Met and Apple share stolen‑iPhone data to curb resale

The Metropolitan Police and Apple have agreed to share identifiers for reported stolen iPhones and to strengthen device protections in the latest iOS release. Apple’s Stolen Device Protection in iOS 26.4 requires biometric authentication, not just a passcode, for major security changes and factory resets.

Under the arrangement, the Met provides Apple with lists of device identifiers for phones reported stolen. Apple monitors whether those devices later try to reconnect to mobile networks or to be reactivated and can report those reconnection or reactivation events back to police. The change in iOS 26.4 prevents someone who has a passcode or an unlocked phone from wiping and reconfiguring an iPhone without biometric verification such as Face ID or Touch ID.

Police and Apple say the data exchange gives investigators better visibility on the fate of reported stolen devices, including whether phones are being switched on locally, exported overseas or dismantled for parts. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described Apple as having “cracked” the engineering problem. The Met reports an 18% year‑on‑year fall in phone thefts across London since the partnership began, with a 45.8% drop in Westminster. London has been cited as seeing about 200 device thefts a day. Separately, around 1.4 million mobile phones were stolen in the United States in 2023.

The Met has written to the Home Secretary seeking legislation that would require all phone manufacturers and mobile operators to share information about stolen devices and to adopt measures that render stolen handsets unusable. The force has noted that other manufacturers, including Samsung and Google, are also rolling out stronger security features.

Officials say the shared information is limited to device identifiers and high‑level reconnection or reactivation events. Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about potential over‑collection and the need for clear limits on who can access the data. There is also a risk that a device could be wrongly flagged as stolen; without transparent appeal and correction processes, an incorrectly reported phone could be blocked and unusable for its rightful owner. Repair shops, refurbishers and recycling schemes may face additional challenges when anti‑theft protections prevent diagnostics or restoration.

Police advisers recommend that users set a strong passcode, enable biometric security and device‑tracking features such as Find My, and that buyers of secondhand phones verify a device has been fully reset and complete initial setup in the seller’s presence to confirm it is not locked to another account or listed as stolen.