404 Media reported that iPhones stored by police in evidence were rebooting themselves, and it turns out it’s all due to a new Inactivity Reboot feature shipping in iOS 18.1. First reported by security researcher Jiska Classen, this new feature reboots your iPhone if it has gone unused for at least four days.

Apple's iOS 18.1 auto-reboot feature locks iPhones after four days, blocking easy access, but at the same time, frustrating law enforcement in forensic probes.

A hidden feature in iOS 18.1 will automatically reboot a locked iPhone when it is asleep but hasn't been unlocked for a while, presumably as a security measure.

Last week, we saw a report of law enforcement officials being concerned that iPhones were secretly communicating with each other to force reboots, frustrating law enforcement. However, while it seems these suspicions were indeed based on a change that Apple made in a recent iOS update, it’s not what police forensic investigators first thought.

Apple iPhone gets a new feature called Inactivity Reboot, which has been designed to prevent unauthorized access to your device. Now, with iOS 18.1, the tech giant is taking its security measures a step further,

Law enforcement aren't too thrilled with Apple's new security feature called 'Inactivity Reboot,' which automatically reboots an iPhone.

The inactivity reboot may not be the flashiest new feature of iOS 18.1, but it’s a quietly powerful addition that strengthens the security of your iPhone. By automatically restarting your device after a period of inactivity, it reduces the risk of unauthorized access, ensuring your information stays safe.

Apple’s new ‘inactivity reboot’ feature in iOS 18.1 disrupts forensic access, stirring frustration among US law enforcement and sparking privacy debates.