--- title: FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement Unlock iPhones description: The FBI said it would try to help local law enforcement agencies to open locked phones and other devices in an advisory on Friday canonical: https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-02T14:00:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:50:37.292Z article:section: Politics og:title: FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement With Locked iPhones og:description: "The FBI will of course consider any tool that might be helpful to our partners" og:url: https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2430be5e9eb6cda/69888d75196cf4ae9103b033/apple-phone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: U.S.-NEW YORK-DISTRICT COURT-APPLE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement With Locked iPhones twitter:description: "The FBI will of course consider any tool that might be helpful to our partners" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2430be5e9eb6cda/69888d75196cf4ae9103b033/apple-phone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement With Locked iPhones > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3722b1ea-9227-4222-8532-f986ecbf6bab&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3722b1ea-9227-4222-8532-f986ecbf6bab&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=3722b1ea-9227-4222-8532-f986ecbf6bab&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3722b1ea-9227-4222-8532-f986ecbf6bab&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: FBI offers to help local agencies unlock phones [Watch (HLS stream): FBI offers to help local agencies unlock phones](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/UnUZIxWP.m3u8) (0:30)  _Published 2016-04-02. After successfully unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone without Apple's help, the FBI has offered to help local law enforcement unlock more phones._  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Apr 2, 2016 2:00 PM UTC  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Apr 2, 2016 2:00 PM UTC The FBI said it would [try to help local law enforcement agencies](http://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-offers-to-help-agencies-with-locked-phones-1459561489) to open locked phones and other devices in an advisory on Friday. “As has been our long-standing policy, the FBI will of course consider any tool that might be helpful to our partners,” the agency told local authorities in a letter, the [_Wall Street Journal_ reported](http://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-offers-to-help-agencies-with-locked-phones-1459561489). “Please know that we will continue to do everything we can to help you consistent with our legal and policy constraints.’’ The message was issued in response to a surge in interest from state and local authorities after the FBI was able to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters without the assistance of Apple. The agency [unlocked the San Bernardino iPhone](http://time.com/4275828/how-to-tell-who-won-the-fight-between-apple-and-the-fbi/) with the help of a third party, temporarily ending a legal battle with Apple that sparked a [heated debate](http://time.com/4275033/apple-fbi-iphone-case/) about security and privacy. “That method for unlocking that specific iPhone proved successful,’’ the FBI said in its advisory, according to the _Journal_. It said it was aware that the difficulty of accessing locked data in criminal probes “is a substantial state and local law-enforcement challenge that you face daily.’’ \[[_Wall Street Journal_](http://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-offers-to-help-agencies-with-locked-phones-1459561489)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/"},"headline":"FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement With Locked iPhones","datePublished":"2016-04-02T14:00:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-05T08:50:37.292Z","description":"\"The FBI will of course consider any tool that might be helpful to our partners\"","url":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/","keywords":["FBI"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2430be5e9eb6cda/69888d75196cf4ae9103b033/apple-phone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2430be5e9eb6cda/69888d75196cf4ae9103b033/apple-phone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S.-NEW YORK-DISTRICT COURT-APPLE","caption":"U.S.-NEW YORK-DISTRICT COURT-APPLE","creditText":"Wang Lei—Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/fbi/","name":"FBI"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/","name":"FBI Offers to Help Local Law Enforcement With Locked iPhones"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"FBI offers to help local agencies unlock phones","description":"After successfully unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone without Apple's help, the FBI has offered to help local law enforcement unlock more phones.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/UnUZIxWP/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-04-02T16:39:20.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/UnUZIxWP.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/","duration":"PT30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4279841/fbi-unlock-iphone-local-law-enforcement-police-san-bernardino-encryption/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```