During WWDC in June 2022, Apple introduced a new iOS 16 feature called Safety Check. This iPhone feature aims to lend support to users who are trapped in abusive relationships.

Let’s look at what Safety Check is in iOS 16, and exactly how it can help someone in an abusive relationship.

Introducing Safety Check in iOS 16

Safety Check empowers users to take back control when they sever ties with their abuser. It does this by allowing you to immediately stop sharing various data from your iPhone with other people, such as your location in the Find My app.

Safety Check serves as a way to help victims regain privacy if their iPhone data was previously monitored and used to the abuser’s advantage. To develop Safety Check, Apple worked with organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), and the Women’s Services Network (WESNET).

What Does Safety Check Do?

There are several ways to adjust an iPhone’s settings to boost privacy. But in abusive situations, it’s important that these methods are discreet.

Safety Check allows you to initiate an emergency reset of your sharing. This includes turning off location sharing via Find My, only allowing messages to be sent from the device you’re holding, signing out of iCloud on all other devices so that others are unable to view those messages, and changing your Apple ID password.

The feature also provides an overview of the people and apps you have granted permission to your data. Therefore, you can choose to customize your settings instead of revoking access to all of them, if you need to. Safety Check will not notify the people you decide to stop sharing information with.

When utilizing Safety Check within the vicinity of an abuser, you can also press the Quick Exit button to avoid discovery.

How Can Safety Check Help People in Abusive Relationships?

People in abusive relationships often need to leave their predicament at a moment’s notice. Knowing how to detect and disable unwanted Apple AirTags is the first step to avoiding stalking. Now with Safety Check, you can be even more assured that your iPhone will be your resourceful aid, rather than another remote-tracking device for an abuser.

For example, turning off location sharing will prevent an abuser from finding out where you are, solely based on your iPhone. Similarly, by ensuring that an abuser can’t access your messages on other devices, you can seek shelter or communicate with outside help, without worrying that they will be able to see your messages.

Safeguarding the Privacy of iPhone Users

Apple shares that Safety Check has received positive feedback from the National Center for Victims of Crime so far. Since technology extends to almost every aspect of our daily life, it seems that Safety Check is indeed a positive step towards ensuring that iPhones help, rather than hamper, people who have gathered the courage to leave an abusive environment.