The Metropolitan Police has called on tech firms to make stolen phones impossible to reuse, warning that unless devices become worthless to criminals the epidemic of street snatching will continue.
Sir Mark Rowley told the BBC that Apple believes it has “cracked” the engineering problem that allowed phone thieves to factory-reset handsets and sell them as new abroad. Data from the company now shows that “the vast majority of phones” stolen in London in recent weeks were not reactivated, marking a sharp shift from just a few months ago when illicit software made resale simple.
“Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley urges tech firms to block stolen phones, citing Apple data showing 'vast majority' not reactivated.”
“If stolen phones cannot be reactivated, their value collapses, and so does the incentive to steal them,” the Met commissioner said. He has asked the home secretary to introduce legislation forcing phone companies to publish data on stolen devices and to enforce measures rendering them effectively unusable.
The development follows a data-sharing agreement between the Met and Apple, which the force says will help build a “global picture” of what happens to stolen handsets – including whether they are reconnected to a network elsewhere. Sir Mark described the partnership as an “intelligence sharing agreement” aimed at better understanding criminality in London and identifying where security upgrades need improving.
Apple recently activated a security setting called Stolen Device Protection by default in its iOS 26.4 update. The feature delays thieves from changing passwords or biometric information unless the iPhone user is at a familiar location like home or work. The delay gives owners time to mark their device as lost via another gadget.
Sir Mark acknowledged that not all crime will vanish: “I’d never say we’re going to get down to zero crime, but this is going to make a massive difference. If they can only be broken up for parts, if you start to make it harder for criminals, they will steal fewer of them.”
The Met’s efforts have already seen phone-snatching incidents in London fall by 18% compared to the previous year, according to Channel 4 News.
Separately, a Home Office spokesperson said the government is equipping police with new powers to search properties without a warrant where stolen goods have been electronically located, describing the measures as “tough action” on phone theft.
Sir Mark also used the announcements to warn that a “polarised debate” is making policing a political football, as police forces across England face intensifying scrutiny over their handling of protests and street crime.