{
  "id": 11392734,
  "title": "Your iPhone secretly locks down after 72 hours — this forensic tool may have found a way around it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/your-iphone-secretly-locks-down-after-72-hours-this-forensic-tool-may",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-02T08:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Guide",
    "slug": "tom-s-guide",
    "url": "https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/your-iphone-secretly-locks-down-after-72-hours-this-forensic-tool-may-have-found-a-way-around-it"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Apple's iPhones now automatically reboot after 72 hours of inactivity, which changes the security state of the device. This 72-hour timer can make a difference in preserving data for forensic tools. However, a forensic tool called GrayKey Preserve may have found a way to bypass this security feature. Developed by Magnet Forensics, the company behind GrayKey, the new tool can capture a specific state of the iPhone (After First Unlock or AFU) and keep it available even if the device later reboots or loses power. This includes preserving data that would normally disappear over time, such as cached locations, recently deleted photos, and deleted iMessages. While the exact method behind GrayKey Preserve remains unclear, it could involve manipulating the iPhone's clock or interfering with the processes that expire data. This development raises concerns about iPhone privacy, as the information Siri relies on still has to reside somewhere if someone gains physical access to the phone. Apple has emphasized privacy, with much of Apple Intelligence running on-device and more complex requests going through Private Cloud Compute. However, the underlying data on the iPhone needs protection as well. The timing of this GrayKey Preserve tool's emergence, just weeks after Apple's 2024 iOS update introducing the 72-hour auto-reboot feature, adds to the significance of this potential security loophole.",
  "summary": "A forensic tool reportedly found a way around one of the iPhone's lesser-known protections, just as Siri AI gains access to more of your personal context.",
  "key_points": [
    "iPhones automatically reboot after 72 hours of inactivity.",
    "GrayKey Preserve forensic tool may bypass this security feature.",
    "Tool captures specific iPhone state to preserve data."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}