
However, once an Android is unlocked via password, pin or pattern, Lockdown is turned off.



Designed to block all biometric security and voice recognition, it operates a bit differently than the Apple feature.įingerprint, facial and voice identification disable on the Android in Lockdown to prevent someone from accessing your phone. And due to a very similar user experience and additional security benefits, he plans to use Lockdown Mode as his default and only exempt apps if necessary.Īndroid phones have offered a function called "Lockdown" since 2018, when the feature became available on Android 9. Lockdown Mode does remove that risk, while making the phone experience "a little more inconvenient" for most users.Īfter testing out Lockdown Mode, Cappos said the only visual changes he noticed were fonts appearing differently and the icons for health apps not displaying correctly. Research has found that more than 90% of unknown security bugs live in code that is rarely executed, said Justin Cappos, associate professor of Computer Science and Engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering and a member of New York University's Center for Cybersecurity. "That being said, it could be a CEO for a company … official in the government, and that ability to lockdown the device and prevent execution or access to data on your phone could be critical."īut the feature may be enticing to a broader base of security-minded individuals. "It's only meant for a small section of users who might be targeted by a nation-state threat actor," said Kathleen Moriarty, chief technology officer at the Center for Internet Security. You are not expected to use this feature, unless you are, or soon plan to become, a CEO or head of state. While in Lockdown Mode, phone calls, plain text messages and emergency features will continue to work. This tool enables an extreme level of protection that prevents malware from accessing your phone, blocking most message attachment types, FaceTime calls, and more. Lockdown: Apple's most extreme security modeĪll models of the iPhone 14 come preinstalled with iOS 16, which features a new form of protection called Lockdown Mode. But from the new satellite connectivity features to Apple's first-ever eSIM-only phones, the iPhone 14 offers a range of new technologies to further protect your privacy, including the brand new Lockdown Mode. Improved low-light photo abilities and the extended battery life may have appeal than security upgrades on the new Apple iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The focus on security is nothing new from Apple, which has made user privacy one of its key messages for years, regularly adding new security features within iOS updates and on new phone models, like Face ID facial recognition, app tracking prevention and private browsing.
