What is Lockdown Mode on iPhone, and do I need it?
Lockdown Mode is an optional, extreme protection for the very few people who might be personally targeted by highly sophisticated spyware because of who they are or what they do. It limits many apps and features to give attackers less to work with. Most people never need it.
Lockdown Mode arrived in iOS 16. Apple is clear about the trade-off: your iPhone won't work the way it usually does. In Messages, most attachment types other than certain images, video and audio are blocked, and links and link previews don't work. Some complex web technologies are blocked too, so some websites load slowly or don't work properly.
FaceTime calls are blocked unless you've called that person in the past 30 days. Shared albums are removed from Photos. Your iPhone must be unlocked to connect to an accessory or computer, it won't automatically join non-secure Wi-Fi, and 2G and 3G are turned off. Phone calls, plain text messages and emergency SOS calls still work.
- Update to the latest iOS first, so you get the full set of protections
- Turn it on in Settings, Privacy & Security, Lockdown Mode. Your iPhone restarts, and you turn it on separately on an iPad or Mac
- If a trusted website or app breaks, you can exclude it, though Apple warns this weakens the protection
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Spyware & Lockdown Mode
From the Staying Safe on iPhone course. Learn how mercenary spyware works, who it targets and how Lockdown Mode helps.
Try it on the simulated phone Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.