iOS 16 Lockdown Mode: who should turn it on
Apple’s new Lockdown Mode blocks the features spyware abuses. Most people don’t need it. Some really do.
iOS 16 came out yesterday with a new switch: Lockdown Mode. It’s Apple’s answer to mercenary spyware, the expensive kind sold to governments and used against journalists, activists, lawyers and executives.
It works by turning off the features those attacks have abused: most message attachments and link previews, some complex web technologies, FaceTime calls from unknown people, wired connections while the phone is locked, and new configuration profiles.
The cost is convenience. Some websites feel slower or break, and some messages show less.
Who should turn it on:
- Journalists, human rights workers, politicians and their staff.
- Executives dealing with sensitive deals or disputes.
- Anyone who has received a threat notification from Apple.
Everyone else gets more from the basics: keep iOS updated, use a strong passcode, and restart the phone now and then. It’s found in Settings, Privacy & Security, Lockdown Mode.