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Devices & OS

Lockdown Mode on iPhone, iPad and Mac

Turn on Apple's optional extreme protection for people who may be personally targeted by sophisticated spyware, and understand what it blocks and what it leaves open.

  • High threat
  • Time 15 minutes
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Last verified against 0 iOS 16 or later, 1 iPadOS 16 or later, 2 macOS Ventura or later, 3 watchOS 10 or later, 4 Stolen Device Protection: iOS 17.3 or later

What this protects, and what it doesn't

Protects

  • Against attacks that arrive through message attachments, link previews and complex web content, by blocking or limiting those features.
  • Against unexpected FaceTime calls and Apple service invitations from people you have not contacted before.
  • Against connections to accessories or computers while the device is locked, and against installing configuration profiles or enrolling in device management.
  • Against automatic joining of non-secure Wi-Fi networks, and (on iPhone and iPad) against 2G and 3G cellular connections.

Does not protect

  • It does not protect a device that is out of date. Apple recommends updating to the latest software.
  • It does not stop you from being tricked into giving away a password, a passcode or a recovery code.
  • It does not protect your other devices: it must be turned on separately on each iPhone, iPad and Mac.
  • It does not protect you once you exclude an app, website or contact: Apple warns that exclusions reduce protection.
  • It is not the same as Stolen Device Protection, which defends against someone who has your phone and your passcode.

Prerequisites

  • An iPhone or iPad on iOS/iPadOS 16 or later, or a Mac on macOS Ventura or later. Apple adds further protections from iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma.
  • Your device passcode (or Mac user password) to confirm the change.
  • A written threat model that says you may be personally targeted. See <a href="/en/privacy-guides/threat-model">Threat modeling: start here</a>.

Step by step

  1. Decide whether you need it

    Apple describes Lockdown Mode as an optional, extreme protection designed for the very few people who, because of who they are or what they do, might be personally targeted by sophisticated digital threats. Most people are never targeted by attacks of this kind.

    It changes how several apps behave, so expect some websites, attachments and invitations to stop working. If your threat model lands on High (journalists, activists, people in sensitive public or legal roles, or anyone who has received a threat notification), turn it on.

  2. Update the device first

    Install the latest iOS, iPadOS or macOS before anything else. Lockdown Mode needs iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 10 or macOS Ventura, and Apple adds further protections from iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma. Apple recommends updating to the latest software for the newest protections.

    Keep automatic updates on afterwards. Lockdown Mode reduces the ways in, but it does not replace security fixes.

  3. Turn it on: iPhone and iPad

    1. Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
    2. Scroll down and tap Lockdown Mode, then tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.
    3. Tap Turn On Lockdown Mode again, then Turn On & Restart, and enter your passcode.

    Turning it on for an iPhone also turns it on for a paired Apple Watch on watchOS 10 or later. Incoming calls will then not ring on the Watch.

  4. Turn it on: Mac

    1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
    2. Scroll to Lockdown Mode and click Turn On.
    3. Click Turn on Lockdown Mode (enter your user password if asked), then Turn On & Restart.

    Each device is separate. Turn it on on every iPhone, iPad and Mac you use.

  5. Know what it restricts

    • Messages: most attachment types are blocked, except certain images, video and audio. Links and link previews are unavailable.
    • Web browsing: certain complex web technologies are blocked. Some sites may load slowly or not work, and web fonts and images may not display.
    • FaceTime: incoming calls are blocked unless you called that person or contact in the previous 30 days. SharePlay and Live Photos are unavailable.
    • Apple services: incoming invitations are blocked unless you invited that person before. Game Center is turned off.
    • Photos: location is left out when you share photos, shared albums are removed and new shared album invitations are blocked.
    • Device connections: an iPhone or iPad must be unlocked to connect to an accessory or computer. A Mac laptop with Apple silicon needs to be unlocked and needs your explicit approval.
    • Wireless: the device does not join non-secure Wi-Fi automatically and disconnects from one. 2G and 3G cellular support is turned off on iPhone and iPad.
    • Configuration profiles: they cannot be installed, and the device cannot be enrolled in mobile device management or supervision. A device that was already enrolled stays managed.

    Phone calls, plain text messages and emergency SOS keep working.

  6. Exclude only what you trust, and as little as possible

    Apple lets you exclude trusted websites, apps and contacts, and warns that every exclusion reduces your protection.

    • A website on iPhone or iPad: in Safari open the page menu, tap Website Settings and turn off Lockdown Mode. Review the list in Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Customize Web Sites.
    • A website on Mac: in Safari open the settings for that website and deselect Enable Lockdown Mode, or review the list in Safari > Settings > Websites > Lockdown Mode.
    • An app on iPhone or iPad: Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Customize Web Sites (Apple's support page uses this label for the app list too), then turn off the app you want to exclude. Only apps you opened since turning Lockdown Mode on, and whose features were limited, appear in the list.
    • A contact (iOS, iPadOS and macOS 27 or later): Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Customize Contacts > Add Contact.

    Write down every exclusion and review the list from time to time. Remove anything you no longer need.

  7. Turn on Stolen Device Protection too (separate setting)

    Stolen Device Protection is a different feature with a different job. It adds a layer of security when your iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work: some actions require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback, and critical changes such as your Apple Account password add a one-hour security delay.

    1. Requirements: iOS 17.3 or later, two-factor authentication on your Apple Account, a device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, Significant Locations and Find My turned on.
    2. Open Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and turn on Stolen Device Protection. It may already be on.

    It only helps if it is already on when the phone is lost or stolen.

  8. Know what a real Apple threat notification looks like

    Apple sends threat notifications when it has high confidence that someone has been individually targeted by a mercenary spyware attack. A real one reaches you in three ways: an alert on the iPhone Lock Screen and in Settings, an email to the addresses on your Apple Account, and a banner at the top of the page after you sign in to account.apple.com.

    Apple says these notifications never ask you to click links, open files, or install apps or profiles. To check a message you received, do not use any link in it: type account.apple.com yourself and sign in.

    If you get a genuine notification, Apple recommends turning on Lockdown Mode and getting expert help, for example from the Access Now Digital Security Helpline.

Common mistakes

  • Turning it on only on the phone, while the Mac or iPad that holds the same accounts stays unprotected.
  • Excluding a website or app as soon as it stops working, instead of using another device for that task.
  • Postponing updates because "Lockdown Mode is on". It reduces the attack surface; it does not replace security fixes.
  • Confusing it with Stolen Device Protection. They defend against different threats; most at-risk people want both.
  • Trusting a "threat notification" that arrives with a link or attachment. Apple says its notifications never ask you to click links or install anything.

Going further

Combine Lockdown Mode with a strong alphanumeric passcode, passkeys or hardware security keys on your Apple Account, and a hardened messaging setup (see Signal hardening). Apple's Platform Security guide explains how Lockdown Mode works at the system level.