Law enforcement may have found a way to access data on locked iPhones, Engadget reports. 404 Media claims it has seen a training video that shows Magnet Forensics tools accessing iPhone data usually made unavailable by the inactivity reboot feature.
The iPhone inactivity reboot feature
Alleged screenshot from the Magnet Forensics promotional video. | Image by 404 Media
Back in 2024, Apple began rolling out a new security feature to iPhone models. The inactivity reboot feature automatically restarts the device if it hasn't been unlocked for more than 72 hours.
What does this mean? Say the police get your phone and want to fiddle with it. They have 72 hours from the last unlock to do so before the iPhone goes into a much more secure state.
The inactivity reboot feature temporarily disables biometrics, encrypts the data on the phone, and switches the device into a much more secure Before First Unlock (BFU) state.
Magnet Forensics has reportedly cracked the iPhone inactivity reboot feature
Magnet Forensics has cracked the iPhone security. | Image by Waterloo EDC
Magnet Forensics makes a tool called GrayKey. The company sells it to police, and its primary function is to unlock smartphones. According to 404 Media, a recent training video shows a new version of the GrayKey Preserve tool and Evidence Preservation Mode that bypasses the inactivity reboot feature on the iPhone.
"This is an absolute game changer for iOS forensics and a function that I wish we had years ago," a Magnet employee reportedly says in the video.
Recommended For You
Are you worried that your data is no longer safe from law enforcement?
22 Votes
GrayKey puts the iPhone into the AFU (After First Unlock) state
GrayKey can unlock your iPhone even if it's in a inactivity reboot state. | Image by Arina AG
The exact workaround is not clear, but our colleagues at 404 Media suspect that Magnet Forensics was able to revert locked iPhones from the aforementioned Before First Unlock (BFU) state to the much less restrictive AFU (After First Unlock) state.
More data can be accessed in the latter state and all biometrics work, meaning police can hold the phone up to your face to unlock it, or force data out through other means since it isn't re-encrypted.
Apparently, the updated GrayKey tool preserves the AFU state. A Magnet employee is quoted by 404 Media saying in the training video: "Even if that device does reboot for any number of reasons, memory maintenance, or the power is lost or whatever, the AFU state is not lost."
Should you be worried?
No, unless you're a criminal. Even though the simple fact that police can get your data if they want to is unnerving, chances are you're gonna be fine if you stay out of trouble.
Nevertheless, it's a worrying development in a climate where government agencies step over people's privacy and misuse surveillance tech on a regular basis.
Are you worried that your data is no longer safe from law enforcement?
Read more news about privacy and security issues here:
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: