Apple is slated to release iOS 11 to all users this fall, but with the public beta available for anyone to try, some previously unannounced features have been discovered. According to a report from The Verge, a feature in the updated operating system allows users to easily change settings so your fingers can't unlock your iPhone using Touch ID. Pressing the power button on an iPhone rapidly five times will bring up an emergency screen, allowing you to either call 911 services or enter a passcode to enable Touch ID. Until you enter that passcode, Touch ID won't unlock your device.

This appears to be an easy way to disable Touch ID on the fly or when you're in a situation in which you may be forced to unlock your smartphone. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding border control agents searching electronic devices, often without an explanation. In February 2017, reportedly 5,000 devices were searched by Customs and Border Patrol, more than the number of devices searched in all of 2016.

Back in May, Ars spoke with Aaron Gach, an artist and college lecturer, who was stopped by border agents at San Francisco International Airport who asked him to hand over his iPhone so they could search it. When asked why the agents needed to check his smartphone, Gach wasn't given a straight answer. The agents only said they were looking for "information pertinent to our investigation."

This new trick in iOS 11 won't totally get you out of a situation like this—Customs and Border Patrol protocol states it can detain devices for five days or seek "technical assistance" when looking to search a device. At the very least, the new feature could temporarily prevent others from forcing you to unlock your smartphone with your fingerprint.

This feature currently only affects Touch ID in the iOS 11 public beta, but it's possible that a similar feature could roll out if Apple introduces facial-recognition unlocking in the next iPhone. Facial recognition is one of the many rumored features of the next iPhone model, presumably to be announced in September.