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Way to get past passcode or get owner info?

C

Ccrew

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 28, 2011
2,035
3
Now before you think I'm up to no good, let me preface this.

I found an iPad. I'd really, really like to re-unite it with it's owner as I'm sure you'd like to be re-united if you lost yours. I know how to wipe it and make it "mine" but I have no intention of it as in my eyes it's not mine to do that to. .

Unit is passcoded with a default screen. Apple won't do squat if I call them with the serial, I tried and they claim they won't due to privacy reasons. I'd like to get past the passcode to get to the contacts list to see if I can get the owner that way in addition i've put found ads on CL.

I'll happily carry it into an Apple store if need be, just want to know if anyone's run into this. I have in order to reset them, but there was never a concern for the data on it.

Background: I commute via bicycle, and this was on the shoulder of the road on my afternoon ride home. I'm assuming that it was on a roof/trunk and someone drove off from home and it went flying. Again, I'd just like to get it back to it's owner. Even to making sure I leave it here plugged in and turned on so that Find my Ipad is available if need be and they can come to my door.

Thanks
 
I don't think you can do much other than wait for them come to you.
 
post a "i found this" in a few locations close to where you found it, if they contact you and give you the correct passcode to unlock then you can make arrangements for its safe return

ps: thank you for your honesty
 
Ccrew said:
Now before you think I'm up to no good, let me preface this.

I found an iPad. I'd really, really like to re-unite it with it's owner as I'm sure you'd like to be re-united if you lost yours. I know how to wipe it and make it "mine" but I have no intention of it as in my eyes it's not mine to do that to. .

Unit is passcoded with a default screen. Apple won't do squat if I call them with the serial, I tried and they claim they won't due to privacy reasons. I'd like to get past the passcode to get to the contacts list to see if I can get the owner that way in addition i've put found ads on CL.

I'll happily carry it into an Apple store if need be, just want to know if anyone's run into this. I have in order to reset them, but there was never a concern for the data on it.

Background: I commute via bicycle, and this was on the shoulder of the road on my afternoon ride home. I'm assuming that it was on a roof/trunk and someone drove off from home and it went flying. Again, I'd just like to get it back to it's owner. Even to making sure I leave it here plugged in and turned on so that Find my Ipad is available if need be and they can come to my door.

Thanks
Click to expand...

They claim??? You do realize how silly you sound, right? While I believe you, Apple has no way of confirming your story and they certainly aren't going to risk a lawsuit giving away someone's personal info. Most would rather lose their iPad than have Apple give out their info over the phone to some dude claiming to have found an iPad, don't you think?

The passcode is there to specifically prevent you from getting in. Despite your good intentions, it'd be rather pointless if it was so easy or even possible to get around it, so I doubt you'll find a solution.
 
Assuming its a 3G model and the owner has enabled Find My iPhone, there's a chance they'll attempt to locate it and/or send a message to the device. If they message the device that way, you'll see it appear on the screen, even if it's locked.

If you've made an honest effort to find the owner and nobody comes forward...well, you've got an iPad.

Kudos for attempting to track down the owner though. It's refreshing to see that there are honest people out there!
 
taipan61 said:
post a "i found this" in a few locations close to where you found it, if they contact you and give you the correct passcode to unlock then you can make arrangements for its safe return

ps: thank you for your honesty
Click to expand...


this could be a good idea, however - if i lost my ipad/iphone and someone left me their number, i called them and they wanted my unlock code - i would be a bit reluctant to give it to them - for all i know they could then get all my info off it and keep it for themselves..... maybe im just paranoid?

it might be easier to have them confirm the device serial number - which is on the back of the ipad.... and they should have the receipt for their ipad which normally has a record of the serial number.



Ant
 
taipan61 said:
post a "i found this" in a few locations close to where you found it, if they contact you and give you the correct passcode to unlock then you can make arrangements for its safe return

ps: thank you for your honesty
Click to expand...

good thinking!
 
ant69 said:
it might be easier to have them confirm the device serial number - which is on the back of the ipad.... and they should have the receipt for their ipad which normally has a record of the serial number.
Click to expand...

This. Instead of the passcode. Or (or maybe and), ask the caller to provide a description of the wallpaper on the lock screen.
 
TheWheelMan said:
They claim??? You do realize how silly you sound, right? While I believe you, Apple has no way of confirming your story and they certainly aren't going to risk a lawsuit giving away someone's personal info.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to get into semantics over my use of the word "claim" but my request was actually not that they release the info to me, but that they contact them and supply my contact info. You bring up valid points.

Thanks all for the responses. I'm thinking that the signs are probably not a bad idea, albeit it's not a very populated area. Houses are on 5+ acre lots. I am however wondering if some irate soul versus sheepish one is going to show up at my doorstep. I'd think unlocking the screen is probably an indicator that it's theirs?

Running the serial though gets this: Is it just me, or does this unit look brand new?

Valid Purchase Date
A validated purchase date lets Apple quickly find your product and provide the help you need.
Telephone Technical Support: Active
Your product is eligible for complimentary telephone technical support during the first 90 days.
Estimated Expiration Date: August 1, 2012
More about complimentary support
Contact Apple Support
Repairs and Service Coverage: Active
Your product is covered for eligible hardware repairs and service under Apple's Limited Warranty.
Estimated Expiration Date: May 2, 2013
 
iMacDragon said:
Will not work till unlocked, precisely because it would otherwise be a security risk.
Click to expand...

Not true. I was able to look into some of my data (even with passcode locked) on a PC/Mac that I never synced with.
 
Plug it into iTunes. See if the device comes up, you might be able to get the cell umber assigned to the iPad. From there try contacting the carrier and see if they could make a courtesy call to the owner.
 
miamialley said:
All they have to do is send it a message. If they don't do that then oh well.
Click to expand...

You'd be amazed at the amount of people that never enable find my iPhone. I handle all Apple equipment for my company and my family, and I have had many phone calls asking me how to "turn it on" after they have lost it.
 
bwrairen said:
You'd be amazed at the amount of people that never enable find my iPhone. I handle all Apple equipment for my company and my family, and I have had many phone calls asking me how to "turn it on" after they have lost it.
Click to expand...

I'm actually beginning to wonder if it isn't the case with this one. Been sitting on my desk hooked to the charger to see whether they'd come knocking at my door, and other than people offering to buy it from me no response from the ads either.
 
From the warranty notice, it seems like they only had the iPad less than a day before losing it! Does it look prestine, or as though it's fallen off a vehicle?

Anyway, would it not make sense to go to the local police station? That's surely a priority place for someone with a lost/stolen claim...
 
I think you can turn it over to the local police as a "Lost and Found" and if the owners don't contact them within a certain timeframe it is yours to keep.

Don't they have to make a lost or stolen claim at the police to collect insurance?
 
Sad day when you try to do something good and you're stuck hitting your head against the wall. Apple should have at least offered to hold the iPad and try to reunite it with the owner; they don't need to provide you any non-public information to be successful. It does sound like the iPad was brand new and it is possible Find My iPad wasn't yet enabled. That is also sad.

Hopefully you find your owner but if not, I think your due diligence has been done.
 
jessica. said:
Sad day when you try to do something good and you're stuck hitting your head against the wall. Apple should have at least offered to hold the iPad and try to reunite it with the owner; they don't need to provide you any non-public information to be successful. It does sound like the iPad was brand new and it is possible Find My iPad wasn't yet enabled. That is also sad.

Hopefully you find your owner but if not, I think your due diligence has been done.
Click to expand...

Yep. Sounds (unfortunately) like Apple wants nothing to do with this situation. They don't want to go anywhere near something that could ultimately end up as bad PR.

Try as hard as you can to get it back to whoever it belongs to. Make sure you meet them in a public place so they don't mug you for the iPad or something. If nobody steps up, then keep it or sell it.

Just out of curiosity--is it banged up at all from being flung off the top of the car onto the road?
 
Does Apple not record the serial number of the device in your iTunes account? SURELY an Apple store could work with Apple to at least e-mail the owner of the iTunes account the device was registered on and let them know it had been found. I mean, it took Apple all of 2 hours to realize I had registered an iPad on my iTunes account and start sending me emails related to the iPad.
 
Ccrew said:
Now before you think I'm up to no good, let me preface this.

I found an iPad. I'd really, really like to re-unite it with it's owner as I'm sure you'd like to be re-united if you lost yours. I know how to wipe it and make it "mine" but I have no intention of it as in my eyes it's not mine to do that to. .

Unit is passcoded with a default screen. Apple won't do squat if I call them with the serial, I tried and they claim they won't due to privacy reasons. I'd like to get past the passcode to get to the contacts list to see if I can get the owner that way in addition i've put found ads on CL.

I'll happily carry it into an Apple store if need be, just want to know if anyone's run into this. I have in order to reset them, but there was never a concern for the data on it.

Background: I commute via bicycle, and this was on the shoulder of the road on my afternoon ride home. I'm assuming that it was on a roof/trunk and someone drove off from home and it went flying. Again, I'd just like to get it back to it's owner. Even to making sure I leave it here plugged in and turned on so that Find my Ipad is available if need be and they can come to my door.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Post this on REDDIT - really good with helping people become reunited with lost things. Dollars to donuts, someone knows someone who lost it.
 
hallux said:
...I mean, it took Apple all of 2 hours to realize I had registered an iPad on my iTunes account and start sending me emails related to the iPad.
Click to expand...

Most, if not all, of that is automated though. There probably was no "realization" on their part. It just took their system two hours to process everything.
 
Is there an Apple store nearby? I would go there and discuss this with a genius. If he's a nice guy he could look it up and see if it was sold at,that store. He won't tell you the owner's ID but he might help you with some suggestions.

Other than that I'd turn it in to the local police station.
 
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