During a recent police investigation, a puzzling phenomenon emerged in seized iPhone devices – they would automatically restart without any action. After in-depth analysis by experts, this phenomenon is not a software fault, but a new feature of Apple in the latest operating system iOS 18.1 – “inactive restart”. This was confirmed by Dr. Jiska Classen of the Hasso Plattner Institute through screenshots of the code on social media, while Magnet Forensics expert Christopher Van also revealed the relevant trigger code in a private chat group.
The purpose of this new feature is to prevent thieves from easily gaining access to user data on locked devices. When the device enters the inactive state, the system automatically restarts, and the access status of the device changes from Authorized File access (AFU) to unauthorized File access (BFU), increasing data security. However, this feature also poses challenges for law enforcement. Due to the change in the state of the device after the restart, the police encountered difficulties in performing forensic examinations, as forensics tools are usually only effective when the device is in the AFU state.
According to 404 Media, police suspect the phenomenon is linked to Apple’s new mobile operating system iOS 18, which may contain a secret feature that allows devices to communicate with nearby iphones. This communication may have sent a restart signal, causing the device to automatically restart after a long period of inactivity. The discovery not only shed light on Apple’s privacy efforts, but also sparked a discussion about the balance between technology security and law enforcement convenience.