iPhone Automatic Lock Feature: When It Activates and How It Works

Apple is apparently working on a new anti-theft system for iPhones. References to "AutoLock" have been found in the code of the next iOS version. Here's how it's supposed to work.

However, the situation is different in many major cities worldwide. Mobile phone thieves come speeding along on mopeds or e-bikes and snatch unlocked smartphones directly from passersby's hands.

Apple is developing a new iPhone feature to combat these aggressive phone thieves. It's been discussed often, but Apple hasn't released or announced it yet. However, resourceful developers have now found clues to it in the code of iOS 27.2 Beta 2.

This is what's behind AutoLock

Internally, at least, the new anti-theft feature is called "AutoLock," meaning automatic locking. The name says it all: the iPhone will lock automatically under certain circumstances. This is achieved by combining various data sources:

• Strong acceleration, suggesting the smartphone may have been snatched from its owner.
• A normally paired Apple Watch that is unreachable for a certain period.
• Loss of connection to a paired Apple Watch.
• Persistent loss of network connection
• The iPhone remains unlocked for a certain period of time.

The idea should be clear: the iPhone should automatically detect a theft and lock itself so thieves can no longer access it. However, Apple also has to proceed carefully, because iPhones shouldn't be locked en masse just because individual points on the list are met.

Unlocking time could also increase significantly if mobile phone users start jogging. The iPhone might stay unlocked longer, perhaps because the user is on a train and using the phone for a longer stretch than usual. Therefore, it's important to avoid false lock triggers.

The service runs in the background

It's still unclear whether Apple will even release AutoLock with iOS 27.2. The service is reportedly already running in the background in Beta 2, but the feature isn't yet activated.

Apple still needs to fine-tune the feature. The iPhone's AutoLock function shouldn't rely only on evidence suggesting theft. Other actions can prevent AutoLock from being triggered, such as unlocking the iPhone with Face ID or using it in a trusted location.

The Apple device is supposed to weigh the pros and cons of theft using a voting system. However, the discovered code structures do not reveal the exact weighting of these factors.

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