What should I do with an iPhone I found?

Contact the Carrier or Hand It In Alternatively, you might also try inserting the SIM card in a spare phone to see if you can find any contacts of the iPhone owner to contact. After trying all these options, your best bet is to take it to the police station that's nearest to where you found the iPhone.Most people realize pretty quickly that they’ve lost their phone, and the first thing they are going to do is backtrack to recent places they've been. If you find a phone in a coffeeshop, bar, library, or other public place, hand it in where you found it.

Can anyone do anything with a lost iPhone?

When you mark your iPhone or iPad as lost, your device is put in Lost Mode — it's locked with a passcode, payment cards and passes that you use with Apple Pay are suspended, and you can display a phone number and message for someone who finds your device.

What can you do with Find My iPhone?

If you've lost or misplaced an Apple device or personal item with an AirTag attached, use Find My to find your device or item on a map. You can get directions to its location and, when you're nearby, play a sound or even get help finding its exact location.

How do I return an iPhone I found?

If all else fails or you are otherwise unable to return the iPhone to its owner, your best bet is to turn it in at a police station or other law enforcement office close to where you found it.

How to find out who owns a lost iPhone?

If Siri is available, you can ask Siri on any locked iPhone is who the phone belongs to. Activate it by pressing the Home button and then asking, “Whose iPhone is this?” It will give you the name and contact numbers of the Apple ID it is registered to.

Can a stolen iPhone ever be used?

So long as the stolen iPhone is still listed as a device in your Find My iPhone app, it cannot be unlocked and used until your Apple ID and password have been entered or until the iPhone has been removed from your Find My iPhone account.

Can someone activate a lost iPhone?

Find My includes Activation Lock — a feature that's designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone or iPad if it's ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock turns on automatically when you turn on Find My on your device.

Can you keep an iPhone if you find it?

If you find a lost iPhone, Activation Lock will prevent you from using it if it's protected by Apple's Find My service. It's essentially a paperweight for as long as you have it in your possession. So don't expect to use an iPhone you've found.

Can other people use your Find My iPhone?

Before you sell or give away a device or item, make sure to turn off Find My on your device or unregister your AirTag or third-party item from your Apple ID. This way, the new owner can set up the device or item and use it with the Find My app.

Can I wipe an iPhone I found?

In Find Devices on iCloud.com, select the device in the All Devices list on the left. If you've already selected a device, you can click All Devices to return to the list and select a new device. Click Erase This Device. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Can I sell an iPhone I found?

For starters, if you didn't acquire this iPhone legally (aka you stole or found it), you're committing a crime (often a felony) by selling it. It's not worth the risk, so either leave it or turn it in at a nearby lost and found or someone else, depending where you found it. (And if you're stealing, stop it.

What can you do with a locked iPhone?

You can easily access a few commonly used features (such as widgets, media playback controls, and Control Center) from the Lock Screen. You can control access to these items when iPhone is locked.

Should I erase my iPhone if stolen?

With Activation Lock, a passcode, and Lost Mode, an ‌iPhone‌ is essentially locked down, but erasing data can give peace of mind if you lose a device you don't expect to get back. If you do have to erase your ‌iPhone‌, it may still be locatable through ‌Find My‌ even after it's wiped because of Activation Lock.

Can a lost iPhone be found?

You can find your device, mark it as lost, or erase it remotely at iCloud.com/find.

Can someone access data from my lost iPhone?

And if your iPhone does get stolen, your data is accessible. Not only can a thief access your private data, but they can even access your deleted data. This is true even if you have passcodes on your phone. Luckily, there is a way you can protect your data.

Can someone unlock my iPhone if lost?

Can a Stolen iPhone Be Unlocked? Normally, someone cannot unlock your iPhone without a passcode. However, they can factory reset your iPhone and unlock it using the above method or some iPhone unlocking tools. Also, it is possible to unlock a found iPhone with the same methods.

How secure is my iPhone if stolen?

In the event that your iPhone has been stolen, the security delay is designed to prevent a thief from performing critical operations so that you can mark your device as lost and make sure your Apple account is secure.

Does Apple block stolen iPhones?

Mark as Lost on iCloud.com/find to lock your device When you mark your iPhone or iPad as lost, your device is put in Lost Mode — it's locked with a passcode, payment cards and passes that you use with Apple Pay are suspended, and you can display a phone number and message for someone who finds your device.

What do thieves do with stolen cell phones?

While your phone is in their possession, thieves can use up all of your cellular data, make out-of-country calls, or open new phone lines. If they don't manage to crack your passcode, they can transfer your SIM card to a different device, sending all of your calls, texts, and other messages straight to them.

Can a lost iPhone be used again?

You can never use a stolen iphone. You can never bypass the activation lock provided by Apple as security measure! Atleast you can't make the device as your own. You can only use it if you know passcode of the mobile.

What do they do with a stolen iPhone?

Thieves steal phones in a two-pronged attack, Moore says. “First, they steal the device and sell on the hardware, then they steal the data and may attempt extortion.” No matter what security you have in place, your iPhone PIN is one of the biggest vulnerabilities.

How to block a lost iPhone?

Turn on Lost Mode or lock a device In Find Devices on iCloud.com, select the device in the All Devices list on the left. If you have already selected a device, you can click All Devices to return to the list and select a new device. Click Mark As Lost. WARNING: You cannot unlock a Mac online or on another device.

What to do when an iPhone is lost?

Is your iPhone lost or stolen? If it's covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, you can sign in with your Apple ID and file a claim for an iPhone replacement. Use the Find My app or go to iCloud.com/find to mark your iPhone as lost. Do not remove your device from your account until your claim has been fully approved.

Can I reset an iPhone I found?

Apple recommends users reset a found iPhone using iTunes partly because it not only removes the settings and information on your iPhone but it will also install the latest version of iOS automatically.

Can I Find My lost iPhone if it is turned off?

Summary. Apple's Find My network can be used to track a lost or stolen iPhone, even if it's been turned off or offline. For this to work, Find My Network will need to be enabled on the iPhone before it's lost. The feature is only available on the iPhone 11 and later models.

What to do if you find a phone?

Do Return the Lost Phone You Found. If you find a lost phone, returning it is easy. If you have the IMEI or ESN number, simply contact your cellular service provider and leave your contact info with them. If you don't have the IMEI, either wait until they call your phone, or you can attempt to bypass the lock pattern.