Apple is working on an anti-snatching feature for iPhone that will automatically lock the device if it detects the phone has been grabbed from a user’s hands, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The system will use accelerometer data in combination with other motion signals to distinguish a theft scenario from normal movement, and will additionally leverage distance data from a paired Apple Watch to improve detection accuracy. Apple plans to apply the same location-awareness logic used by Stolen Device Protection — if the snatch occurs in an unfamiliar location, the feature will not only lock the phone but also block access to the sensitive settings that Stolen Device Protection restricts, such as changing the Apple ID password or disabling Find My. No release timeline was given; the feature is described as under active development.
The approach closely mirrors Android 15’s Theft Detection Lock, which uses on-device AI and motion sensors to identify movement patterns consistent with a phone being grabbed and taken away by foot, bike, or vehicle, then automatically locks the screen. Apple already offers Stolen Device Protection and Find My, but those features address what happens after a phone is lost or stolen in a locked state; the new feature is aimed at the gap that exists when a phone is snatched while unlocked and actively in use.