iOS 27.2 Update Will Overwrite iPhone Storage With Blank Data When Erasing It

Apple’s upcoming iOS 27.2 software update will gain a new privacy and security feature that will see it overwrite its storage with blank data when it has been erased.

While Apple only released iOS 27 to the public earlier this week, and the iOS 27.1 update is penciled in for the iPhone Duo, the iOS 27.2 beta is expected to be released next month.

For now, the first beta update is available for testing, and a new feature has been spotted by 9to5Mac.

While erasing the data from an iPhone is nothing new, computer science experts know that no data is ever fully erased until it has been overwritten. With that in mind, Apple is adding a new feature to overwrite an iPhone’s storage with blank data for additional security.

However, Apple’s current, encryption-based system should already be plenty secure — Apple says that any data erasure process sees the device’s encryption keys deleted, which makes data impossible to access.

Apple warns that the process will take longer than the standard data-erasing feature and that it could affect the device’s lifespan. However, it’s also been discovered that the feature will only be available to those in China, where Apple is set to comply with upcoming data-erasure standards.

That’s because a new Chinese standard taking effect on January 1, 2027, will require smartphones and other electronic devices to offer a way to more thoroughly erase stored data, including through methods such as overwriting it.

The report notes that the new Chinese data-erasure feature is also set to come to the iPad, HomePod, and Apple Vision Pro.