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Resolved Returning a lost iPhone to its owner (w/passcode)

B

bobbricks

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 23, 2013
5
0
How would I go about doing this?

I think it's an iPhone 4 and it has a passcode set so I can't access any of the contacts. I found the iPhone on the airplane but I didn't want to give it to the airport because of a documentary I watched a while ago about how many of them just take the item rather than returning it. The iPhone is also not connected to any network (the Sim Card's AT&T but it isn't connecting to any network here in the UK so I can't make any calls- it doesn't seem to accept my Sim card either). What should I do with the iPhone?
 
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You should have turned it into the airport--the person probably realized pretty quickly that they forgot it and may have gone back. You taking it means they'll probably never get it now.

Whether or not the airport staff would have stolen the phone is not your concern. An iPad was returned to me by airport personnel once so most are probably honest.
 
Shame its not getting any signal or get on wifi.

You could have taken a picture of yourself with a sign, with your number on, and it would have ended up in his photostream to view on his PC
 
maflynn said:
See if you can drop it off at your local apple store?
Click to expand...

What would the Apple store do with it- would they try and find the person or would they give it to the police? :)

I'm worried that the police will think I will have stolen it :S
 
bobbricks said:
What would the Apple store do with it- would they try and find the person or would they give it to the police? :)

I'm worried that the police will think I will have stolen it :S
Click to expand...

You can just go in and say you found it. I would say Apple is your best bet.
 
That is why I have a sticky note pic on my lock screen with emergency contact information. It presents a way for someone to return if found or in the event of an accident a way to contact my wife.
 
Who's the carrier? If it's AT&T the carrier can find out whose phone it is from the SIM. I would probably take it to the carrier regardless of who it is; they'll likely be the ones the owner contacted when he lost his phone, not Apple.
 
ZombiePete said:
Who's the carrier? If it's AT&T the carrier can find out whose phone it is from the SIM. I would probably take it to the carrier regardless of who it is; they'll likely be the ones the owner contacted when he lost his phone, not Apple.
Click to expand...

Yes, the carrier's AT&T. However, I can't give the phone to the carrier since I'm in the UK (where AT&T doesn't operate)...
 
ugcop said:
That is why I have a sticky note pic on my lock screen with emergency contact information. It presents a way for someone to return if found or in the event of an accident a way to contact my wife.
Click to expand...

That's an excellent idea! That way your data is safe with a passcode but the finder can still contact someone for you.
 
Do iOS 6 devices still auto-connect to WiFi networks called "attwifi"? If so, perhaps the OP can try renaming their existing WiFi network and see if the device will jump online. Once online, at least the owner can see it, send a message, wipe it etc.

Maybe it won't work but I thought I'd throw it out there, since it was mentioned that it might be an AT&T device...
 
bobbricks said:
What would the Apple store do with it- would they try and find the person or would they give it to the police? :)

I'm worried that the police will think I will have stolen it :S
Click to expand...

The police would do just like the airport employee and put it in his/her pocket.:p
 
dotme said:
Do iOS 6 devices still auto-connect to WiFi networks called "attwifi"? If so, perhaps the OP can try renaming their existing WiFi network and see if the device will jump online. Once online, at least the owner can see it, send a message, wipe it etc.

Maybe it won't work but I thought I'd throw it out there, since it was mentioned that it might be an AT&T device...
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good idea...
However, I'm going on holiday tomorrow and won't have access to internet so do you think I should try out that idea once I come back? Because if I connect, then I'm worried that the owner will report my location to the police who will question me on why I waited this long (2 weeks) etc.

Also, is the owner able to send a message even though the phone is offline (but receive it once it becomes connected to wifi) or does the phone have to be connected to wifi when the message is sent?
 
I would try it today. If the owner is also on holiday, they will be home in 2 weeks and probably will have shelled out for a replacement phone. Why wait? Hook it up, see if it connects, hope for a message (Probably queued if they sent one) and go from there. Takes all of 5 minutes to rename SSID on a WiFi router (remove password requirements too of course) and if the phone shows it's connected to WiFi, you can wait half an hour to see if anything happens.

If nothing happens, you now have an expensive paperweight. But you could also call the AIRLINE lost and found at the airport and report you found a phone too. If the device was left on the plane, the owner would have called the airline, not the airport. The airline may well have taken a report and have it on file. Armed with the flight number and date, they may quickly be able to reunite phone with owner.
 
bobbricks said:
How would I go about doing this?

I think it's an iPhone 4 and it has a passcode set so I can't access any of the contacts. I found the iPhone on the airplane but I didn't want to give it to the airport because of a documentary I watched a while ago about how many of them just take the item rather than returning it. The iPhone is also not connected to any network (the Sim Card's AT&T but it isn't connecting to any network here in the UK so I can't make any calls- it doesn't seem to accept my Sim card either). What should I do with the iPhone?
Click to expand...

Email AT&T with the SIM card number and they should hopefully be able to trace the owner for you if it's a contract phone.
 
bobbricks said:
I found the iPhone on the airplane [...] What should I do with the iPhone?
Click to expand...

Airline still ought to be your best bet. If you found it in a seatback there's a very limited number of probable owners, which the airline would be able to contact. Even if you just found it in the lavatory or under the seats, there's still a limited number of people who might have lost it.

In the future, turn it in to the airline folks as you exit the plane. That's the most probable way for the phone to get back to the owner since the airline is the first place the owner's going to contact when he/she realizes they left their phone on the plane.
 
Woah- that trick on renaming your WiFi network to 'attwifi' and making it an open/public network actually worked (thanks dotme)! :eek:

I managed to find her twitter name (one of the tweets was about her losing the phone) which popped up on the home screen! The phone will now be going back to its rightful owner :cool:
 
bobbricks said:
How would I go about doing this?

I think it's an iPhone 4 and it has a passcode set so I can't access any of the contacts. I found the iPhone on the airplane but I didn't want to give it to the airport because of a documentary I watched a while ago about how many of them just take the item rather than returning it. The iPhone is also not connected to any network (the Sim Card's AT&T but it isn't connecting to any network here in the UK so I can't make any calls- it doesn't seem to accept my Sim card either). What should I do with the iPhone?
Click to expand...

Hey this has happened to me more than once and what I have done successfully is this. I called Apple. They will ask you for the serial and they will get a hold of the customer for you. You'll be able to handle it from there. They will work with you in making the rest of the arrangements to return the phone.
 
JavierDiaz4 said:
Hey this has happened to me more than once and what I have done successfully is this. I called Apple. They will ask you for the serial and they will get a hold of the customer for you. You'll be able to handle it from there. They will work with you in making the rest of the arrangements to return the phone.
Click to expand...

Was going to ask how you get the serial # if the device is locked, but just remembered the serial # is on the sim tray.
 
i phone

today in meadowHELL i was in primark and i was trying these shoes on i put my i phone :apple: down just behind me and i went to grab it and it was gone and im only 10!!!! :confused: who would do that to a ten year old :confused: so i started panicking and my mum was like what wrong whats wrong and i was like my i phone 4 has been stolen so my mum got everyone to check the security cameras and everything, but they couldn't see anything :mad: but how can i get it back how can i track it down :confused::confused::confused: HHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP
 
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