staff@slashgear.com (Nathan P. Gibson)
2024-04-18 07:30:00
www.slashgear.com
Lockdown Mode is not something many people need to enable or worry about. That’s because it protects against rare forms of cyber attacks that specifically target high-value individuals such as politicians and journalists. “Lockdown Mode is an optional, extreme protection that’s designed for the very few individuals who, because of who they are or what they do, might be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats,” explains Apple. “Most people are never targeted by attacks of this nature.”
First introduced in iOS 16, Lockdown Mode puts your device into a special state that makes it harder to access illegally. Apple does this by limiting the abilities and features of the device, stopping certain functions and preventing apps from working as intended to “reduce the attack surface that potentially could be exploited.” The setting can be turned on by heading to the settings, going to the Privacy & Security tab, and toggling Lockdown Mode. Once activated, it will also automatically switch other devices, like your Apple Watch, to Lockdown Mode as well.
In Lockdown Mode, the phone can’t be connected to other devices without being unlocked and attachments from messages or emails will be blocked. Elements of websites that could be harmful, including video and audio components, may be blocked from loading. Location data is also stripped from content you send and the device won’t try to connect to open networks or allow incoming calls from unknown numbers.