Because the reboots make it harder to unlock these iPhones, law enforcement officials, according to a document obtained by 404 Media, say that the rebooting could be part of a new security feature. The theory is once an iPhone is disconnected from a cellular network for a period of time,

Jiska Classen appears to have solved the mystery. Apple quietly rolled out a new feature in iOS 18.1 that reboots a user's iPhone if it has not been unlocked for a certain period of time. The new feature causing police headaches is called "inactivity reboot."

Apple has apparently created a new feature for iOS 18.1 that makes it difficult for brute-force machines to unlock an iPhone.

A new report from 404 Media says that law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan believe that iOS 18 includes a “new security feature that tells nearby iPhones to reboot if they have been disconnected from a cellular network for some time.

Law enforcement agencies around the country are scrambling to check confiscated iPhones after a report they may be automatically locking themselves down. Police in Detroit have circulated a document that suggests iOS 18 added an unannounced security feature that causes the phones to reboot.