For most of us, following basic privacy and security tips should be enough to protect ourselves and our data online. But if you think you’re the target of a state-sponsored cyberattack using industrial-strength spyware like Pegasus, the usual safety rules may not be enough.
If you’re a journalist, politician, or activist worried that your phone is the target of a state-sponsored cyber attack, Apple has released a security feature that anyone can use to protect their iPhone from these kinds of attacks.
Read more: Pegasus spyware and citizen surveillance: What you need to know
Called Lockdown Mode, the new security tool from Apple is built into iOS 16 and is designed to combat malware and spyware attacks like Pegasus. This is not the first step Apple has taken against Pegasus and its maker, NSO Group. In September 2020, Apple released a software update that addressed Pegasus, allowing all potential victims to receive threat notifications in case they were compromised.
If you want to learn how to enable Lockdown Mode on your iPhone, here’s what you need to know.
And if you’re interested in getting iOS 16 right now, here’s how to download the iOS 16 developer beta.
What does lock mode do?
Lockdown mode offers “an extreme, optional level of security for the very few users who, because of who they are or what they do, could be personally attacked by some of the most sophisticated digital threats,” according to Apple. Those targeted by Pegasus software are those “very few users”.
Essentially, Lock Mode augments iOS security features by restricting certain features that may be vulnerable to attack:
- Most message attachments other than images are blocked and features such as link preview are disabled.
- Web technologies such as just-in-time JavaScript compilation are disabled unless you turn them off from lock mode.
- Incoming invitations and service requests, such as FaceTime calls, are blocked if you’ve never called the person before.
- All shared albums in Photos are removed and all new invitations to shared albums are blocked.
- All wired connections between your iPhone and computer or accessory are blocked.
- Configuration profiles, such as those for Apple’s public betas, cannot be installed.
- Your device cannot be registered in Mobile Device Manager.
Which devices support lock mode?
You can currently use Lockdown Mode on any Apple device running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or MacOS Ventura. iOS 16 is currently only available as a developer beta, but is expected to be available as a public beta soon.
Read more: Will my iPhone run iOS 16? what you should Know
How to Enable iOS 16 Lock Mode
While using iOS 16, which is currently available for download as a public beta for eligible phones, you can easily turn on Lock Mode in a matter of seconds. All you have to do is go to Settings > Privacy & security > Lock mode, read the description, tap Turn on lock mode, and then tap Power on and restart.
Your iPhone will immediately restart, then lock mode will be activated. If you go into Safari, you should see a Lockdown Enabled or Lockdown Ready banner at the top of the page, indicating that Lockdown mode is actually on and protecting your iPhone.
Configure the lock mode settings
While Lock Mode provides extensive security, you have a way to tweak it to better suit your needs.
As mentioned above, websites in Safari are heavily restricted when in lock mode, but you can bypass these restrictions by excluding a specific website. To do this, launch Safari, go to the website you want to turn off, tap AA > Website Settings, turn off lock mode, and tap Turn Off. The banner at the top of the website should now read Lockdown Off.
To see all your blocked websites, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lock Mode and tap Configure Web Browsing at the bottom of the page.
How to disable lock mode
Need to turn off lock mode?
Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Lock mode, tap Turn off lock mode, and then tap Shut down and restart. When your iPhone starts a backup, the lock mode will be disabled and you will be able to use your iPhone as usual again.
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