How to turn on Stolen Device Protection on an iPhone

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-turn-on-stolen-device-protection-on-an-iphone/ · Checked October 2026 · iPhone 14 Pro · iOS 27.0.1

4 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

iPhone

Shown on

iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 14 Pro)

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Face ID & Passcode › Stolen Device Protection

Real screenshots

4 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. Check the requirements

   You need two-factor authentication for your Apple Account, a passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, Find My switched on, and Significant Locations on under Location Services. It needs iOS 17.3 or later.

   Watch these steps Done

2. 

   Open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode

   It is in the group with Emergency SOS and Privacy & Security, below Screen Time.

   Done

3. 

   Enter your passcode

   The page only opens after you type the passcode you use to unlock the phone.

   Done

4. 

   Tap Stolen Device Protection

   Scroll down to it. On our phone the row showed Off.

   Done

5. 

   Switch on Stolen Device Protection

   Tap the switch so that it turns green. If the switch is greyed out, one of the requirements in step 1 is missing.

   Done

6. Choose when the delay applies

   Once it is on, the same page offers Away from Familiar Locations, which applies the security delay only when you are not at home or work, and Always, which applies it everywhere.

   Done

Watch these steps

About this guide

Thieves sometimes watch a victim type their passcode, then steal the phone. With the passcode alone they could change the Apple Account password and lock the owner out. Stolen Device Protection makes the most damaging changes require your face or fingerprint and, for some, an hour's wait. The screenshots are our own, taken on an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 27.0.1. They were recorded over USB in QuickTime. The feature was switched off on that phone and we left it that way, so the last step has no screenshot.

Should you turn it on? For most people, yes. It only adds checks when the phone is away from places it knows, such as home or work, unless you choose Always. The cost: when you are away, saved passwords and passkeys need Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback, and some changes need an hour's wait. Apple Pay still works with your passcode. Turn it off before you sell or trade in the phone.

Good to know

With it on, away from familiar locations, viewing saved passwords, turning off Lost Mode and erasing the phone need Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback.

Changing the Apple Account password or the iPhone passcode also needs a one-hour wait and a second Face ID scan when you are away from familiar places.

Turn it off before you sell, give away or send the phone for repair. Turning it off is itself subject to the delay when you are away from home.

Still cover the screen when you type your passcode in public, and consider a longer passcode.

In short: Settings, Face ID & Passcode, Stolen Device Protection, on.