Apple just rolled out a new security feature in the iOS 18.1 update on October 28, and it’s causing some serious headaches for both thieves and law enforcement. The new feature, called “Inactivity Reboot,” automatically restarts iPhones that have been left locked and untouched for too long. This unexpected reboot makes it way harder to crack into the phone.
Why Are Phones Suddenly Restarting?
Police in Detroit first noticed this when some iPhones, stored as evidence and waiting for examination, kept rebooting on their own. Normally, tools like Cellebrite or GrayKey can be used to break into phones when they’re in “After First Unlock” (AFU) mode. But with these phones rebooting on their own, they keep going back into “Before First Unlock” (BFU) mode—a super-secure state that’s really hard to bypass. BFU mode essentially locks down the phone with a tougher layer of encryption that’s hard for anyone to break through, even with specialized tools.
What’s Really Happening with ‘Inactivity Reboot’?
At first, some thought these restarts might be the result of the iPhone “talking” to other devices, but a security expert, Jiska, explained that’s not the case. This reboot doesn’t rely on any network signals or connections. It’s just a built-in timer that restarts the iPhone after it’s been sitting idle for too long.
How This Affects Security
Apple has a strong focus on user privacy and has introduced many features over the years to protect iPhone users from unauthorized access. This latest addition is another layer of protection. By forcing the phone to restart, it resets the phone to BFU mode, making it difficult for anyone without the passcode to get in. This feature is likely to frustrate thieves and police alike, who won’t be able to easily unlock the device.
Apple has been ramping up privacy and security, like when it added the “USB Restricted Mode” in response to past access attempts. This latest move with “Inactivity Reboot” reinforces Apple’s commitment to user privacy, making it clear that Apple is prioritizing the security of your data.
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