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A leaked Magnet Forensics training video reportedly describes a way for its GrayKey tools to preserve an iPhone’s After First Unlock (AFU) state even if the phone reboots. If the capability works as described, it could blunt the practical effect of Apple’s 72-hour inactivity reboot—but the report does not independently verify the claim, explain how it works, or establish which iPhones it supports.
What the leaked video reportedly claims
On October 1, 2026, 404 Media reported that it obtained a Magnet Forensics tutorial video made for law-enforcement agents. The video appears to date from early 2025, so the October 2026 report is not evidence that the feature was newly developed that week.
In the video, a Magnet employee describes a device called GrayKey Preserve and an Evidence Preservation Mode for regular GrayKey devices. The employee says the tools capture AFU state and retain it through a reboot, memory maintenance, or loss of power. Those are vendor claims relayed by 404 Media, not independently demonstrated results.
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The employee also says that, after initial access, the tool disables Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular transmissions, including when Control Center cannot be used to turn them off. The tutorial reportedly shows an interface displaying the phone’s model and software version rather than its data, so officers can preserve the device before receiving authorization to inspect its contents.
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The feature is also described as preserving some data that iOS otherwise removes or expires over time, including cached locations and recently deleted photos and iMessages. The video’s employee called it “an absolute game changer for iOS forensics” and said some data could be preserved “for an infinite amount of time.” Neither phrase establishes an independently verified capability or duration.
Why the 72-hour reboot matters
According to 404 Media’s account, Apple introduced an inactivity reboot in iOS in 2024. If an iPhone goes 72 hours without being unlocked, it reboots into a state that makes forensic access more difficult. Investigators may not be able to attempt access immediately after seizing a phone: the report cites delays while waiting for court authorization or a forensic lab to become available.
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If GrayKey can preserve AFU through that reboot, as the video claims, the reboot may not have its intended practical effect on a device that the tool reached while it was still in AFU. That conclusion is conditional: the available reporting does not establish that the feature succeeds on a particular phone, or that it has been used successfully in an investigation.
AFU and BFU: what changes after a reboot
AFU means After First Unlock: the iPhone has been unlocked at least once since it last booted. BFU means Before First Unlock: it has not yet been unlocked after boot. They are different security conditions, not labels for whether the entire phone is encrypted or exposed.
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| State | What it means | Forensic-access context |
|---|---|---|
| AFU | The phone has been unlocked at least once since boot. | 404 Media reports that some data is more accessible to forensic tools in this state; that does not mean all data is accessible or unencrypted. |
| BFU | The phone has not been unlocked since boot. | 404 Media says certain sensitive data is encrypted and passcode attacks can be substantially harder; this does not mean every kind of access is impossible. |
The inactivity reboot matters because it can move a phone into the more restrictive BFU condition. The reported GrayKey capability is significant precisely because the vendor says it can retain AFU state despite a reboot.
How the tool may work—and what has not been established
The video does not explain the mechanism. iPhone security researcher Jiska Classen of the Hasso Plattner Institute told 404 Media that it is impossible to know for sure from the video. She suggested the tool might manipulate the clock or disable tasks that cause data to expire; these are theories, not confirmed explanations.
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The reports do not provide an independent lab demonstration, a tested list of iPhone models or iOS releases, an independently confirmed count of affected phones, or documentation of a successful investigation using the preservation feature. Apple and Magnet Forensics did not respond to 404 Media’s request for comment before publication.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallMagnet’s general GrayKey footprint should not be mistaken for adoption of this specific feature. Gizmodo reported that Magnet said GrayKey was used by more than 1,200 agencies in 40 countries. That vendor-attributed figure concerns GrayKey generally, not GrayKey Preserve or Evidence Preservation Mode.
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Does this work on your iPhone?
The available reporting does not establish compatibility with any particular iPhone model or iOS version, nor does it show that the claimed preservation method works in every case. This is specialized forensic equipment discussed in a law-enforcement training video, not a consumer feature with a published compatibility list. The reporting also offers no supported consumer accessory or setting that counters the claim, so it does not justify buying a particular product or changing phones.
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