This iOS 26 feature is causing drama at Apple Stores for iPhone 17 trade-ins – here’s how to avoid the same mistake

• Disabling Find My is taking up to an hour for some iPhone users
• It's an essential step before trading up to a new iPhone 17
• The delay is part of the Stolen Device Protection security feature

The iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are all available to pick up in Apple Stores from today, but some upgraders who are trading in their existing iPhones are hitting a frustrating problem when trying to make the swap.

At the core of the issue is the Stolen Device Protection feature introduced to iPhones with iOS 17.3. This super-secure mode is designed to deter thieves by putting a one-hour delay on any suspicious changes that are made outside of a user's trusted locations.

Now, turning off the Find My tracking service – which you have to do when trading in an iPhone – counts as a suspicious change, and a public Apple Store counts as an untrusted location, which means people are having to wait around for an hour to hand over their old phones.

One TechRadar reader told us that they'd been hit by this very issue in an Apple Store, and that it was "causing havoc" on launch day. We've also seen long lines ourselves at the Apple Store in New York as people make the switch.

Plan ahead

So, if you are planning to trade in an existing iPhone for a shiny new one, make sure that you get everything ready before you leave home, including turning off Find My. As you're in a trusted place, iOS will let you do this without delay, with biometric authentication.

Bear in mind too that this only applies if you've enabled Stolen Device Protection – it's not on by default. You can check if your own Apple handset has it turned on by heading to iOS Settings, then Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection.

And if you're reading this while sitting in a queue at an Apple Store, there is actually also a workaround: head into the Find My app, open the info card for your iPhone, then tap Remove. You should then be asked if you want to prepare your device for trade-in, and you can enter your Apple password to confirm.

Should you need more details, Apple has a comprehensive guide on everything you need to do to swap your old iPhone for a new one, including disabling Find My. Get all of that done in advance, and you'll save yourself some time in store.

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