### Disable Stolen Device Protection Before Trading in Your iPhone
If you’re one of the many planning to exchange your current phone for the new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 Pro, disabling this setting can save you a full hour at the Apple Store.
#### Disable Stolen Device Protection, But Exercise Caution
In late 2023, Apple introduced the Stolen Device Protection feature, partly as a response to a Wall Street Journal article by Joanna Stern that highlighted an increasingly prevalent iPhone theft technique. This method involved criminals observing users entering their iPhone passcode in bars or other public settings. After stealing the device, they utilized that passcode to alter the Apple Account password.
With Stolen Device Protection activated, Apple implemented a one-hour delay after biometric verification required to facilitate a sensitive change, such as disabling Find My. More importantly, Apple enforces the one-hour delay exclusively in public areas, as it can automatically deduce a user’s home and workplace locations.
Thus, if you’re intending to trade in your iPhone, consider deactivating Stolen Device Protection beforehand, as you’ll need to navigate a series of steps, including disabling Find My and signing out of iCloud. Just be particularly cautious on your way to the Apple Store, as your device will obviously be more exposed than if Stolen Device Protection had been enabled.
#### How to Disable Stolen Device Protection
Here are Apple’s official instructions to turn off the feature:
1. Navigate to Settings, then select Face ID & Passcode.
2. Input your device passcode.
3. Select Stolen Device Protection, then toggle Stolen Device Protection off.
Make sure to review Apple’s support article on Stolen Device Protection for a more detailed understanding of how the feature functions.
