Apple develops iPhone theft prevention feature ‘AutoLock’

Apple is reportedly developing a new security feature called ‘AutoLock’ to combat phone snatching, according to analysis of the iOS 27.2 beta 2 internal code. The feature aims to detect when an iPhone is physically snatched and immediately lock the screen to protect user data.

To determine if a theft is occurring, the system is expected to monitor several signals, including sudden changes in acceleration or irregular movement, loss of connection to a paired Apple Watch, and prolonged loss of network connectivity. The system may also track if the device remains unlocked for an unusual amount of time.

To prevent false positives, such as during sports or accidental drops, the feature likely employs a ‘voting system’ and a ‘veto’ mechanism. The device would avoid locking if biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID) was recently successful, if the user is in a trusted location like home or work, or if specific apps are actively being used. Additionally, a back-off mechanism may temporarily disable the feature if frequent accidental locks occur.