Exposing the Falsehood: Apple’s iPhones Don’t Secretly Reboot

Recently, a viral claim stated that iPhones suddenly rebooted by themselves. This caused many reactions on social media, with users questioning whether it was true. However, Fact Crescendo has found that the claim was misleading and not true at all.

Social Media Claim

A claim recently circulated targeting Apple, the renowned tech giant, alleges that the company is mysteriously rebooting all iPhones without users’ consent.

The rumor quickly gained traction on social media, with many users expressing concerns over their privacy and device control. The following is the full post claim: “Apple quietly introduced an iPhone reboot code which is locking out cops”.

Below is a snapshot of the Facebook post from November 11, 2024, stating “Apple made your iPhone more secure and apparently no one really noticed until law enforcement get locked out of devices they had previously or were trying to crack. […]”

Facebook Post | Archived Link

A similar claim has also been observed and shared by another X user. This repetition highlights the viral nature of the claim and its ability to spread across the platforms.

The following screenshot shows the above claim is also being spread across the other platforms.

X Link | Archived Link

The viral claim came after a report last week said that police in the United States of America were alarmed about the secret rebooting of iPhones.

Below is a snapshot of the report published by 404. Media five days ago featured the headline: “Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops.”

404 Media Link | Archived Link

Given the claim’s extensive dissemination and the considerable attention it has received from the internet community, we believed it was necessary to perform a fact-check on the above subject.

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo monitors and verifies claims through official Apple announcements, relevant news updates, and its research. This investigation has led us to the following facts.

Forbes’s explanatory report revealed that the claim mentioned above was misunderstood. The report explained Apple’s iPhones come with a feature called “inactivity reboot” that activates when an Apple iPhone has not been unlocked for a specific duration.

According to the report attributed to Charles Martin, a Contributing Editor at Apple Insider, this particular feature on iPhones functions similarly to the “hibernation mode” that is available on Apple computers.

For a comprehensive understanding, you can read the complete article by Forbes here or access the archived version here.

Jiska Classen, a mobile security researcher at Hasso Plattner Institute, was quoted by MacWorld magazine saying that a new feature in iOS 18.1 makes iPhones more secure and harder to crack. For the full story, visit the article here or our archived link here.

The American tech magazine The Verge also covered this issue, saying with this kind of feature, Apple provides more security for iPhone users to be unlocked by any corps or crackers. Read the full article here (archived).

Experts quoted by the earlier mentioned media outlets suggest that an iPhone can reboot for several reasons:

• Security Features: As part of Apple’s security updates, recent iOS versions have introduced features like the “inactivity reboot”. If an iPhone hasn’t been unlocked for a certain period, it may automatically reboot, requiring the user to enter their password before accessing the device again. This is not a glitch, but a designed feature to protect the user’s privacy and data.
• Software Updates: iPhones sometimes reboot automatically when a system update is being installed. This is a normal part of the update process.
• Bugs or Technical Issues: If the phone is encountering software bugs or glitches, it may restart unexpectedly. This could be due to outdated software, conflicting apps, or issues with the iPhone’s operating system.
• Hardware Problems: In rare cases, hardware issues (like a failing battery or damaged components) can cause unexpected reboots.

Fact Crescendo emailed Apple for clarification and comments but has not received a response by the time of this publication. Any updates from Apple will be included later.

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Conclusion

Fact Crescendo has concluded that the claim in the viral post is misleading. Experts quoted by tech magazines have clarified that the latest version of iOS on Apple’s iPhone does not secretly reboot the device. Instead, this new feature enhances security for iPhone users, helping to prevent unexpected unlocking and unauthorized access.