From CNET: Apple has a new security feature coming that's designed to keep your iPhone safer from thieves. Stolen Device Protection, as the setting is called, requires Face ID or Touch ID authentication, but to keep your most sensitive iCloud settings secure, it requires you to scan your face or enter a fingerprint a second time an hour later.
It's an optional feature that Apple nonetheless recommends everyone turn on when it arrives in the next full version of the iPhone's operating system. It's available now in the just-released developer beta of iOS 17.3, and it's the latest feature Apple has added to help iPhone users protect their data and devices.
The feature uses a new mechanism called a Security Delay to make it harder for thieves and opportunists to access your most sensitive settings on iPhones, yet it's designed not to obstruct everyday use -- a tricky tightrope to walk. Once turned on, the feature requires users to enter their biometric info (facial scan or fingerprint) once and then again after an hour -- and no, you can't bypass it using a passcode.
Only a handful of settings will be locked under Stolen Device Protection, including changing your Apple ID password, updating your Apple ID account security settings (like adding or changing recovery contacts), changing your iPhone passcode, turning off Find My, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID and turning off Stolen Device Protection itself.
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