News

Apple Releases iOS 17.3 Featuring Stolen Device Protection

The new theft protection feature aims to safeguard personal data in the event an iPhone or iPad is stolen.

Published

3 years ago

January 24, 2024

Nour Nasir

Apple

Apple has rolled out the latest incremental system updates to its mobile and desktop operating systems, with iOS 17.3 bringing a noteworthy feature to iPhones and iPads dubbed Stolen Device Protection, aimed at safeguarding personal data in the event of theft.

In the unfortunate event of your iPhone or iPad being stolen, iOS 17.3 allows you to bar unauthorized access by forcing Face ID or Touch ID verification. The security measure remains effective even if a thief has your passcode and should render any attempts to access your device futile.

As an added security layer, iOS 17.3 introduces an automatic one-hour security delay before permitting passcode modifications if the device is detected in an unfamiliar location. While Stolen Device Protection may not entirely deter thieves, it significantly complicates their efforts.

Also Read: Samsung Unpacked 2024: Key Product Announcements

iOS 17.3 also introduces minor enhancements such as collaborative playlists in Apple Music, support for AirPlay in hotels, improved crash detection, and a collection of new wallpapers commemorating Black History Month.

The following iOS devices support iOS 17.3:

iPhone Xs
iPhone Xs Max
iPhone XR (from 2018 onwards)
iPhone 11
iPhone 12
iPhone 13
iPhone 14
iPhone 15
iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd-gen)

Meanwhile, iPadOS 17.3 extends support to various models, including:

iPad Mini (5th-gen and later)
Standard iPad (6th-gen and later)
iPad Air (3rd-gen and later)
All iPad Pro models

Users can check for the update in their system settings.

To enable Stolen Device Protection, navigate to the “Face ID & Passcode” section within the Settings menu. Activating it is as simple as scrolling down and toggling the “Stolen Device Protection” switch from “Off” to “On”. No further configuration is necessary.

News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.