Apple to expand Activation Lock to iPhone parts to deter theft and disassembly for resale

Apple has announced that it will be extending its Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts, adding a new feature to device’s under repair that detects if a part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled.

In a post on the Apple Newsroom touting upcoming enhancement to existing repair processes that will enable customers and independent repair providers to utilize used Apple parts in repairs, Apple has said that beginning in the fall, if a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted in an effort to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts.

Activation Lock is a security feature on iPhones that prevents unauthorized use of the device. It requires the owner’s Apple ID and password to activate or reset the device, deterring theft and unauthorized access.