The 'Inactivity Reboot' feature on Apple's iPhone may affect law enforcement and thieves.

 

The iOS 18.1 update, which was sent to consumers on October 28, brought a new security feature from Apple that may cause problems for both law enforcement and thieves. 

A story claims that US police officers saw that some iPhone models kept for forensic analysis were restarting themselves, making it far more challenging to get beyond the device's protection. 

The reboots were caused by a new feature in iOS 18, according to a security researcher.

The iPhone's 'Inactivity Reboot' feature is introduced in iOS 18.1.

 

Detroit police authorities found that certain iPhone units that were being stored and awaiting forensic analysis were restarting, which made it more difficult to unlock those devices using techniques meant to obtain access to confiscated devices.

A Michigan police document that implied Apple had implemented a function that enabled an iPhone to "communicate" with other devices by giving them a signal to reboot was also cited by the website. But once a vulnerability researcher examined the iOS 18.2 code, this notion was disproved.

What the 'Inactivity Reboot' feature on Apple Does for Law Enforcement and Thieves

Apple uses two states for encrypting user data on smartphones: Before First Unlock (BFU) and After First Unlock (AFU). BFU is when an iPhone is restarted and only receives calls, providing heightened security. 

This mode is lowered when the user unlocks the device and uses Face ID or Touch ID. AFU mode remains until another reboot, allowing law enforcement or thieves to use specific tools to unlock the device. 

However, BFU state makes it harder for these tools to access the device using brute force techniques.