Privacy and security
Lockdown Mode
Most people call this extreme protection for people who are actually targeted.
Lockdown Mode disables many convenience features that attackers exploit, and is meant for the small number of people facing targeted mercenary spyware.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Lockdown Mode
What it does
Message attachments other than images are blocked, link previews are off, some web technologies are disabled, incoming FaceTime calls from strangers are blocked, wired accessories need an unlocked phone, and configuration profiles cannot be installed.
What changes
When it is on
Several everyday features stop working. Some websites break.
When it is off
Everything returns to normal.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- You have specific reason to believe you are a target of sophisticated attack.
- It closes many of the paths such attacks rely on.
Good reasons to turn it off
- It noticeably degrades everyday use.
- It is not designed as a general hardening tool for ordinary risk.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Off.
Can cause real problems
What your iPhone needs
- Needs iOS 16 or later
Questions people actually ask
- Should I use Lockdown Mode?
- Only if you have a specific reason to think you are targeted. For ordinary risk it costs more than it gives.
If it is not working
- You can exclude individual websites from the restrictions in Safari settings.
- Turning it on or off requires a restart.
- If messages stop arriving with attachments, this is the cause.