Apple has launched a major change that will render stolen iPhones unusable, dealing a blow to snatching networks worth millions. The technology giant has struck a deal with the Metropolitan Police, ensuring that phones cannot be reactivated once reported stolen. Samsung and Google have also agreed to implement similar measures to combat the issue.
How the New System Works
Device identifiers, such as the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, will now be shared between law enforcement and tech companies. This allows authorities to track stolen phones, switch them off remotely, and detect when they reappear in circulation. The agreement aims to disrupt entire criminal networks and business models built around snatching phones from unsuspecting Londoners.
Operation Reckoning and Recent Successes
Officers recently launched Operation Reckoning, a 10-day enforcement drive targeting phone snatching gangs in London. Footage shows raids on shops accused of selling stolen phones and arrests using 'interceptors'. New technology, including drones and Sur-On e-bikes, has aided police in chasing thieves more effectively than cars or on foot.
Operation Reckoning is ongoing, but previous crackdowns have yielded results. In February, a four-week operation led to 248 arrests and the recovery of 770 stolen devices. A further 122 people were arrested for other offences. In April, the Met seized 1,000 suspected stolen phones during a raid in north-west London, arresting four men. That same month, three phone thieves pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods in a £180 million criminal operation, having trafficked up to 40,000 devices to China between 2024 and 2025.
Phone Snatching Statistics
Theft from the person and robbery offences involving mobile phones have dropped by 14,000 in the year to May 2026, an 18% reduction. In 2026 alone, offences are down by 6,700, a 20.6% reduction compared to 2025. In Westminster, a national hotspot, thefts have fallen by 45.8% this year, meaning 4,500 fewer phones stolen.
Police and Industry Leaders Speak Out
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has repeatedly called on companies to do more, giving them an ultimatum to step up or face legal changes. He said: 'For the first time, we are routinely sharing intelligence on stolen devices, building a joint picture of how these phones move and whether they reappear in circulation. That partnership is already making a difference. If stolen phones cannot be reactivated, their value collapses, and so does the incentive to steal them. We are driving up the risk for offenders while cutting off the reward.'
Sir Mark has also written to the Home Office requesting new laws to ensure 'minimum technical standards' so every reported stolen phone becomes unusable. Kate Adams, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Apple, stated: 'Keeping our users, their devices, and their data safe is at the heart of what we do. That includes building industry-leading security features that significantly reduce the motivation for criminals to target people in the first place.'
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: 'The Commissioner and I have been crystal clear that mobile phone crime cannot be solved by policing alone. Decisive and coordinated action from the mobile phone industry is long overdue to prevent stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed both here and across the globe. I've seen for myself how Google and Samsung have introduced some advanced security features and I welcome Apple and the Met reaching an agreement to protect mobile phone users, and make stolen phones unusable.'
