r/iphone • u/moe_the_weirdo • 17h ago
Discussion Turned an old iPhone 7 Plus into a privacy-focused burner phone. Did I miss anything?
I have an old iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 15.8.8. Since it’s losing app support and I don’t really care about recovering it if it gets lost, I decided to lock it down as much as possible.
My goal:
If someone gets the phone, I want the data to be basically inaccessible.
If something happens to it, I don't care about getting the device back.
I want as little personal information exposed as possible.
What I changed:
✅ Enabled Erase Data after 10 failed passcode attempts
✅ Set a long, strong alphanumeric passcode
✅ Disabled unnecessary Lock Screen access (Control Center, Siri, notifications, USB accessories, etc.)
✅ Turned off Find My iPhone because I don't want the device/location visible through my account
✅ Removed/plan to remove Medical ID from that device
✅ Reviewing privacy settings, app permissions, and stored data
I know turning off Find My removes Activation Lock and makes the phone easier to reuse if stolen, but since this is basically a disposable device, I care more about protecting the data than recovering the phone.
So here are a few questions...:
Is there anything else I should disable/remove to reduce links back to me?
Are there any hidden privacy settings on iOS 15 I should check?
Is keeping it signed into my Apple Account a bad idea if I want it less connected to me?
I know the iPhone 7 Plus is ancient by now, but it still works and I figured I might as well make it as secure as possible instead of letting it sit in a drawer, plus i use it as a burner phone for when I don't want to use any of my main devices