the iOS 7 operating system. Later, this feature was gradually added to iPad, Apple Watch and Mac devices (with Apple Silicon series chip or T2 security chip).

Activation Lock is part of the Find My system on Apple devices. Using this feature it is possible to 'lock' a stolen iPhone from the iCloud system. The phone will be reactivated only when its original owner 'unlocks' the device with a valid ID and password. As a result, the stolen iPhone will become virtually useless. Note that if the 'Find My' system is active (turned on) on an Apple device, the user has to go through the 'Activation Lock' process every time to use the device.

The 'Activation Lock' feature can prevent unwanted access to the iPhone, but the stolen iPhone's display screen, sensor, ribbon, battery and various parts or components can be sold separately. As a result, various parts of the stolen iPhone are often bought and sold in the repair market or the black market. To solve this problem, Apple has brought a new type of activation lock. If Apple's claims about this feature are true, then the rate of iPhone theft will not only decrease, but almost stop.

Apple's iOS 18-based new activation lock
Apple released the full version (final version) of iOS 18 on September 16 (Monday). The new Activation Lock feature has been added to this updated version of the iOS operating system. What is its specialty, let's find out.

As a new security feature of iOS 18, 'Activation Lock' is now added to various parts or components of the iPhone. That is, important parts like display, battery, camera are now linked to the Apple ID of the owner or user of the phone. As a result, it will be almost impossible to make a profit by selling the various parts of the stolen iPhone. The objective is to discourage the purchase and sale of stolen iPhone components on the black market and encourage users to repair iPhones through authorized channels.

Apple is constantly trying to prevent the resale of stolen phone parts, including increasing the security of the iPhone. This improved version of Activision Lock is part of the company's long-term commitment to this end. This iOS-based security feature sets a new paradigm in the industry in protecting devices.

That is, the 'Activation Lock' feature that was once only able to prevent unwanted and unauthorized access to the device has now extended its protection to various hardware components of the iPhone. As a result, parts like the display, camera and battery of the stolen iPhone can no longer be resold or sold in the black market so easily.

How the new 'Activation Lock' linked components work
: Key parts of the iPhone are now digitally linked to the user's Apple ID during manufacturing.

Calibration Check: During a repair, the iPhone will automatically verify that the replaced component matches the original user's Apple ID. That is, by changing whether the ID of the part being installed on the iPhone matches the Apple ID of the iPhone's original owner.
Limited device functionality: Part ID not matching device ID means the replaced part is part of another iPhone, which may have been stolen. In this case, all work cannot be done using the said part or component. That is, it will be possible to do some limited work with it.

Impact on iPhone theft prevention and repair shops
Stolen parts will become virtually worthless: The limited functionality of stolen iPhone parts will make it extremely difficult for thieves to make a profit by selling them.
Users will be encouraged to repair through authorized channels: The new Activation Lock will encourage users to repair devices through authorized channels. Because authorized channels can verify whether the part belongs to a stolen device.
Will deter theft: Thieves will be discouraged from stealing iPhones as it will become more difficult to make a profit from stealing iPhones.

Some potential challenges of the new Activation Lock feature
Third-party repair: Third-party repair shops will face problems in finding and verifying valid parts.
User Disadvantages: In case of repairs, the user faces problems if he does not have proof of ownership of a part or component to be replaced.

iPhone models that can use this new feature
iPhone 12 and any later models can access this new Activation Lock feature. But the device must have iOS 18 installed. In this new feature, each component's unique serial number will be linked to the iPhone user's Apple account. As a result, parts obtained from stolen iPhones cannot be activated or used by unauthorized users.

Another good aspect of this new feature is that, in case of repair or repair, the user can check whether a new component or parts installed on the iPhone is original. As a result, the risk of using fake and unauthorized parts will also be greatly reduced.

Source: SimplyMac