ICE reportedly acquired GrayKey Preserve, a Magnet Forensics product; the acquisition was reported on October 8, 2026. The tool is reported to stop Apple’s automatic-restart timer on a locked iPhone and preserve the device’s state while authorities seek a warrant. A later data extraction is a separate step.
What GrayKey Preserve is reported to do
Apple’s automatic-restart feature was introduced in fall 2024. It restarts an iPhone that has remained locked for 72 hours or more. GrayKey Preserve is reported to halt that timer and maintain the device’s state while authorities seek a warrant.
Preserving the state of a phone is not the same as extracting its data. Maurice Drouin, a detective sergeant with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, said his agency uses Preserve weekly and that the tool itself extracts no data. Any extraction comes later as a separate step.
Reported use across at least six states
Law-enforcement agencies have reportedly used GrayKey Preserve in Georgia, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, New York and Rhode Island. The Center for Forensic Sciences in Onondaga County, New York, reported 71 uses of the technology.
