Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET's key takeaways
Lockdown Mode drastically limits iPhone features to stop targeted attacks.
It is extreme, reversible, and meant for high-risk users, not everyone.
Enabling it can even block law enforcement's forensic tools after a seizure.
The iPhone has a little-known but extreme security feature called Lockdown Mode, and most people will never need it. It's in the news this week after the FBI reportedly seized a journalist's phone but could not access it because Lockdown Mode was enabled.
Introduced with iOS 16 about four years ago, Lockdown Mode is available to anyone, but it is really meant for people facing serious, targeted threats, such as reporters, politicians, and activists. It does exactly what the name suggests: it locks down your iPhone by aggressively shutting off features and reducing the ways attackers, or even law enforcement, can try to access it.
Also: 14 secret codes that unlock features on your Android and iPhone
When enabled, Lockdown Mode blocks most message attachments and link previews, restricts advanced web technologies, limits incoming FaceTime calls, and disables features like SharePlay, Game Center, and certain Apple service invitations. It also removes shared photo albums, strips location data from shared images, requires devices to be unlocked before connecting to accessories or computers, blocks nonsecure Wi-Fi networks, and prevents device management profiles from being installed.
... continue reading