A new feature in iOS 17.5 called "Repair State" keeps Find My enabled on devices being sent in for repair.
iOS 17.5 will introduce a new Repair State feature
Users have to disable Find My when sending in a device for repair, but that will change once iOS 17.5 is released. A new Repair State feature will keep Find My enabled throughout the repair process.
Code referencing the feature was originally discovered by 9to5mac in the latest iOS 17.5 beta, which was released on Tuesday to authorized developers. The new feature aims to make repairs easier for both consumers and repair technicians, by eliminating the requirement for Find My removal.
Prior to Repair State, the requirement that Find My to be disabled ensured that neither Apple nor an authorized service center ended up unknowingly working on a stolen iPhone.
With iOS 17.3, Apple introduced a security delay as a part of Stolen Device Protection, which requires users to wait an extra hour before FindMy can be disabled when away from significant locations. It is a feature that prevents unauthorized users from changing the user's password or accessing critical data.
Dealing with that time delay will no longer be necessary with the new Repair State feature, but it appears to lack a critical component -- there is currently no way of disabling the feature in the beta.
It's also possible the move was intentional. Apple may have chosen not to implement an option to exit the Repair State unless you're an authorized repair technician.
iOS 17.5 remains a relatively minor update, though Apple is expected to announce its next generation of operating systems at WWDC on June 10.