iOS 27.2 Beta 2 Shows Apple Still Building Unannounced iPhone AutoLock Anti-Snatching Feature

Apple's iOS 27.2 beta 2 contains new code references to an unannounced iPhone security feature called “AutoLock,” according to 9to5Mac, indicating the company is still actively developing a mechanism that could automatically lock a device when it is snatched from its owner's hand.

The feature has not been officially announced and is not available as a user-facing option in the beta. Still, the under-the-hood references provide the clearest view yet of how Apple is approaching theft detection and false-positive prevention for iPhones.

Earlier this year, 9to5Mac first reported that Apple was working on such a feature. The new code in iOS 27.2 beta 2 shows the work is continuing, with the underlying AutoLock service enabled in the background while the component that actually locks the iPhone remains disabled—possibly to test system behavior without triggering automatic locks.

The code describes several signals AutoLock could use to determine whether an iPhone may have been taken from its owner: a sharp acceleration consistent with the phone being snatched; a paired Apple Watch remaining unreachable for a certain period; loss of connectivity to a paired Apple Watch; prolonged loss of network connectivity; and the device remaining unlocked beyond a certain interval.

Safeguards are also present. Successful biometric authentication, certain foreground app activities that could otherwise be mistaken for theft signals, and a backoff mechanism that can temporarily suppress further automatic locks after repeated lock events are all referenced as protections against false positives.

The code suggests AutoLock uses a voting system in which a potential theft signal can request a lock, while safeguards such as biometrics, familiar locations, or certain app activities can veto that request. A location-based safeguard similar to Stolen Device Protection, which accounts for whether the iPhone is in a familiar place, was already present in earlier code.

For now, the new references only show Apple's progress. The feature is still under development and is not currently enabled or available as a user-facing option in iOS 27.2 beta 2.

Whether or when it will ultimately launch remains up to Apple.

Reporting by 9to5Mac. Read the original report: iOS 27.2 beta 2 reveals new details about unannounced iPhone anti-snatching feature.