London’s Metropolitan Police and Apple are blaming each other for not stopping iPhone thefts. Thousands of phones are stolen every year, and both sides say the other is not doing enough. The Met Police says Apple has access to the National Mobile Phone Register (NMPR), a database of stolen devices.
According to The Telegraph, police claim Apple “uses it every day to check trade-in devices” but “does not check for theft or take action.” They say Apple could easily block stolen iPhones from being traded in but chooses not to.
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Apple disagrees. The company says the police should focus on “traditional policing.” Gary Davis from Apple told MPs in June 2025, “We are not seeing that.” He said Apple responds when police send proper requests for stolen devices but rarely receives them. Apple also pointed to its Find My network, which has helped break up large phone theft rings in London and recover stolen iPhones.
Apple’s response and new options
Apple highlights its Stolen Device Protection feature, which keeps thieves from unlocking or wiping stolen iPhones even if they know the passcode. It also locks devices to the original Apple ID, making them harder to resell. The company says it is now considering blocking a stolen phone’s IMEI number. Apparently, it would stop it from connecting to mobile networks anywhere in the world.
However, Apple warns that IMEI blocking could be abused. People might file fake theft reports and “brick” someone else’s phone. It also wouldn’t stop stolen iPhones from being broken down for parts.
Theft keeps rising in London
More than 80,000 phones were stolen in London in 2024, up from 64,000 the year before. About three-quarters are shipped abroad, mainly to China, Hong Kong, and Algeria. The Met estimates the total replacement cost for victims and insurers reached £50 million last year. Police say gangs that once sold drugs are now turning to smartphone theft, with links to knife crime and child exploitation.
A Neighbourhood Watch survey found that 28 percent of thefts involved phones snatched from hands, pockets, or bags. Another quarter were pickpocketed, and 22 percent were left unattended.
Government steps in
Chi Onwurah, head of the UK Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee, has written to the Home Secretary criticizing Apple, Google, and Samsung for not doing enough.
Until Apple and the Met Police agree on a common approach, Londoners will keep losing their phones and both sides will keep blaming each other.
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