Apple Files Patent For Secret iPhone Panic Mode

Just when we thought technology couldn’t get any better, MacWorld reports that Apple could be implementing a new, secret way to activate panic mode on your iPhone. It would allow you to unlock your phone with a specific finger and automatically limit access to personal information, reset the device altogether, or activate preset actions, like calling 911 or sounding an alarm. That is something we've always wished we had when walking through a dark parking garage at night.

But according to Business Insider, Apple filed a patent for this panic mode waaaay back in 2014. This pretty much underscores the idea that the function won’t necessarily be popping up on your iPhone 7. Patents are frequently filed to prevent competitors from launching similar products, and sometimes even as a form of marketing. It’d be too bad if either one of those were the case for Apple and panic mode doesn’t see the light of day — or the dark of night — for another year or more.

We wonder...if there were even more women on the product development team at Apple, would panic mode be fast-tracked? While beneficial to all iPhone owners, for us, it seems like a no-brainer and an added layer of security in an often-hostile world.


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