They will do so when plugging into a charger?
(I don't oppose there being developer mode, I'm just adding that there are extra steps)
(I don't oppose there being developer mode, I'm just adding that there are extra steps)
After that, iOS users are sometimes prompted to enter their passcode on an unlocked device for things like updates. A user who doesn’t understand their phone (very common) or is distracted and has something they’re trying to do (basically everyone) could easily say “whatever, yes, trust this charger” then “ugh again!? Here’s my passcode” without even thinking about it.
Of the 9 family members I’m thinking of who use iPhones: 3 know enough not to do that, 4 know that “Don’t Trust” is probably the right answer but could be caught if they weren’t thinking about it, 2 would have no idea and it’s 50/50 which button they hit.
The passcode would never stop either of the last 2.
And this is why I consider modals "out of nowhere" to be the worst UX sin out there. And iOS is chock-full of these things. Low battery? In-your-face alert. System update? In-your-face alert, and then sneaky "enter passcode to install overnight" crap. Something about your Apple ID that you couldn't care less about? In-your-face alert. Plugged something in? In-your-face alert. No SIM card? In-your-face alert. An app failed to download? In-your-face alert.
It would've been much better if it was a notification. You'd only look for it if you know it should be there, for example when your computer doesn't see your phone.
This has usually been when the lightning port has been fouled by pocket lint or the cord has started going bad, but I bet it happens often enough to desensitize users (especially for people using off-brand cords) that it has been identified as a possible attack vector, and developer mode is the solution.