Apple’s long-awaited iOS 16 update for iPhones lands Monday with new security and privacy features, aimed at preventing spyware, protecting users against domestic and spousal abuse, and replacing passwords that let hackers break into your online accounts.
Here’s a rundown of what to expect to see after you install.
Lockdown Mode
A new security feature, Lockdown Mode temporarily switches off certain core features of your iPhone that are frequently abused by spyware makers to break through an iPhone’s security defenses. By blocking these features, your iPhone’s attack surface is vastly reduced to make it more difficult for someone to remotely plant spyware on your device. It’s aimed at at-risk groups of people, like journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and even politicians whose phones are often targeted by their own governments.
Lockdown Mode blocks certain iOS features, which are sometimes abused by spyware, from working. Image: TechCrunch.
TechCrunch gave LockDown Mode a spin earlier this year to see how it works. While the security feature does limit what you can do on your iPhone, it mostly adds friction — small moments of inconvenience — for the device owner, the mode makes it that much harder for attackers to compromise your phone and its data.
Rapid security response
iOS 16 brings two tr …
