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Resolved Lost iPhone - OWNER FOUND - POLICE DELIVERED

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darknyt

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 17, 2009
604
98
Maybe I'm being harsh here, but I found a locked iPhone last night up in some mountains. I would like to get it back to it's owner but of course no contact info, not really surprised.

What gets me though is there is a series of text messages coming into the phone from all his friends, a couple of which appear to be his friends commenting on trying use Find My Friends to locate his phone. Also had a login notification from Find my Friends that made it seem like someone was trying to use it to find his phone.

But at NO point does ANYONE actually text the phone or try to contact it with contact information for us to return it.

It seems the guy must not have Find my iPhone setup on it or he could lock or send a message to it. They also must not realize (duh, have they ever used one?) including the owner, that we can see text messages on the lock screen and could contact someone IF THEY WOULD ONLY TEXT OR CALL IT!!!!

Seriously, what is deal here? Am I expecting too much or is this guy a complete moron? I half feel like this guy doesn't even deserve a phone if he's too incredibly stupid to do something as incredibly basic as CALL/TEXT HIS OWN PHONE. Ok that is probably too harsh, but I'm frustrated as we'd like to get this guy his phone back but now are having to call police dispatch to have them come get it and now it will just disappear into the abyss of lost phones.

Thoughts?
 
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darknyt

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 17, 2009
604
98
Maybe I'm the idiot then, hadn't thought of that. Thanks will give it a shot. Heaven knows we have enough friends names to try by now.
 
eyoungren

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,772
26,839
BeeJee said:
Why don't you text the friends saying this phone was lost and I found it?
Click to expand...
Uhmmm…OP did mention that the phone was locked. How do you text someone if the phone has a passcode on the lock screen?
 
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cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
aPple nErd said:
ask siri to call home, or mom, or one of the contacts names. if its a 4s or higher that is...
Click to expand...


This.

Use any relative name that works (mom, dad, grandma, sis/sister, etc) then start with common names. John, Steve, etc. Or any names that texted the phone if that occurred.
 
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patt2k

macrumors regular
Dec 31, 2012
244
24
how long until people call OP thief?:rolleyes:

I would say at least good job for trying to return :)
 
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iPhone7ate9

macrumors 6502a
Jun 22, 2014
720
0
Whole op is confusing. They keep texting it but then you say they never think to text it? Anyway this is why people shouldn't lock their phone.
 
sunking101

sunking101

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2013
7,416
2,656
If people have all the security gubbins activated, basically the phone is gone when it's lost. It seems a waste when a percentage (surely at least 25%) of people would do the decent thing and return it. There should be an iOS lock screen icon to send/call the owner of the phone. That seems maybe too obvious?
 
I7guy

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
34,194
23,909
Gotta be in it to win it
iPhone7ate9 said:
Whole op is confusing. They keep texting it but then you say they never think to text it? Anyway this is why people shouldn't lock their phone.
Click to expand...

If my phone is lost, the parts may be gone but:

1. I have a back up and,
2. i'll get another.

i'm not leaving my phone unlocked, so that my personal info can be used in identity theft. Having this information in one place does make my phone a security risk, but I don't have to hand over my information to a thief.
 
C

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
iPhone7ate9 said:
Whole op is confusing. They keep texting it but then you say they never think to text it? Anyway this is why people shouldn't lock their phone.
Click to expand...


Losing an iPhone is a reason people shouldn't lock their phones? I think you have that backwards considering the OP could have gone thru it if it was unlocked. Or more often the not these threads are posted by a thief looking to bypass the lock however I don't feel that this is the case here.

What should have been done is a text or find my iPhone alert with contact information.
 
L

localboy28

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
793
46
iPhone7ate9 said:
Whole op is confusing. They keep texting it but then you say they never think to text it? Anyway this is why people shouldn't lock their phone.
Click to expand...


Do people not read before commenting?
They keep texting the phone is locked!he wants them to txt contact info.

Yea we should all leave out phones unlocked, out personal info isn't that important.
 
Hankster

Hankster

macrumors 68020
Jan 30, 2008
2,474
439
Washington DC
I own a business and a customer left their iPhone at my store. I waited until someone called and I picked up. It was one of their friends and I was able to tell them I had their iPhone. The owner arranged to pick it up the following day.

If you lose your iPhone DON'T TEXT because many people don't show text messages on their locked screen (I don't). But, if you call anyone can pick up the phone.
 
firedept

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
sunking101 said:
If people have all the security gubbins activated, basically the phone is gone when it's lost. It seems a waste when a percentage (surely at least 25%) of people would do the decent thing and return it. There should be an iOS lock screen icon to send/call the owner of the phone. That seems maybe too obvious?
Click to expand...

^^This would make for a brilliant idea.^^ But then Apple sales would suffer for people who had to replace those lost phones.
 
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Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
sunking101 said:
If people have all the security gubbins activated, basically the phone is gone when it's lost. It seems a waste when a percentage (surely at least 25%) of people would do the decent thing and return it. There should be an iOS lock screen icon to send/call the owner of the phone. That seems maybe too obvious?
Click to expand...

My personal data stored on the phone is worth far more than the cost of the phone itself.

If somebody come up to you and said "hey - I'll give you £500 if you give me access to everything on your phone. Email accounts, Facebook, saved passwords, apps, everything."
 
sunking101

sunking101

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2013
7,416
2,656
Brian Y said:
My personal data stored on the phone is worth far more than the cost of the phone itself.

If somebody come up to you and said "hey - I'll give you £500 if you give me access to everything on your phone. Email accounts, Facebook, saved passwords, apps, everything."
Click to expand...

I still think all of that data would be useless to most folk. So what if someone can Frape your FB account, or knows some email passwords? An annoyance fo' shure, but not to the tune of £500.
 
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Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
sunking101 said:
I still think all of that data would be useless to most folk. So what if someone can Frape your FB account, or knows some email passwords? An annoyance fo' shure, but not to the tune of £500.
Click to expand...

So for £500 you'd give me the ability to potentially access your paypal, etc accounts? As well as the phone numbers, and your conversation/email history with everyone in your address book or that you've ever emailed, including work colleagues? There's probably enough info on your phone to be able to get a credit agreement of some description in your name, or perform some kind of identity fraud.
 
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darknyt

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 17, 2009
604
98
Happy ending - thanks again aPple nErd. After trying mom, dad, owner - we finally tried using Siri to call the name that had been texting the phone the most and it turned out to be his roommate. As had been mentioned, phone was locked so we were hoping someone would figure out it was lost and instead of texting about the vehicle auction they were watching, actually text something useful! Didn't occur to me that some people don't let texts show on lock screen. He clearly didn't appear to have another way to reach out to the phone except calling and no one called since he lost it.

We already had the sheriff in route to pick it up so the police will act as the middleman and negotiate delivery to the owner.

Glad we were able to find the owner finally. I'm guessing that because they lost it in the mountains, they may have assumed it was in a place that would be out of cell range. We ended up finding it on black-top though, guessing he prob had no idea where he dropped it.

I just know how crappy I would feel losing my phone with all the hassle. Though iOS 7 has made that process a little easier. I definitely am glad I keep Find my iPhone turned on all our devices.

I kinda think to myself if I lost my iPhone, along with my contact info I would also use Find my iPhone to message a reminder that the phone cannot be used again without the passcode. Just to help nudge someone in the right direction.
 
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