By Julie Clover
In iOS 18, Apple introduced a feature that forces the iPhone to reboot every three days, security researchers have confirmed (via TechCrunch). In a demo video, security researcher Jiska Klassen showed that an iPhone left unattended for 72 hours will automatically reboot, and the manufacturer Graykey, as well as Magnet Forensics, wrote a blog post about the feature.
Once rebooted, the iPhone is harder to hack with forensic tools used by law enforcement and others, such as criminals. There are multiple unlocked states for the iPhone, and an iPhone that is showing a passcode screen but has previously been unlocked with Face ID/Touch ID is the easiest to hack.
An iPhone that has recently been rebooted is in the “Until First Unlock” state, and this is the most secure state for the iPhone because all data is encrypted. A reboot will be initiated if the device is in a locked state (for example, it was unlocked with Face ID or Touch ID but is now at the passcode screen) and has not been unlocked for 72 hours.
The 7-day inactivity reboot feature was originally introduced in iOS 18, but with the launch of iOS 18.1, this period has been reduced to three days. iPhone in 'First Unlocked' state prompts for Face ID/Touch ID after iPhone restarts. iPhone in 'First Unlocked' state simply says 'Enter Passcode'.
Apple hasn't provided details about the inactivity reboot and has kept quiet about adding the feature. It was discovered when law enforcement noticed iPhones randomly rebooting after running iOS 18. Last week, 404 Media shared a letter from officers in Detroit, Michigan warning other law enforcement agencies about the new restriction. While police speculated that the reboot might be related to cellular connectivity, iPhones will reboot regardless of connectivity.
There has also been speculation that the iPhone running iOS 18.1 may cause other iPhones to reboot, but this does not appear to be the case.
Law enforcement can still use brute-force tools to jailbreak an iPhone running iOS 18 or later, but the jailbreak must now be completed before the iPhone reboots.
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