This iOS 26 feature is wreaking havoc on iPhone 17 trade-ins — here’s how to deal with it

Are you looking to trade your older iPhone in for an iPhone 17? That’s great, as the iPhone 17 launch is underway and they’re available at Apple Stores around the country, though they’re selling quickly. But the phones selling out might not be your biggest concern, as an iOS 26 feature is actually delaying trade-ins.

The issue revolves around the Stolen Device Protection feature, which is actually great for keeping your phone from being used by thieves. If you’re not in a trusted location, you can’t make any major changes to your phone for an hour. This would prevent a thief from, for example, turning off the Find My tracking service. That sounds ideal.

It’s less ideal when you have to wait an hour to disable the feature, especially when you aren’t in a trusted location (which an Apple Store or your local carrier store, just to trade in your old phone. This is happening all around the country as users purchase iPhone 17 devices with trade-ins — you can’t trade an iPhone in with Find My turned on. To be affected, you’ll need to have Stolen Device Protection on, as it’s not on by default.

A reader told our sister site TechRadar that the feature was “causing havoc” on launch day, as users scrambled to get their new phone while disposing of their old one.

How to ensure your iPhone is ready to trade in

The solution is simple: turn Find My off before you leave for the store. This way, you’ll be in a trusted location and can turn it off right away without waiting an hour. From there, you can safely head to the Apple Store (or wherever you’re buying your shiny new iPhone from) without issue. It’s all about planning ahead.

It’s worth noting that Apple has a detailed guide that runs through everything you need to know about trading in your iPhone, but with the launch day hysteria, it’s easy to see how people missed this.

When you’re done here be sure to check out all of our new iPhone reviews so you know which one to buy.

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New iPhone review scorecard

iPhone 17: ★★★★½ “The iPhone 17 gets some of the biggest upgrades in years for Apple’s entry-level flagship, all without costing any more than previous models.”
iPhone Air: ★★★½ The iPhone Air delivers remarkable performance in a super thin and light design that’s also surprisingly tough, but you have to make some trade-offs for its $999 price.”
iPhone 17 Pro: ★★★★ “Smaller than its Pro Max sibling, the iPhone 17 Pro gets all the same upgrades that make it a stellar flagship, including double the storage, brilliant Center Stage camera, and a redesign that makes it look like an instant classic. The only thing missing is more AI features.”
iPhone 17 Pro Max: ★★★★½ “The iPhone 17 Pro Max is a stellar flagship phone based on my testing. You get a more powerful zoom, better sustained performance helped by vapor chamber cooling and improved durability in a head-turning design with the longest iPhone battery life ever. Just don’t expect “wow” AI features.”