The next version of iOS will make stealing an iPhone more difficult

The next version of the iOS operating system is now available in a trial version for developers and those who have already installed it have discovered that it comes with anew feature that until now had not been mentioned and designed to make it more difficult to steal iPhones.

The new security option, called "Stolen Device Protection," adds an extra layer of security that prevents a thief from accessing some of the user's personal information even if they know the unlock code of the phone they stole.

With today's security measures, the phone's unlock code allows you to access your stored passwords and change your iCloud account password. This has led to an increase in cases of device theft with a very specific technique: thieves observe the user enter their unlock code in situations where biometric identification is not optimal and then take over the device, immediately changing the iCloud password to deactivate the function that would allow the device to be locked remotely and located using GPS.

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal in February of this year warned of this technique, which as a result leaves victims without access to their photos and personal data, as they lose access to the iCloud account. Thieves often work in pairs. You convince the victim to lend you the phone with the excuse of putting in their phone number or giving their details. The other, at a certain distance, tries to see the code that is typed on the screen.

With the new system activated (it's something that must be done manually, by default iPhones will continue to work as usual), the unlock code loses access to many of the current security features, such as checking passwords stored in the iCloud password manager, using credit cards stored in the Safari browser, or erasing the device. To be able to do these things, it will be necessary to use a biometric identifier, either facial recognition or fingerprint recognition, depending on the iPhone model.

Other functions will require even greater control, forcing you to pass two biometric security checks separated by one hour and in a location designated as secure (your usual home or work, for example). This is what will happen, for example, with changing an iCloud password, removing facial or fingerprint recognition, or changing the phone number associated with the account.

3D VIDEOS

While this iOS version 17.3 arrives with the new change, the latest version of the iOS operating system (version 17.2, released this week) has given iPhones new abilities as well. Most importantly, the ability to record three-dimensional videos for viewing on future Apple Vision Pros, which will go on sale early next year.

Photo courtesy of Apple showing a woman wearing a virtual reality headset to watch a space video in Apple Vision Pro.

The feature is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models and makes use of both the camera's main and wide-angle lens to achieve the stereoscopic effect needed to be able to reproduce the scene with a sense of depth.

While Apple Vision Pro can play conventional videos on a virtual screen, it can also play three-dimensional videos with a sense of depth. The glasses themselves can record these videos but require the user to wear them during recording. The iPhone, in that sense, is a somewhat more discreet alternative.

Spatial videos on iPhone are recorded in 1080p resolution and at up to 30 frames per second. They do this in standard dynamic range, not HDR, and need more light than conventional videos due to the smaller aperture of the wide-angle camera. One minute of footage requires approximately 130 mb of storage on the phone.

While there are other cameras on the market capable of recording 3D video, Apple hasn't specified whether these videos will be compatible with Apple Vision Pro. Videos captured with the new feature, in any case, have the same format as regular ones and can be viewed in two dimensions on any conventional device.

To activate the feature, you need to go to the camera's Preferences menu and select it from the Formats option. From that point on, when you record a video with your iPhone, an icon will appear indicating that the option to record video for the Vision pro is available. The company recommends that subjects be approximately one and a half meters away from the target to appreciate the effect.

3D video recording isn't the only new feature in the new version of iOS. Apple has also integrated a new app, Diary, which helps you reflect on what happened during the day and write about everyday and special moments, including photos, videos, audio recordings or locations. The phone makes use of machine learning tools to suggest special moments, photos and locations, simplifying the selection of material. The app is available for all iPhones with iOS 17 support.