Recovering your lost iPhone may get a lot easier soon, based on a patent Apple was recently awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The new patent describes a method for determining an iPhone’s location after shutdown that would make Find My iPhone work even if a thief turns your device off.
[contextly_auto_sidebar] Find My iPhone currently shows all of your devices’ location on a map, but you have to enable the feature before you lose your iPhone. Thieves can circumvent the security feature simply turning the iPhone off and removing the SIM. Apple appears to have solved that problem.
No power, no problem
In patent number US20160323703 filed on May 6, 2016, Apple reveals how it could add a feature on iPhones that “periodically exits an unpowered state and transmits location data.”
To make it possible, Apple would use a timer to periodically power up a portion of the device from an unpowered state. Location service modules would then determine the location and then transmit it over one or more channels.
Email or text would be used to send codes, pictures, voice input or patterns to help users track down the device. It’s unclear if the feature would work on WiFi-only iPads and MacBooks too. Both devices couldn’t be able to send location data unless they connected to a known network.
Of course, just because Apple has a patent doesn’t mean this feature is destined to come to iPads and iPhones. But considering how much pride Apple puts in security, we hope it comes with the iPhone 8.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
10 responses to “Find My iPhone might soon work when your device is dead”
Apple’s use of the term “exits an unpowered state” clearly means it can power on, so it can’t really be “dead.” So this headline is completely wrong?
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The phone doesn’t shut down when it’s completely out of power, only when it doesn’t have enough power to power everything; screen, antennas, speakers – the works. There’s still enough power to show you that graphic that tells you to plug in your phone. They could use that to power up the antennas and GPS long enough to get a location.
I always wondered why Apple didn’t require a PIN to power down so crooks couldn’t turn your iPhone off.
And remove the Airplane Mode button from the Control Center on the lock screen.
Maybe a buzzsaw can pop out of it like R2-D2 so it can cut itself out of a Faraday bag.
Yeah, this would never, ever be abused by our government.
I can’t think of a reason why the government would be looking for someone’s phone that I wouldn’t want them to find it. Curious what your concerns are.
So booting to DFU mode and reflash the firmware would not work?
Or do a reflow and replace the storage chip and perhaps the chip that stores the identification private key to make it a new device?
Operating system & hardware changes are usually prompted by the independent app developers. Which apps have this already?