Apple has patented a new “panic mode” for iPhone that users can activate by scanning a certain fingerprint with Touch ID. The feature is intended to lock down the iPhone and all of its data in the event that its user is forced to unlock it, and could help identify a thief.
Apple describes a number of different functions for panic mode in its patent, which was filed on May 5, 2014. However, its basic purpose is to lock down an iPhone and block access to its data when it recognizes that the handset’s owner is in “distress.”
The feature is designed to be used in emergency situations, like when an iPhone owner is confronted by thieves and forced to unlock their device before handing it over. The owner can use a certain fingerprint to activate panic mode, securing their data before losing their device.
Apple describes how activating panic mode could also trigger the iPhone to take pictures or record video and sound, which could then be uploaded to the owner’s iCloud account. This could then be turned over to the police to help identify the thief later.
Apple also suggests adding a loud alarm that doesn’t stop until the user confirms they are safe, or a distress signal that could be sent to nearby iPhones. Scanning certain fingers could also trigger actions, like placing phone calls, Apple describes:
Depending on the fingerprint that was captured, a particular action may be carried out when the device is unlocked. In one example, a fingerprint of an index finger may indicate that a call is to be placed. When the fingerprint of the user’s index finger is captured, when the mobile device is unlocked, a telephone application may be launched to allow the user to place a call after the mobile device has been unlocked.
Apple has been working to improve the security of its iOS devices with features like Activation Lock in recent years, and data shows iPhone thefts have fallen as a result, with thieves unable to sell locked devices after they’ve been stolen.
Increasing that security, and adding features that could provide evidence against an iPhone thief, could bring the number of thefts down even further. But of course, Apple patents are never a guarantee of things to come, so we’ll have to wait and see whether anything comes of this one.
[via Business Insider]
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