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patpossibly t1_j243a5j wrote

It depends what kind of unlock we’re talking about.

Activation Lock removal? Yes it can be done using a death certificate but the device has to be wiped and it grants zero access to the existing data on the device. It simply means the phone can be activated & signed into by anyone else after wiping it.

iCloud backups without the new advanced data protection feature can be obtained by law enforcement, AFAIK Apple does cooperate. Which is more of a reason to enable this new security feature.

Apple cannot however unlock the local contents of a phone with a passcode. People ask for this all the time, there simply isn’t a backdoor for this and it’s by design. The only thing anyone at apple can do without the passcode is erase the device. Sure, technically you can try a few guesses, but the phone will eventually disable itself (at first for a specified time period, then eventually permanently until it’s erased) and I promise you there is nothing anyone at apple can do. At this point the only hope is that someone had this customer’s Apple ID & password or are an existing legacy contact, which had to have been set up by the user in question. I don’t believe apple allows access to an iCloud account even if it’s a death and family members are requesting access, unless it’s law enforcement asking for it and I’m sure they need some sort of a warrant. But just saying “hey my relative died” does not get you access into their account, at all.

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Kaisah16 t1_j24doow wrote

What is the new security feature you speak of

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chas66 t1_j24spt0 wrote

>new advanced data protection feature

https://appleinsider.com/inside/ios-16/tips/how-to-use-advanced-data-protection-apples-other-new-security-features

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Tchiiko t1_j25v3i2 wrote

Not available in France yet 😞

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working-acct t1_j25x30h wrote

US only atm, as is with many "features" like Apple Fitness.

Funny bc the whole world is paying through the nose for iPhones while US users always get new features first.

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AustinSA907 t1_j25xu2x wrote

It’s because of lack of consumer protections, not any homerism. If they could shaft people in the developed world for less, they’d move there too.

Also, the US isn’t the cheapest place for Apple products (at least in the recent future, no idea post-current events) Hong Kong is.

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working-acct t1_j25z5c0 wrote

Well Brazil and Italy have fined Apple for not including chargers (while America hasn't) so they clearly care about consumers and your theory ain't valid.

Cool to know about HK but they're the exception. Rest of the world is still paying higher prices eg Europe and in the case of Brazil, Turkey and India it can be up to double. Maybe there are valid reasons for it but from the point of the average iPhone user in these countries it has got to suck. Paying double and you don't even get new features first.

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AustinSA907 t1_j25zlti wrote

That proves my point? Developed countries with more consumer protections get features slower. The USA is unique in being developed and not having strong consumer protections.

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whackylabs t1_j259oxe wrote

Remember when you could just slide to unlock an iPhone and nobody cared?

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elislider t1_j25hm3s wrote

Remember when the phone had 10 apps and that was it? You couldn’t sync your life to the cloud or store tons of personal information on it. The worst you’d have on a phone was contacts and texts

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knave-arrant t1_j25fcb5 wrote

Sure that’s great and all but what happens when your device with all your banking info/travel plans/email accounts are there at the fingertips of a thief? Then after they fraudulently use your accounts to take whatever you have electronically they wipe your phone and sell it. I’d rather have my shit locked down. Of course my wife has my passcode in case of emergencies.

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[deleted] t1_j243ynp wrote

[deleted]

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patpossibly t1_j2444yk wrote

I have doubts that actually happened. This might be a tweet over simplifying the situation. Those call records might have been in the iCloud backup.

Edit: I meant those chats and call records. Plus call records are also a carrier thing, that’s fairly easy for them to obtain.

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NuclearLunchDectcted t1_j247wip wrote

It's possible they wiped it and restored from a recent icloud backup. They could have had the account ordered unlocked by the court, or she could have had a sticky note with her icloud name and password somewhere that they found.

There isn't enough info to know.

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