Note to L.A. looters: Devices stolen from Apple Retail Stores are bricked

Looters ransack Apple Tower Theatre in Los Angeles, June 10, 2025
Apple devices stolen from Apple Retail Stores during looting are typically bricked — rendered inoperable — once they leave the store’s premises.
Apple employs proximity software and a “kill switch” that disables demo units, such as iPhones and iPads, when they are removed from the store’s Wi-Fi network. These devices display a message like, “This device has been disabled and is being track