Magnet Forensics tools reportedly preserve access to locked iPhone data
A law-enforcement training video describes GrayKey features that may retain an iPhone’s After First Unlock state through a reboot, though their operation and effectiveness remain unclear.
Magnet Forensics has developed tools that reportedly preserve access to some iPhone data after the device’s inactivity reboot, according to a training video seen by 404 Media and reported by Engadget. The claims have not been independently verified in the supplied reporting.
Apple began adding an inactivity reboot feature to many iPhones in 2024. It restarts a device that has not been unlocked for more than 72 hours, returning it to a Before First Unlock state in which more data remains encrypted and access is harder.
The video reportedly describes a workaround in GrayKey Preserve and a new Evidence Preservation Mode for GrayKey, Magnet’s smartphone forensics product, which it primarily sells to police. It claims the tools can maintain the phone’s After First Unlock state even if the device reboots or loses power.
Magnet employees in the video also reportedly said the tools can prevent automatic deletion of some data, including cached locations and recently deleted messages and photos.
The video does not explain how the tools work. The reporting also does not establish which iPhone models, iOS versions or data types are affected, or whether the claimed capabilities work in practice.
