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Cops Can Bypass iPhone's Automatic Reboot to Get into Locked Phones

287 points · 226 comments · speckx

  1. Cider9986 · · focus · HN ↗
    For those who don't know, automatic reboot restarts your device if you haven't unlocked it in a set amount of time. Cellebrite and other digital forensics companies are able to get into AFU devices much more often. The automatic reboot feature was first introduced by GrapheneOS and was later added to iOS and stock Pixels.

    GrapheneOS's default is 18 hours and it can be set to between 10 minutes and 72 hours. iPhones and Stock pixels have it non customizable at 72 hours.

    On GrapheneOS, for privacy and convenience, it's best to use a long random passphrase [1] for your primary unlock and then a fingerprint with a second factor pin as the secondary unlock. You enter the passphrase every time the device restarts.

    If you're encountering someone that's going to seize your phone, try to restart/shut it down yourself so you don't have to trust the AFU protections.

    [1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;strongphrase.net" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;strongphrase.net give memorable ones which is cool.

    1. fluidcruft · · focus · HN ↗
      Why not automatically power down if any unknown USB device is attached?
      1. eli · · focus · HN ↗
        So like you connect it to your computer for the first time and it shuts off?
        1. isoprophlex · · focus · HN ↗
          Better wire it up to a thermite charge just to be sure. Untrusted USB device? Hope you enjoy 1400 degree molten iron
          1. dessimus · · focus · HN ↗
            And now you&#x27;re in violation of booby trap laws.
        2. olyjohn · · focus · HN ↗
          Yeah... that could be an option you configure.
        3. 83 · · focus · HN ↗
          that doesn&#x27;t seem unreasonable. You only have one first time. Maybe two if you upgrade your computer more often than your phone.
          1. [deleted] · · focus · HN ↗

            [deleted]

          2. LorenPechtel · · focus · HN ↗
            My Android certainly doesn&#x27;t know my computer. Every single time it defaults to charging only and I have to select if I want data transfer.
            1. Telaneo · · focus · HN ↗
              Is that because it cannot know your computer without you telling it every time, or is it just Android providing that default and not having a way to change that default?
              1. hulitu · · focus · HN ↗
                is it just Android. SW is hard.
        4. nkrisc · · focus · HN ↗
          Or it’s not enabled by default.
        5. sellmesoap · · focus · HN ↗
          Could request unlock and reboot if no valid pass is accepted within n minutes.
        6. usern20260720 · · focus · HN ↗
          1. disable shutting down. 2. connect device and fingerprint it. 3. enable shutting down
          1. NetMageSCW · · focus · HN ↗
            How do you disable shutting down?
            1. Telaneo · · focus · HN ↗
              By changing a settibg in the settings menu?
        7. dzhiurgis · · focus · HN ↗
          TBF pretty much no one connects their devices anymore to anything other than charging. For those who do some timeout could work.
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