Activation Lock in iOS 7 is Apple’s response to mobile phone thefts

iOS 7 activation lock

For months we’ve been hearing reports of the US government calling on Apple to do something about the growing number of mobile phone thefts (particularly iPhones) in the country. And it has. Introducing one of the more interesting new features in iOS 7, Activation Lock…

Activation Lock is exactly what it sounds like. With it enabled, anyone who steals your iPhone and chooses to disable the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature won’t be able to activate the handset on a wireless carrier. The same goes if they wipe the phone—they’ll be forced to enter your Apple ID an password to activate.

It sounds like this could make a huge impact on the amount of iPhone thefts we see moving forward, barring of course someone figuring out a workaround—something those of us in the jailbreak community know is all too possible. But if nothing else, it’s a step in the right direction.