404 Media: Leaked video shows claimed GrayKey workaround for iPhone auto-reboot

On October 1, 2026, 404 Media published a report on a leaked video in which Magnet Forensics, the developer of the forensics tool GrayKey, demonstrates a new device called GrayKey Preserve. The same video shows an Evidence Preservation Mode for standard GrayKey devices. According to the company, these solutions freeze an iPhone in a state that makes it easier for police to access sensitive data on the device.

This concerns a feature Apple added to iOS in November 2024. If an iPhone has not been unlocked for 72 hours, the system reboots it on its own. The point of that reboot is to return the phone to a state that makes it harder for law enforcement to crack the device and extract data from it. 404 Media was the first to report on this feature.

Law enforcement expressed concern at the time: it is not always possible to start working with a seized phone right away. The reasons vary — waiting for a court order to access the device, or a backlog of devices that have already been seized. During that time the phone could reboot, and access to the data became harder.

Magnet Forensics sells GrayKey to law enforcement agencies. The tool can unlock iPhones and Android devices and access the data stored on them. The company describes the new solutions as a way to preserve a phone's state before anyone starts working with it.

An important caveat: for now this is the company's claim, based on a leaked video, rather than an independently confirmed demonstration of the tool in action. The article does not explain exactly how the state preservation works or what its limitations are, so its practical effectiveness cannot be considered proven.

The story fits into the long-running standoff between Apple and the companies that help police — and sometimes the authorities of authoritarian states — gain access to iPhones. Apple adds new protections, the developers of workarounds look for ways to get around them, and this cycle has continued for years.

Translation editors: Соловьев В., Пеков А.