Looters who helped themselves to brand-new iPhones during the unrest sweeping France have discovered one fairly important drawback to stealing from Apple.
The phones know where they are.
A device reportedly taken from the Apple Store in Lille on Saturday, October 17, appeared in viral footage displaying the sort of notification no thief wants to see after getting home with their shiny new acquisition.
Highlights
- A device stolen from Apple’s Lille store displayed a warning saying it had been disabled and was being tracked.
- Apple’s Managed Lost Mode can remotely lock supervised devices, display a custom message and request their location.
- More than 2,500 people were taken into custody amid the unrest, with authorities tightening restrictions ahead of further demonstrations.
“Please return the device to Apple Lille,” the message read.
“This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted.”
Looters who targeted an Apple Store in France received an unpleasant surprise
The Lille Apple Store was among numerous retailers targeted as mass demonstrations across France descended into rioting, vandalism and looting over the weekend.
Footage from several cities showed luxury stores being attacked, with Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Dior among the brands caught up in the unrest.
In Bordeaux, masked individuals broke into a Louis Vuitton store, while Hermès and other retailers selling jewelry, clothing and cosmetics were targeted in Marseille.
The Apple Store in Lille was also vandalized and looted.
Unfortunately for anyone hoping to leave with a free iPhone, Apple has spent quite a lot of time thinking about precisely this scenario.
The viral warning prompted immediate mockery online.
“Protesters raided an Apple Store in Lille France yesterday, dumbest move ever,” one person wrote.
“Taking iPhones that will get blocked 2 minutes later, the morons,” another added.
A third correctly predicted, “Those products will be blocked and their location will be identified.”
The technology that has fueled years of privacy concerns suddenly looked considerably more appealing when it was being used against someone carrying a stolen phone.
Apple can remotely lock supervised devices and request their location
Apple’s own security documentation explains that supervised iPhones and iPads can be placed into Managed Lost Mode remotely.
Once activated, the device is locked and can display a customized message on its screen.
Administrators can also request its current location even if Location Services have been switched off, and they can remotely trigger a sound.
The device remains locked until the administrator disables Lost Mode.
That appears consistent with the message shown on the device reportedly stolen from the Lille store.
Of course, that does not mean every stolen Apple product becomes permanently useless.
Technically skilled attackers have long attempted to bypass device protections through jailbreaking and other methods of circumventing software restrictions.
But for the average person who simply grabbed a display phone and ran, discovering that the expensive rectangle in their pocket was locked, trackable and potentially reporting its whereabouts to its owner was a fairly brutal second act to the robbery.
And it was not the first time thieves had learned that lesson.
Looters in the US have previously discovered the same Apple security feature
During mass looting in Philadelphia in September 2023, thieves who stole Apple devices reportedly began smashing and abandoning them after realizing they had been remotely disabled.
Some devices also began sounding alarms.
Police eventually recovered what The Philadelphia Inquirer described as a “pile of iPads” that had been abandoned nearby.
Similar warnings appeared on Apple display products stolen during unrest in the United States in 2020.
Apple has also previously acknowledged cooperating with police investigating organized raids targeting demonstration devices.
More than 2,500 people have been detained amid the unrest
The demonstrations began with concerns surrounding schools, declining public services and the soaring cost of living before developing into a much broader nationwide movement.
More than half a million people took part in demonstrations across France over the weekend, but peaceful protests were overshadowed in several cities by vandalism, arson and clashes with police.
Approximately 2,500 people were subsequently taken into custody, according to French authorities.
Reports indicated that 174 had been jailed and 917 formally prosecuted as the government moved to prevent another outbreak of violence.
More than 3,000 businesses were affected during the unrest, while dozens of cities introduced curfews and around 60,000 police officers were deployed nationwide.
Insurance losses have been estimated at around $1.9 billion if significant new violence can be avoided.
Authorities also moved to restrict demonstrations around sensitive areas of Paris, including prominent tourist and government locations, as officials prepared for further protests.
President Emmanuel Macron said France would continue allowing legitimate demonstrations while taking tougher action against gatherings authorities believed posed a threat to public order.
“Those who want to cause disorder in city centres next Saturday will be prevented from doing so,” he said on October 21.
Similar unrest has spread to other parts of Europe
Demonstrations over rising living costs and strained public services have also taken place across several European countries, including Belgium and Italy.
Milan was hit by violent clashes and looting over the same weekend, prompting stores in the city’s luxury shopping district to board up their windows and remove merchandise.
Italian authorities detained hundreds of people following the unrest.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini subsequently announced that 500 soldiers would be deployed to Milan to support police through the end of the year.
For French authorities, meanwhile, the coming demonstrations will test whether the new restrictions and increased police presence can prevent another weekend of widespread destruction.
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