The Metropolitan Police is intensifying its efforts to combat phone theft by partnering with Apple and advocating for new legislation to make stolen devices impossible to reuse. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has described the initiative as a crusade to turn stolen handsets into 'unusable bricks.'
Data sharing with Apple
On Thursday, the force announced that it has begun sharing data with Apple to monitor whether stolen phones are reconnected to networks after theft. Speaking after an operation targeting two phone shops in north London, Sir Mark explained that this collaboration will provide a global perspective on the fate of stolen devices. 'If we share the data we have on the phone stolen, with the data they have on reactivations and future uses, we can get a global picture,' he told the Press Association. He noted that security improvements have already reduced the number of reactivated stolen phones, making it harder for criminals to profit.
Legislative push
The Met has written to the Home Secretary requesting legislation that would require phone companies to publish data on stolen devices and enforce measures to render them unusable. Sir Mark issued an ultimatum in March, calling on telecoms giants to take action or face government intervention. 'If stolen phones cannot be reactivated, their value collapses, and so does the incentive to steal them,' he said.
Snapchat adverts targeting children
In the UK, the Met has observed adverts on Snapchat offering children up to £380 for stealing a single iPhone, with a £100 bonus for stealing 10. This highlights the scale of the problem, as London has some of the highest rates of personal robbery and theft in England and Wales, with phones being a significant target.
Reduction in thefts
The force reported that in the 12 months from June 2025 to May 2026, phone thefts and robberies fell by 14,000, an 18% reduction from the previous year. In the first five months of this year, there were 6,700 fewer incidents, a drop of 20.6%. In Westminster, where 69% to 72% of thefts involve phones, the reduction has been 45.8% so far this calendar year.
Recovery rates remain low
Despite these improvements, recovery rates are low. Between 2017 and February 27, 2024, 587,498 phones were stolen in London (excluding the City), with only 13,998 recovered. The Met also solves a small proportion of these offences: in the year to December 2025, 6.9% of personal robbery cases led to a suspect being identified, and only 0.9% for theft from the person.
The international trade in stolen phones is worth millions of dollars. Devices stolen in London can fetch higher prices in countries like China due to fewer government restrictions. At a conference in March, the Met called for anti-theft protection to be default-enabled, stolen phones to be rendered unusable, and better access to IMEI data to facilitate returns to owners.
