Apple Tests Feature That Could Hamper Investigators’ Access to iPhones

New software change, which could plug a security loophole, would risk angering law-enforcement agencies

Apple Inc. said it is working on a new security feature that could make it harder for investigators to retrieve data from iPhones, the latest twist in its long-running standoff with law-enforcement agencies over user privacy.

The new software feature, called USB Restricted Mode, is being beta-tested by Apple. It prevents other devices—personal computers, for example—from accessing data on the iPhone via its Lightning port an hour after a phone is last unlocked.

...