THE IDEA
ANTI THEFT
LOCKDOWN MODE
🔒📸
An emergency protocol that activates automatically in the moment of theft. Another layer of Stolen device protection that could be implemented in the rollout of the new iOS 26 update*.
Functioning in a similar way to fall/ crash detection, upon a sudden change in speed, direction and disengagement, the following features are activated:
Face ID
Face ID is activated at app level to unlock your most sensitive apps, as an additional layer of security.
Location tracking
Real time tracking allows you to see where your device has gone and the journey it took.
Image capture
The phone starts capturing video/image from both cameras in the moments that follow the grab to use as evidence in recovery and prosecution.
Silent Alerts
Silent alerts are pushed to local law enforcement in the area with evidence + location.
Over time building a city-wide crime heatmap based on theft-triggered signals.
Cloud Backup
There's nothing worse than the thought of everything being lost, so most importantly for the owner, this mode provides a crucial lifeline of an immediate cloud backup of your device.
Lockdown mode
Functionality is reduced.
Airplane mode is blocked
The screen display message indicates the device is stolen.
So what can be done?
With support from teams within the industry, police and government to bring to life an an idea that might not eradicate the problem, but at least make it that bit more discouraging.
The Problem
The most common method criminals have been using is the moped/e-bike grab. Silent and fast. Suddenly flying by and whipping it straight out of your unsuspecting hands.
Unlocked and vulnerable.
Before you’ve even processed its happened, your phone is already miles away as they speed across the horizon, weaving through traffic
(and probably grabbing more along the way😡🤬😤)
So now you’re standing there in shock.
There’s a sudden wave of panic as you realise they don’t just have your phone but also your entire digital life.
📧 Emails
💬 Messages
💰 Banking apps
🔐 2FA access points
📷 Photos.
I mean, to steal photos of your dog as a puppy.
That’s criminal on another level.
ON YOUR BIKE!
An iOS update concept to tackle moped phone thefts.
The Evening Standard reports that ‘A phone is now stolen in the capital every six minutes (around 64,000 devices annually).
And that’s just one city.
THIS IS AN INSANE STATISTIC.
With Curry’s launching their Mind The Grab campaign today, I think it’s a great time to once again spotlight my idea to discourage this crime in our streets.