Security Question. Is iPhone / iPad More Secure if I stay Signed-out of Apple?

If you are not signed into the device, with find my activated, you can NOT use Find My to track, lock, or erase it. The thief will be free to erase it and use it as their own.

You’ll also lose the ability to sync data with the cloud, including contacts, calendars, etc. and to back up to the cloud.

No one is going to breach the security without both the passcode and your icloud credentials.

clickfix wrote:

Hi

I'm guessing that, if I stay 'signed-in' to Apple on my iPhone, then anyone who manages to breach my iPhone's Security Settings, could hi-jack my Apple Account.

Is it, therefore, better to - most of the time - stay 'signed-out' of Apple on my iPhone / iPad?

If I decide to only 'sign-in' when absolutely essential, but allow some stuff (like my Contact List) to be kept locally on my device (as well as on iCloud), what are the 'main' disadvantages to remaining 'signed-out' most of the time.

If my 'signed-out' device gets lost or stolen, I understand I can still use 'Find My iPhone / iPad' by visiting iCloud online, and signing-in there. Also understand that, when signing-out, I'm given the option to store 'some stuff' locally on the device, such as Contacts & Health Data (but don't think this includes 'Notes', which might be an inconvenience).

Not sure if there are any other major items I'd loose access to while 'signed-out'?

As I'm guessing I might get quite a few replies to this one, I might not be able to respond to all of them in a timely manner, so thanks 'to all' in advance for your thoughts.

You're understanding is incorrect. If you are not signed in to Apple on the phone directly, you cannot use Find My and to make this simpler, your question deserves an emphatic NO, you are not safer, signed out from Apple at all.

No, they can’t. They would need your icloud credentials. If you’ve turned on Stolen Device Protection, they would also need to be able to pass Face ID or Touch ID, to sign you out, as well as being located in a familiar location (your home or work, for example).

You're welcome. You are far safer staying signed into Apple and using the safeguards Apple has designed to protect you and your data.

So, if someone stole my iPhone (and successfully hacked the iPhone Passcode)

Unless your passcode is something really simple and non-secure like 000000 or 123456, no one is ever going to be able to guess your passcode in the 10 tries allowed before the phone security locks and passcode entry attempts are no longer possible.

The only way that anyone could learn your passcode would be if they were watching you enter the passcode. iPhone thieves call this "shoulder surfing".