iOS 15.2, released this week, introduces the ability for customers to reset and erase their locked iPhone or iPad without needing to connect to a Mac or Windows PC.
As outlined in a support document (via 9to5Mac), iOS and iPadOS 15.2 add a new "Erase Device" option for when a device is locked out as a result of multiple failed attempts to enter the device's password. By pressing "Erase Device," users are prompted to confirm their identity with their Apple ID password, which results in the device being entirely erased and reset.
The new option is a welcome addition and a departure from the previous method, which required customers to put their iPhone or iPad into DFU mode and restore via Finder on the Mac or iTunes on Windows.
One caveat is that under the new method in iOS 15.2, the device must already have an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection before it is locked out. If not, users cannot connect to a network and will be forced to revert to the prior technique.
iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 include a host of new features, including a new App Privacy Report, the Apple Music Voice Plan, Legacy Contacts, and more. Catch up on all the latest features and additions with our round-up.
So, anyone can reset my iPhone without my consent?
That's been possible for years. Since I've been an iPhone user since 2017.
All one needs to do, put it in DFU mode and connect to a computer with iTunes.
Do a reset & restore iPhone.
It won't remove your activation lock or FindMy on your phone. but your data and Information will be completely erased from the phone (other than activation lock and FindMy)
Very welcome addition, working as tech support I know this new feature helps a lot normal users.
@HQuest Nope, after a force reset with recovery or DFU, iOS ask you your AppleID, but the APpleID is not completely visible. This is just another simple way to reset, but I'm quite sure the AppleID will not displayed entirely. Anyway your ID is protected by password and 2FA btw.
Nice! Now not only stolen devices can be taken for parts, thieves would know some of its previous owner information.
Hope I am not the only one to see a problem in this.
Incorrect.
Let’s just say I’m a technician who deals with customer’s forgotten passcodes on iPhones on a regular basis.
There is literally no difference between this new update and the procedure prior. This just takes out the middle man. (The computer)
Previously, if the iPhone was stolen, it could already be (DFU) resorted and taken apart.
Find My also stays on, so device activation is locked to owner’s Apple ID still.
Does this turn the "Find My iPhone" setting off or is this only to be used for a reset of the current owner (not getting rid of the phone).
Find My is still enabled after (if it was already on). Device will still be locked to Apple ID/owner.
So, anyone can reset my iPhone without my consent?
People already could by putting your iPhone into DFU mode with the computer and restoring it.
I thought iPhones required a password to be reset.
No password required.
This is an extreme big welcome addition to iOS. To be honest, should’ve been here years ago.
Being a tech who deals with this on a constant basis, this is an amazing time saver for people who tend to forget passwords and have to hunt down a computer for the passcode removal.
I’ve even met tons of people in different households who purposely don’t even own a computer.
Thursday January 20, 2022 10:13 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming one week after the launch of the second betas and over a month after the launch of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2.
iOS and iPadOS 15.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been...
Thursday January 20, 2022 3:32 am PST by Sami Fathi
Apple patched two significant security vulnerabilities when it released iOS 15 that could have potentially exposed users' private Apple ID information and in-app search history to malicious third-party apps and allowed apps to override user Privacy preferences, Apple has revealed in a recent support document update.
With most iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS updates, Apple provides a list of...
Wednesday January 12, 2022 10:08 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming three weeks after the launch of the first betas and a month after the launch of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2.
iOS and iPadOS 15.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an...
Wednesday January 19, 2022 9:57 am PST by Juli Clover
Last week, MacRumors shared news that Apple had stopped releasing iOS 14 security updates and was pushing those still on iOS 14 to upgrade to iOS 15, an apparent reversal of a promise to allow users to stay on the iOS 14 operating system.
Apple today told Ars Technica that the option to stay on iOS 14 and avoid the iOS 15 upgrade was always meant to be temporary. It is not a mistake that...
Thursday January 13, 2022 9:26 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today updated its iOS 15 installation numbers for the first time since iOS 15 was released in September, giving us an idea of how many devices are running the latest update four months after it launched.
iOS 15 is installed on 72 percent of all iPhones introduced in the last four years. 26 percent of devices continue to use iOS 14, and two percent run an earlier version of iOS. When...
Friday December 17, 2021 1:16 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming four days after the launch of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2
iOS and iPadOS 15.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or an iPad.
iOS 15.3 leaked earlier today...
Wednesday January 12, 2022 10:05 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released minor 15.2.1 updates for iPhone and iPad users, and the software comes one month after Apple launched iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 with a slew of improvements.
The iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 update can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General >...
Tuesday October 26, 2021 11:50 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1, minor updates to the iOS and iPadOS 14 operating systems. iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1 come more than a month after the release of iOS and iPadOS 14.8, another security fix update.
The iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1 updates can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, ...
Sunday January 23, 2022 10:32 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a number of new products that are set to launch this fall, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that it will be "the widest array" of new devices that Apple has introduced in its history.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explains that Apple is working on four new flagship iPhones (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max), an updated low-end Ma...
Sunday January 23, 2022 2:59 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has always emphasized the depth of thought that goes into the design of its products. In the foreword to Designed by Apple in California, a photo book released by the company in 2016, Jony Ive explains how Apple strives "to define objects that appear effortless" and "so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative."
But every once in a while even Apple...
Three months after their launch, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros continue to experience high demand and seemingly short supply, with shipping dates for both models stretching into multiple weeks in several of Apple's key markets.
In the United States, the baseline 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip is estimated to ship in three to four weeks, promising an arrival by at least...
Monday January 24, 2022 9:20 am PST by Juli Clover
AT&T today announced the launch of upgraded AT&T Fiber plans, which support speeds of up to 5 Gigabits for some customers. There are two separate plans, one "2 GIG" plan and one "5 GIG" plan, available to new and existing AT&T Fiber subscribers.
According to AT&T, the new plans are available to nearly 5.2 million customers across 70 metro areas including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, San...
Apple's AirPods have been credited with saving a woman's life after a potentially fatal fall, People reports.
When a 60-year-old florist in New Jersey tripped and hit her head in her studio, she lost consciousness and awoke heavily bleeding. With nobody around to call for help, she realized she had her AirPods in, and used a "Hey Siri" command to call 911. An operator was able to stay on the ...
Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro could deliver higher fidelity audio than the AirPods Max over-ear headphones, despite being comparatively small in-ear buds, recent reports have suggested.
In a recent note to investors, seen by MacRumors, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the second-generation AirPods Pro will offer improved audio quality thanks to support...
Monday January 24, 2022 10:15 am PST by Juli Clover
A number of developers are upset with an increasingly problematic iCloud server issue that is causing some apps that have implemented iCloud support to fail to sync properly.
As outlined on the Developer Forums and on Twitter, there are CloudKit connectivity issues that have been occurring since November. Some users of apps that have iCloud support built in are seeing the following message:...
As we roll into the latter half of January, we're starting to hear more about a potential spring Apple event, which is likely to take place in March or April. There are a number of potential announcements on deck, so an event would be a good opportunity for Apple to get them all out there.
We've also been going back and forth on some iPhone 14 rumors, and we've taken a look at a number of...
Top Rated Comments
All one needs to do, put it in DFU mode and connect to a computer with iTunes.
Do a reset & restore iPhone.
It won't remove your activation lock or FindMy on your phone. but your data and Information will be completely erased from the phone (other than activation lock and FindMy)
@HQuest
Nope, after a force reset with recovery or DFU, iOS ask you your AppleID, but the APpleID is not completely visible. This is just another simple way to reset, but I'm quite sure the AppleID will not displayed entirely. Anyway your ID is protected by password and 2FA btw.
if you think "reset" in terms of *fully reset* to completely erase with no accounts or anything attached to it, then NO its impossible.
If you're thinking "reset" in terms of erasing all YOUR data, contacts, content, pictures, etc. , Then yes it can be reset. Without your consent.
Restore your iOS Device - Apple ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201252')
Let’s just say I’m a technician who deals with customer’s forgotten passcodes on iPhones on a regular basis.
There is literally no difference between this new update and the procedure prior. This just takes out the middle man. (The computer)
Previously, if the iPhone was stolen, it could already be (DFU) resorted and taken apart.
Find My also stays on, so device activation is locked to owner’s Apple ID still.
Find My is still enabled after (if it was already on). Device will still be locked to Apple ID/owner.
People already could by putting your iPhone into DFU mode with the computer and restoring it.
No password required.
This is an extreme big welcome addition to iOS. To be honest, should’ve been here years ago.
Being a tech who deals with this on a constant basis, this is an amazing time saver for people who tend to forget passwords and have to hunt down a computer for the passcode removal.
I’ve even met tons of people in different households who purposely don’t even own a computer.
All positive in this.
I was banned from the forum for 2 days because of a joke/play on words/username.