9 hidden iPhone tricks that can save you from identity theft

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It's no surprise the number of stolen phones is on the rise, considering how ingrained smartphones have become in today's society. With everyone depending on their device, much of a user's identity is attached to it, which means it can be stolen along with the smartphone.

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Between April 2024 and April 2025, global monthly searches for "report stolen phone" increased by 3.5%, increasing from 2,900 to 3,000. While these numbers are relatively small compared to the number of people with smartphones, it's worth taking the necessary precautions to prevent identity theft if you ever become one of those statistics. Below is a list of hidden iPhone settings that you can enable to reduce the chances of your identity being stolen.

Shorten Auto-Lock Duration

• Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and set it to 30 seconds.

Phone snatching often occurs while the device is in active use and unlocked. Reducing your auto-lock time limits the window of opportunity for a thief to access your personal data.

Limit Lock Screen Access to Control Centre

• In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, scroll to "Allow Access When Locked" and disable "Control Centre".

Disabling Control Centre prevents thieves from turning on Aeroplane Mode or altering other settings without unlocking the phone. Keeping Aeroplane Mode off means your device stays connected, which is crucial for tracking it via Find My iPhone.

Block Notifications on the Lock Screen

• Head to Settings > Notifications and choose which apps can display alerts on the lock screen.

Restricting lock screen notifications helps protect sensitive information like texts, emails or app alerts from being viewed by anyone who picks up your phone, no passcode needed.

Turn Off Wallet Access When Locked

• In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, toggle off "Wallet" under "Allow Access When Locked".

This blocks access to payment cards, transit passes, or event tickets stored in Apple Wallet when your phone is locked, preventing unauthorised purchases or use.

Prevent USB Access While Locked

• In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, ensure "USB Accessories" is turned off.

This protects your iPhone from being accessed via USB when locked. Some hacking tools can use USB connections to brute-force a passcode, so disabling this feature helps keep data extraction attempts at bay.

Use a SIM PIN for Extra Protection

• Navigate to Settings > Mobile > SIM PIN to set a passcode for your SIM card.

A SIM PIN ensures that if your SIM is removed and inserted into another device, it cannot be used without a code. This stops thieves from receiving two-factor authentication codes or impersonating you.

Avoid Storing Unsecured Passwords

• In Settings > Passwords > Autofill Passwords, toggle off the autofill option.

Avoid saving passwords in browsers or apps without encryption. Instead, use a secure password manager that requires authentication. This prevents thieves from accessing your accounts with saved login details, and turning off auto-login/autofill adds another barrier to unauthorised access.

Enable Auto-Wipe After Failed Passcode Attempts

• Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and enable "Erase Data".

This feature automatically wipes your iPhone's data after 10 failed passcode attempts. To make it more effective, upgrade from a simple 4-digit code to a strong alphanumeric passcode, which is much harder to crack.

Review and Remove Unused Trusted Devices

• Check Settings > [Your Name] > Devices to view and remove old or unused devices.