The iPhone’s ‘Lockdown Mode’: What it is and who should consider using it

An optional security feature on iPhones called Lockdown Mode helps protect Apple devices against some of the world’s most sophisticated hackers. Released in 2022 as part of Apple’s iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, Lockdown Mode disables or restricts such commonly used tools and activities as photo sharing, payment applications and use of unsecured local networks—all features that attackers often exploit to install spyware through phishing attempts and malicious downloads. No Android equivalent Users of Google’s Android operating system lack a direct equivalent to Lockdown Mode, says Trey Herr, senior director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank focused on international affairs. Amnesty International recommends Lockdown Mode as crucial protection for anyone using an Apple device “who is defending human rights and who thinks they are at risk in some fashion," says Molly Rose Freeman Cyr, the training and community engagement lead at Amnesty International’s Security Lab, which conducts investigations into cyber threats against activists and journalists. “If you’re worried that you’re being targeted for some reason, you could turn Lockdown Mode on for a period where you decide to look into a little deeper and try to understand what could be happening," says Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance, a nonprofit organization that promotes cybersecurity awareness and education.