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What is Lockdown Mode on iPhone

Lockdown Mode is an extreme setting for people who may be personally targeted by spyware. It's in Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode and turns a lot of features off, so most people should leave it off.

How to do it

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode.

  2. Read the list of what will stop working.

  3. Turn it on only if that list is a trade you mean to make, then restart when asked.

  4. Turn it off in the same place if a site or a feature you need is now broken.

This is not a faster version of the ordinary privacy switches. Those are Precise Location, Tracking, and the passcode. Lockdown Mode is the setting Apple describes for targeted attacks. If you are not in that situation, leave it off.

Questions people ask

What stops working in Lockdown Mode?

Most message attachments and link previews, some web features, FaceTime calls from people you haven't called before, and shared albums, among others. The full list is shown before you turn it on.

Should I turn it on?

Only if you have a real reason to think you're a target, which mostly means journalists, activists and similar. For everyone else, the regular privacy settings are enough.

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