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No public evidence establishes that police can unlock every iPhone with Cellebrite. Cellebrite says its Spring 2026 release supports iPhone 17 and iOS 26, but that is a vendor coverage claim—not proof that every model, software build, passcode, or security state can be bypassed. The phrase “any iPhone” comes from reporting on a 2019 announcement and should not be read as a current guarantee.
Where the “any iPhone” claim came from
The broad wording traces to a June 14, 2019 WIRED report about Cellebrite’s UFED Premium announcement. That was coverage of the company’s claim at the time, not a guarantee covering iPhones released or updated since then. WIRED’s 2019 report is useful historical context, but it does not establish what can be accessed today.
What Cellebrite says it supports in 2026
In a March 31, 2026 announcement, Cellebrite said its Spring release expands device access, “including support for iPhone 17 and iOS 26.” Its Spring 2026 product page specifies iOS 26.3 and iPhone 17 coverage. These are the company’s statements about product coverage; they are not an independently verified success rate or proof that every device in those categories can be unlocked.
Cellebrite’s Advanced Forensic Lab Services page describes work involving newer Apple devices, passcode access, and after-first-unlock (AFU) access. The company says the advanced services are available only to law enforcement with legal authority to access the phones. The public description does not supply a complete model-by-model compatibility matrix or enough detail to infer universal success.
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Why “supported” does not mean “always unlockable”
“Unlock” can describe different outcomes. A forensic effort might seek to gain device access, bypass a passcode, or collect particular data; those are not interchangeable, and access to a phone does not necessarily mean recovery of everything stored on it. The public sources do not establish a single method or outcome that applies to all iPhones.
The result can depend on details that a broad support statement does not resolve:
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- Model and hardware generation: capabilities for one iPhone generation do not prove the same result for every model.
- Exact iOS version and patch level: compatibility can depend on the installed software, not just the iOS family name.
- Device state: whether the phone has been unlocked since it was restarted can affect what data is accessible.
- Enabled protections: features such as Lockdown Mode may affect a particular attempt.
- What “access” means: passcode bypass, device access, and extraction of specific data are distinct claims.
- Evidence type: a vendor’s support statement is different from independent testing or a documented case result.
Cellebrite’s public materials do not fill these variables with a complete, independently verified table of outcomes. A claim about a particular phone therefore needs to be evaluated against that phone’s configuration and the specific kind of access being claimed.
What the Lockdown Mode case does—and does not—show
The Associated Press reported on February 12, 2026, citing a court filing, that FBI agents’ Computer Analysis Response Team “could not extract” data from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s iPhone while Lockdown Mode was enabled. This is evidence of a reported failure in one particular case and configuration—not proof that Lockdown Mode defeats every forensic tool or that future attempts would fail. AP’s account of the case provides the individual context.
How Apple’s passcode-bypass dispute is different
Apple’s FAQ about an earlier government request says the government sought a special iOS version that would bypass lock-screen protections and permit electronic passcode attempts. Apple argued that creating such a capability could expose users to abuse. Its stated position was: “The only way to guarantee that such a powerful tool isn’t abused and doesn’t fall into the wrong hands is to never create it.” That dispute concerns Apple’s objection to building a government-requested bypass; it is not an evaluation of how Cellebrite’s current commercial forensic services work. Apple’s customer-letter FAQ explains its position.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to conclude about a locked iPhone
Police access to a locked iPhone is possible in some circumstances, and Cellebrite publicly claims support for current devices including iPhone 17 and iOS 26. But the available public evidence does not establish that police can unlock any iPhone, that a supported device will always yield access, or that all its data can be recovered. For a specific phone, the model, exact iOS build, security settings, device state, and the requested type of access all matter.
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