Apple quietly introduced code into iOS 18.1 which reboots the device if it has not been unlocked for a period of time, reverting it to a state which improves the security of iPhones overall and is making it harder for police to break into the devices, according to multiple iPhone security experts.
On Thursday, 404 Media reported that law enforcement officials were freaking out that iPhones which had been stored for examination were mysteriously rebooting themselves. At the time the cause was unclear, with the officials only able to speculate why they were being locked out of the devices. Now a day later, the potential reason why is coming into view.
“Apple indeed added a feature called ‘inactivity reboot’ in iOS 18.1.,” Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen, a research group leader at the Hasso Plattner Institute, tweeted after 404 Media published on Thursday along with screenshots that they presented as the relevant pieces of code.
I understand how “propaganda” works and ultimately realize that Apple included such a feature for good publicity so the normal people of the world who don’t know what a Mulvad or a Tails is, but are still privacy concerned, would go out and shill 1,000$+ for their phones-- I get it. I ain’t saying you don’t have to be distrustful.
I still think it’s a bit silly to look for problems in what is ultimately a good thing, anyways. I didn’t forget about Apple’s letter-of-the-law following of the DMA, I didn’t forget about Apple suing Samsung for “rectangle with button”, I didn’t even forget about Apple reversing course on scanning everyone’s iCloud photos for CSAM-- that last part which was genuinely privacy concerning. I’m still gonna go out of my way to say “i like this” so Apple and other companies continue to at the very least virtue signal for protecting their consumers against an over-reaching & often times distrustful law enforcement.