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Highlights With iOS 18, Apple extends the Activation Lock feature to individual iPhone components. It will be difficult for thieves to sell parts from stolen iPhones. The new feature links major replaceable components to the user’s Apple account. Your Apple Account will now be linked to the iPhone's internal components. (Image credit - 9to5Mac) Newly updated iPhones will be theft-proof. Yes, you read that right - theft-proof. Apple with iOS 18 is extending the Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts. The new feature is part of Apple’s plan to put an end to the fraudulent practice of selling parts from stolen iPhones. The Activation Lock feature was introduced in 2013 and locks the phone to the original owner’s Apple ID and password. This made the life of thieves difficult as even when they wiped data and reset the stolen iPhone, with an active Activation Lock they couldn’t use the phone. However, Since the Activation Lock feature, most stolen phones are now sold on the grey market for components. Now, when the Cupertino giant has made a clever change to the feature to make even selling components difficult. New Activation Lock Feature in iOS 18 This new feature will link the major replaceable components of iPhones to the user’s Apple account and Activation Lock once activated will lock the components. This means these components will be locked to the Apple account and will ask for the linked Apple Account to verify when installed on another iPhone. This small new feature now practically makes it impossible for thieves to use the stolen iPhone or even its replaceable components. The feature has been noted by Beta Profiles on Threads. Beta Profiles revealed that this Activation Lock feature was enabled in the iOS 18 Release Candidate version. This was introduced to public beta testers and developers earlier this week. Experts believe thieves while selling different parts of sloten iPhones now would not be able to profit off these components. These stolen components are usually sold to repair shops but now with the new Activation Lock notification, repair shops will be hesitant to use these parts. Replaceable parts such as Battery, Display, Camera, etc., in iPhone 12 and later can now be linked to your Apple Account. (Image Credit - Beta Profiles on Threads) Beta Profile also share screenshots of the notifications users would get while trying to use iPhone components locked to someone’s Apple Account. The iPhone will basically inform you if the part you replaced actually comes from an iPhone with Activation Lock enabled. If yes, this would be a clear signal that the part you replaced comes from a stolen iPhone. iOS 18 also allow the original user to unlock that part but it won’t be possible with the owner’s password. Apple announced the changes in repair policy along with extending the Activation lock to components back in April. Here’s what Apple said at that time, “Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts. Requested by customers and law enforcement officials, the feature was designed to limit iPhone theft by blocking a lost or stolen iPhone from being reactivated. If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.” Once iOS 18 is installed, the parts Activation Lock feature will work on iPhone 12 or later. Is It Possible to Bypass the New Activation Lock Feature? As BetaProfiles noted on Threads, when the Activation Lock notification for parts pops up, users can simply hit the Cancel button and still use the phone. However, the iPhone will notify the use of an “Unknown Part” in the Settings app. This could impact future service at Apple Store. And even pose issues when you try to resell the iPhone in future. First Ultra Wideband Smart Lock Won’t Support iOS 18’s Hands-Free Unlock In other news, those Apple users looking forward to another hand-free locking feature have met with disappointment. Apple earlier announced a new iOS 18 feature for the Home app that would provide support for hands-free unlocking with an ultra-wideband lock. While the first UWB smart lock has finally been announced, it was noticed that it won’t support the new Apple feature to fans’ disappointment. U-tec announced the Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB+NFC as the first smart lock with UWB support. However, the iPhone doesn’t seem to be lucky enough to get this feature. Although iOS 18 and watchOS 11 introduced UWB smart lock support, U-tec's new lock feature will not support Apple’s tech. This will only be available for Android users at the moment. The company’s press release reveals, “Apple has officially announced that the interface will be opened later.” iOS 18 will be released to the public on Monday, September 16. It needs an iPhone XR or the later models. FAQs What is the new feature in iOS 18 related to iPhone parts? iOS 18 extends the Activation Lock feature to individual iPhone components, making it difficult for thieves to sell parts from stolen iPhones. How does the new Activation Lock feature work for iPhone parts? The feature links major replaceable components to the user’s Apple account, requiring verification when installed on another iPhone, thus preventing unauthorized use. What impact will the new Activation Lock feature have on iPhone theft? It aims to deter iPhone theft and the sale of stolen parts, as repair shops will be hesitant to use components flagged by the Activation Lock. Can the new Activation Lock feature for parts be bypassed? Users can hit the Cancel button to use the phone, but the iPhone will notify the use of an “Unknown Part” in the Settings app, which could impact future service and resale. What was Apple’s First theft reduction feature ? Apple’s first major theft-reduction feature was Find My. If someone stole your device, and you had access to either another Apple product or simply the web, you could track its location. Thieves of course learned that switching it off would stop tracking, but Apple fixed that back in 2021. With iOS 15, your iPhone is still traceable through the Find My network even when the device is powered off. With iOS 15, the phone is not really fully ‘powered off’, it stays in a low-power state and acts like an AirTag, allowing any nearby iOS device to pick up the Bluetooth signal and send back its location. If iPhone runs out of battery during the day, you still have can find its location for few hours . Apple says the location tracking will even keep working whilst the phone is reset to factory settings with Activation Lock enabled. This feature is standard on the iPhone 11 and later. What kind of thief’s are seen stealing iPhones ? A thief thinking of stealing an iPhone knows that their location can be tracked; that they won’t be able to sell it as working phone; and it will now be worth a lot less as parts. Many phone thefts are committed by drug addicts looking to get money for little money . Can Activation Locks be wiped out ? Apple has introduced the ability to remove Activation Locks from Macs when wiping them, rather than when setting them up as new. The feature is coming to Apple Business Manager, so enterprise customers will be able to remove Activation Lock from entire batches of managed devices when preparing them for sale. It is ensures that this also covers Activation Lock for parts. This is good step towards making iPhones almost theft-proof. Also Read: Apple Intelligence: AI-Powered Enhancements Boost Company Stock to Record High Also Read: Apple to Integrate OpenAI Technology in iOS 18: Enhancing AI Features

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