Here's how to enable Apple's iCloud encryption at heart of UK privacy fight

By Mark Gurman

 

Apple Inc.’s feature to enable end-to-end encryption for user iCloud accounts has come under fire in the UK, where government officials want the company to disable it and build a backdoor that lets them access data. 

 

The mechanism, called Advanced Data Protection, upgrades the standard security used for most iCloud features to end-to-end encryption, a system that makes it more difficult for a user’s data to be accessed by governments or hackers. With the feature, things like iCloud data backups, photos, notes, reminders, files and text messages receive that more powerful protection. 

 

Apple rolled the feature out at the end of 2022 but the option has remained somewhat under-the-radar. It’s not seen as a capability that everyone needs. And there’s a risk of people enabling it and then forgetting their passwords. That would lead to them being locked out of their accounts, with more limited ways to retrieve the encrypted data. But for some customers, the extra protection is helpful peace of mind and necessary. 

 

To enable it on an iPhone, Mac or iPad, users can go to the Settings app and click on their Apple account. They then open the iCloud panel, scroll to the bottom and select Advanced Data Protection. The user will then be prompted with a menu to set it up.

 

On its website, Apple provides a document outlining the differences between the end-to-end encryption and the standard option, as well as instructions for switching it on. In order to use Advanced Data Protection, a user needs to set up a trusted account recovery contact or download a special recovery key. 

 

If the UK ultimately succeeds in its fight with Apple, the iPhone maker will likely need to remove the feature for users in the UK, Bloomberg News reported earlier on Friday.