Apple has teamed up with the Metropolitan Police in a new data-sharing partnership that uses a kill switch to make stolen iPhones unusable and worthless to thieves. The landmark deal is designed to protect mobile phone users and render stolen handsets completely unusable.
How the kill switch works
Under the new agreement, stolen device identifiers will be shared between the Met and Apple, creating a joint intelligence picture to track handsets and determine whether they resurface in circulation. Apple has implemented stolen device protection as a default setting for all users in a recent global software update.
The Met is pressing the Home Secretary to compel phone companies to make stolen devices harder to reuse. Chief Sir Mark Rowley has been campaigning to turn stolen handsets into unusable bricks. In March, he issued an ultimatum calling on telecoms giants to take decisive action.
Impact on crime rates
Sir Mark Rowley said: 'I gave an ultimatum to tech firms – take urgent steps to prevent stolen phones from being resold and reused, or we will call on Government to step in and legislate. 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.'
In the 12 months from June 2025 to May 2026, thefts and robberies involving stolen phones dropped by 14,000, an 18 per cent reduction. The first five months of 2026 recorded 6,700 fewer incidents, a fall of 20.6 per cent. In Westminster, where 69-72 per cent of personal thefts involve mobile phones, incidents have reduced by 45.8 per cent so far this year.
Global trade in stolen phones
The global trade in stolen handsets is valued at millions of dollars, with devices taken in London fetching higher prices in countries like China. The Met has uncovered adverts on Snapchat offering youngsters up to £380 to steal a single iPhone, with a £100 bonus for stealing 10.
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information legislation reveal that between 2017 and February 2024, 587,498 mobile phones were stolen across London, but only 13,998 were recovered, leaving 573,500 unaccounted for. The Met ranks among the worst forces in England and Wales for solving such crimes.
Sir Mark added: 'We are already seeing, whereas a few months ago the majority of stolen phones were being reactivated because of security flaws, now with the security improvements it is the minority being reactivated. That means it is harder for criminals to profit, which will help bring down crime further.'
