ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — Apple is adding a much-need security feature that is key for protecting your iPhone and Apple account if your phone is ever stolen.

It will prevent someone from changing your Face ID and passcode and locking you out of your phone forever.

The new security feature is called “stolen device protection”. Turned on, any changes made to the passcode, face ID, or recovery password must be done at a known location such as your home or work address. You can’t do it in a bar or on the street.

You can also set up a “Recovery Key” to help get your data back in the event the phone is stolen. It’s a 28-character key that you will have to know. If you turn this on, Apple suggests writing down the key and storing it somewhere so you’ll never lose it. You should keep a copy in two places. That key will allow you to regain your Cloud data from another device.

These new security features will be in iOS 17.3 which isn’t available to the public yet. It is currently in developer testing and should be made public sometime in the next several months.

Then, you’ll have a beefed-up method available for protecting your iPhone.

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