What you need to know
- With iOS 15 you can now erase a locked iPhone without a computer.
- A new feature in the latest update lets users erase their iPhone, iPad, or iPod without connecting it to a computer.
- You'll need the Apple ID linked to the device and an internet connection.
A new security feature in iOS 15 will let users erase a locked iPhone, iPod, or iPad without connecting it to a computer, as was previously the case.
As noted by 9to5Mac Apple has confirmed in a new support document that with iOS 15.2 you can now erase any of these devices with just an internet connection.
Previously a locked iPhone that needed to be erased (if you'd forgotten the password, for example) had to be connected to a computer in order to allow it to be erased and then reset. Now, if you enter your passcode incorrectly enough times a new 'Erase [Device]' option will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Tapping this will prompt you to enter the Apple ID and password associated with the device. When entered correctly you'll be able to fully delete all the data and settings on the device and then restore it from a backup, setting a new passcode in the process.
Apple released iOS 15.2 to the general public on December 13, bringing with it Apple's new App Privacy Report, the Apple Music Voice Plan, and Apple's new Communication Safety feature for young children in Messages. The latter uses machine learning to detect when a young child might be about to send or receive an explicit image, warning them beforehand that it could be sensitive and that they don't have to open the image if they don't want to.
