Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
- iOS 18 reportedly enables Activation Lock to discourage repairs with stolen parts.
- The feature prompts users to enter the previous owner’s Apple account credentials if they use a repair part from a lost or stolen iPhone.
Apple has made iPhones easier to repair than ever before, but it only wants you to use genuine parts. To prevent the use of parts from lost or stolen iPhones, the company announced a new Activation Lock feature earlier this year. It appears to be live in the iOS 18 Release Candidate (RC) build and delivers an error when it detects an unverified repair part.
Activation Lock links your Apple account to your iPhone and various components, like the battery, display, and cameras. In case you lose your phone and someone tries to use parts from it to repair another iPhone, Activation Lock will identify the part and show a “[Part] Locked To Owner” error, prompting them to enter your Apple account credentials to unlock the part.