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

Apple Inc. introduced AAPL auto-restart feature for dormant iPhones in the latest iOS 18.1 update to improve device security.

What happened: The new iOS 18.1 update includes a hidden feature that automatically restarts an iPhone that is inactive for a certain period of time. AppleInsider reported that “idle restart” is aimed at improving security.

The feature, similar to Hibernate on Macs, saves the device’s state to disk when it is put to sleep.

The restart feature on iPhones does not depend on charging or network functions, but only on the amount of inactivity since the last unlock.

Christopher Vance, a forensic scientist at Magnet Forensics, explained: “We have identified a code in iOS 18 and above that is an inactivity timer. This timer will restart devices in the AFU state to the BFU state after a specified period of time. »

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

Why it matters: Earlier, during Apple’s fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook noted that the adoption rate of iOS 18.1 was more than double that of its predecessor, iOS 17.1.

The tech giant reported revenue of $94.9 billion, beating analysts’ expectations of $94.56 billion. Apple also reported adjusted earnings of $1.64 per share for the quarter, higher than the $1.60 per share expected.

Cupertino also released the beta version of iOS 18.2, which introduced powerful new features driven by artificial intelligence.

iOS 18.2 introduces “Image Playground” to generate images from text in Messages, Notes, and Freeform, as well as “Genmoji” to create custom emoji from prompts or images.

Siri now includes ChatGPT without requiring a separate account, and the iPhone 16’s “visual intelligence” identifies objects via the camera in real time.