Face ID Is Broken and Stolen Device Protection Is On: NOW WHAT?
We recently faced a frustrating case that highlights one of the most inconvenient parts of Apple's Stolen Device Protection feature.
The Problem
A customer brought in an iPhone that had been in a motorcycle accident.
When Face ID Fails, So Does Your Access
The device was damaged, and more importantly, Face ID no longer worked. Unfortunately, Stolen Device Protection had been enabled, which made it impossible to disable security settings without Face ID.
That wouldn’t be a huge problem if we could just connect the phone to a computer and back up the data but this security feature blocks backups over USB when Stolen Device Protection is active.
To make matters worse, the phone had no connectivity at all due to a damaged motherboard, meaning we couldn’t even back up to iCloud.
Why This Feature Can Be a Headache
While Apple’s Stolen Device Protection is a great tool for theft prevention, it also creates real obstacles when devices are damaged and owners need access to their own data. In this case, the user was locked out of all standard backup methods because:
Face ID was broken
iCloud was inaccessible
USB backups were blocked
This situation is exactly why you might want to think twice before enabling this feature unless you’re sure you’ll have working Face ID and a stable internet connection.
How a Lightning to Ethernet Adapter Saved the Day
Since both standard backup options were off the table, we had to move on to Plan C — using a Lightning to Ethernet adapter. This tool lets the iPhone connect to the internet via a physical Ethernet cable.
We plugged the adapter directly into the router, and to our surprise, it worked. The phone established a connection, giving us access to the internet. With that, we were finally able to initiate an iCloud backup for the customer.
The Outcome
Thanks to this workaround, we successfully backed up the customer’s data, despite the limitations of the device and Apple’s security settings.
It’s not a guaranteed fix. Lightning to Ethernet doesn’t always work but in this case, it was a lifesaver.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, security features like Stolen Device Protection are meant to keep your data safe but in rare situations like this, they can also become major obstacles. Whether it's a damaged Face ID sensor or a lost internet connection, it's important to know your options ahead of time.
If you're ever stuck in a similar situation, don’t panic. There are creative solutions and we're here to help you find them.
Stay smart, stay repaired. See you in the next article!
Video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_z0p5CTZl0k
