Apple recently introduced Lockdown Mode, a feature that can be used to protect your iPhone from cyberattacks. It’s available on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.

While Lockdown Mode hardens your device’s defenses, it also severely limits some features, apps, and websites to preserve core calling and texting functionality. It’s a trade-off that’s more than just frustrating.

Face ID

Unlike Touch ID, which requires you to enter your passcode, Face ID works with the TrueDepth camera on an iPhone to unlock the device. It’s also used to authorise Apple Pay transactions, validate App Store downloads and generally secure your iPhone or iPad.

Using Face ID is simple and quick. It takes a few seconds to set up and requires you to rotate your head in a circle to capture various angles of your face and build an accurate map.

If you want to add another layer of security, you can turn on Lockdown Mode on your iPhone. It tightens security to block any malware or spyware and protect your personal information. However, it’ll disable some features.

Messages

The Messages app is where you send and receive text, voice, and iMessage messages on an iPhone. If you want to send an iMessage, tap on the person’s name or phone number in your contact list.

Then, type your message and tap the blue or green arrow to send it. You can also record a voice or audio message by tapping the microphone icon in the Messages app and speaking what you want to say.

Lockdown Mode limits and blocks apps, websites, and communications features in order to keep your device safe from a cyber attack. Besides messaging, the feature also blocks shared albums in the Photos app, and new Shared Album invitations from people you haven’t previously called.

FaceTime

FaceTime is a great way to feel like you’re together with your friends and family, even when they live far away. With FaceTime, you can call anyone using their iPhone, iPad or Mac.

To use FaceTime, sign in with your Apple ID and password. Then, enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to call.

Next, tap the Audio or Video button to initiate a call. You can then add more names, email addresses or numbers to create a group.

You can also mute your microphone to avoid hearing your audio from the other party, and you can pause your video chat to give yourself more time to respond. In either case, your FaceTime calls are always end-to-end encrypted.

Web Browsing

Lockdown Mode disables certain web technologies that could be used for malware or spyware attacks. These include just-in-time JavaScript compilation, JPEG 2000 images and SVG fonts.

Some other features are also disabled, including support for MP3 players on webpages. This is believed to prevent attackers from using MP3 decoding for malicious purposes.

However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warns that Lockdown Mode also leaves a digital fingerprint of a user’s device, which third parties can use to track their browsing habits. If you’re concerned about this, you can use a tool like Cover Your Tracks to test your browser’s fingerprinting capabilities.

HomeKit

HomeKit is a smart home platform developed by Apple that lets you control all the best smart devices, like lights, locks, thermostats and more. It also allows you to create scenes and automate your devices, making them all do things for you in your home.

The system is easy to set up, with most devices requiring you to scan an eight-digit number or QR code printed on the device. Most of the time, you’ll also find instructions on how to connect the product to your iPhone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Using Lockdown Mode on an iPhone, however, means that apps and websites won’t work as they normally would. This is designed to protect the iPhone from spyware makers and malware.