Investigated
Can police truly bypass iPhone's inactivity-reboot to unlock devices without Apple assistance?
Short answer
Image: techspot.com
Reports say Magnet Forensics claims GrayKey Preserve and a related mode can keep a seized iPhone in the less-protected After First Unlock state through, or before, the 72-hour inactivity reboot. But the evidence is a leaked video, and independent verification, current-version compatibility, and the precise mechanism remain unclear.
The views on this question
Two lenses on the same evidence. Source weight and the primary source ratio show what each rests on.
Skeptics
Source weight 45%Lens adapted to this topic: Reasons to doubt the claim is proven
A skeptical reading emphasizes the gap between a vendor demonstration and a reproducible technical result. The material may show preservation of access under particular conditions rather than a universal defeat of Apple’s reboot security, and the video’s age and lack of independent testing leave important limitations unknown.
- The central evidence is a leaked company video, so it demonstrates what Magnet says its tools do rather than independently establishing that they work.
- The video apparently dates from early 2025, making compatibility with later or current iOS releases uncertain.
- Reports describe the method as possibly circumventing, delaying, or preventing the security transition; those are not necessarily equivalent to cryptographically unlocking a phone after reboot.
- Without disclosed technical details or independent replication, the claim cannot establish that police can reliably bypass the feature on all affected iPhones.