Why Louisiana iPhone Users Need to Turn New Safety Feature on Before Mardi Gras

We love to cut up in Louisiana and at some point or another, we've all experienced that heart-pounding moment of panic when we realize our phone is nowhere to be found while we are trying to have a good time.

The Mardi Gras season sees bigger crowds and, at times, increased forgetfulness, often amplified by indulgence in adult beverages during parades, which potentially raises theft concerns.

Whether it's buried in the depths of our bags, hiding under the sofa cushions, or left behind on a restaurant table, the feeling of momentarily losing this device that your job and daily life depend on is universally relatable.

In those brief moments, our minds race with thoughts of lost data, sensitive information, and the inconvenience of shelling out money on a new device when your old one hasn't even been paid off yet.

It's during these instances that the importance of features like Stolen Device Protection becomes evident, offering a reassuring layer of security in our increasingly digital lives.

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How Does The Safety Feature Work?

This security feature becomes active when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, like your home or workplace.

To access stored passwords and credit card information in unfamiliar locations, you'll need to use Face or Touch ID, with no passcode alternative available. Most importantly, you won't be able to turn off Lost Mode, erase content and settings, apply for or view an Apple Card, perform certain actions with Apple Cash and Savings, or use your iPhone to set up a new device.

For some security actions, such as changing your Apple ID password, you will need a biometric login, followed by an hour-long wait, and then a second biometric login. Apple has also listed other actions that will involve a delay, such as signing out of your Apple ID, updating your Apple ID account settings, adding or removing a Face or Touch ID, changing your passcode, resetting all settings, turning off the Find My feature, and turning off Stolen Device Protection.

The delay will be lifted once your iPhone detects that you're in a familiar location.

It's crucial to enable this feature before your phone is stolen, and it's only available if your device is running the latest iOS update, iOS 17.3.

How To Set Up Stolen Device Protection Feature:

1. Navigate to your iPhone's Settings.
2. Select either Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode, depending on your device.
3. Enter your passcode if prompted.
4. Scroll down to find the Stolen Device Protection section and tap on the option to Turn On Protection.