What Lockdown Mode is
Lockdown Mode is an optional protection Apple has included on the iPhone since iOS 16. It switches off or limits, in one go, the features that the most sophisticated attacks usually use to get into a phone: messages with attachments, complex web technologies and invitations from strangers.
Apple describes it as protection for the very few people who may be personally targeted by highly advanced attacks. It is not for everyone, and that matters: in exchange for the protection, the iPhone becomes less convenient.
What it blocks
- Messages: most attachment types other than images are blocked, along with some features such as link previews.
- Web browsing: certain complex web technologies are disabled. Some sites load more slowly or look wrong; you can exclude the ones you use every day.
- FaceTime: incoming calls are blocked from people you have not called before.
- Apple services: incoming invitations, such as those for the Home app, are blocked unless they come from someone you already have a relationship with.
- Photos: shared albums are removed and new invitations are blocked.
- Wired connections: while the iPhone is locked, connections with computers and accessories are blocked.
- Profiles: configuration profiles cannot be installed and the phone cannot be enrolled in device management (MDM).
Recent versions of iOS have added more restrictions, such as turning off 2G and not auto-joining unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. Apple keeps the full list on its support page.
How to turn it on
- Open Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down to Lockdown Mode and tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.
- Confirm and restart the iPhone. It will ask for your passcode.
You turn it off from the same place. If you have an iPad or a Mac, turn it on there too: the protection is per device.
Do you need it?
It depends on your risk, and that is exactly the question we help you answer. If what worries you is someone close to you monitoring your phone or your account being stolen, Lockdown Mode is not the first step: the first step is an iPhone configured properly from the start (and checking the signs in how to tell if your iPhone is hacked).
It does make sense if your work or situation could make you the target of directed attacks: journalists, lawyers, activists, public officials, executives with sensitive information, or anyone who has received a threat notification from Apple.
What Lockdown Mode does not do
It is very good protection against remote attacks, but it does not cover everything:
- It does not protect your Apple Account if someone knows the password.
- It does not stop physical access by someone who knows your passcode.
- It does not change what is stored in iCloud: if backups are on, your data still leaves the phone.
That is why, on a high-risk iPhone, Lockdown Mode is one more layer, not the only one. Our encrypted iPhones ship with iCloud disabled, the USB port limited to charging and an automatic wipe after several wrong PINs, and we help you decide whether turning it on is worth it in your case.
