Apple's iOS 18.1 Update Adds 'Inactivity Reboot' To Lock Down Unused iPhones — Here's How It Protects Your Privacy

Apple Inc. AAPL has introduced an automatic reboot feature for idle iPhones in its latest iOS 18.1 update to bolster device security.

What Happened: The new iOS 18.1 update includes a hidden feature that triggers an automatic reboot of an iPhone that has been idle for a certain period. This “inactivity reboot” is aimed at enhancing security, reported AppleInsider.

The feature, akin to the “hibernation mode” found on Macs, saves the device’s state to disk when put to sleep.

The reboot feature on iPhones is not dependent on charging or network functions, but solely on the duration of inactivity since the last unlock.

See Also: Google Gemini Rolls Out ‘Utilities’ Extension For Android: Here’s What All You Can Do With It

Christopher Vance, a forensic specialist from Magnet Forensics, explained, “We have identified code within iOS 18 and higher that is an inactivity timer. This timer will cause devices in an AFU state to reboot to a BFU state after a set period of time.”

The reboot feature makes it more challenging for unauthorized individuals or entities to access the device using brute force or other methods. It also protects iPhone users from forensic searches by law enforcement or other entities.

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Why It Matters: Earlier, during Apple’s fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook had highlighted that the adoption rate of iOS 18.1 had outpaced its predecessor, iOS 17.1, by two-fold.

The tech giant reported revenue of $94.9 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $94.56 billion. Apple also reported adjusted earnings of $1.64 per share for the quarter, above the forecasted $1.60 per share.

Cupertino has also released the beta version of iOS 18.2, which introduced powerful new AI-driven features.

iOS 18.2 introduces “Image Playground” for generating images from text in Messages, Notes, and Freeform, plus “Genmoji” for creating custom emojis from prompts or images.

Siri now includes ChatGPT without requiring a separate account, and the iPhone 16’s “Visual Intelligence” identifies objects through the camera in real-time.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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