Metropolitan Police urges tech firms to disable stolen phones

The Metropolitan Police called on technology companies to make stolen phones harder to reactivate and reuse. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley asked the home secretary to introduce legislation requiring phone firms to publish data on stolen devices and to enforce measures that would render handsets unusable.

The force began sharing data with Apple to track what happens to stolen phones after theft, including whether they reconnect to networks. Sir Mark said only a minority of stolen phones are now being reactivated compared with recent months.

Data sharing and security changes Sir Mark told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that illicit software previously allowed thieves to factory-reset devices for resale abroad. Apple has now addressed the issue, and data shows the vast majority of phones stolen in London in recent weeks were not reset.

The Met also entered an intelligence-sharing agreement with Apple to understand criminal patterns and assess whether further security upgrades are needed. Samsung and Google are making similar security changes.

Theft trends and enforcement The number of phone thefts fell by 14,000 between June 2025 and May 2026, an 18 percent drop from the previous year. In Westminster, thefts and robberies involving phones declined 45.8 percent so far this year. A Home Office spokesperson said the government is equipping police with new powers to search properties without a warrant when stolen goods are electronically located.

The force has also deployed e-bikes, drones, and live facial recognition to deter street thefts. Sir Mark said the changes would make a massive difference even if they do not eliminate theft entirely. "If they can only be broken up for parts, if you start to make it harder for criminals, they will steal fewer of them," he said.