What to Do If Your iPhone is Lost or Stolen

[jclo]

Poor analogy and still not explanatory.

Anyway, I would have received an email notifying me of the phisher's log in.

Not that it matters. The phone is gone and my personal data is pretty worthless.

As was mentioned, these are not official Apple sites. This looks like a pretty clear attempt to get your information. If you enter your Apple ID and password, the person who stole your iPhone will be able to turn off Activation Lock, making it usable. Phishing attempts are common after having a device stolen because the thief wants to be able to remove the restrictions, so it's definitely something to be hyper vigilant about.

Apple doesn't send those type of alerts via iMessage and that's not accurate wording. Unless you type iCloud.com into your browser yourself, don't enter your information into any iCloud link you get through email or a text message.

 

[PracticalMac]

Excellent guide, Thanks!

 

[Happy hippo]

This is a great guide mate. Thanks

 

[mataduhs]

Great guide!

I recently had my iPhone 6S stolen and have some questions regarding this issue. I already activated Lost Mode, but since the iPhone is offline (the thief probably turned it off), it is in queue awaiting activation.

So, my question is: does this activation require an internet access, or turning on the device would suffice? Because since the user is prevented to enter my iphone through the 4-digit lock, he/she can't enter any wifi or have any internet access. Thus, Lost Mode would be forever in queue.

Also, regarding the Erase Phone function. Same question, does it require internet access? Also is it recommendable? Since after it you cannot localise your phone. And does the message of Lost Mode still show up, regardless of it being erased or not?

One more thing, how many tries do you have to guess the 4-digit lock? Would it be possible for the thief to correctly guess it, and entering my phone to disable Find My Iphone app, and thus every other option?

Thank you for your attention!

 

[akadafni]

Great guide!

I recently had my iPhone 6S stolen and have some questions regarding this issue. I already activated Lost Mode, but since the iPhone is offline (the thief probably turned it off), it is in queue awaiting activation.

So, my question is: does this activation require an internet access, or turning on the device would suffice? Because since the user is prevented to enter my iphone through the 4-digit lock, he/she can't enter any wifi or have any internet access. Thus, Lost Mode would be forever in queue.

Also, regarding the Erase Phone function. Same question, does it require internet access? Also is it recommendable? Since after it you cannot localise your phone. And does the message of Lost Mode still show up, regardless of it being erased or not?

One more thing, how many tries do you have to guess the 4-digit lock? Would it be possible for the thief to correctly guess it, and entering my phone to disable Find My Iphone app, and thus every other option?

Thank you for your attention!

The next time the device connects to any type of data (WiFi, Internet), lost mode will activate and block the device from being used. No real reason to use the erase function. Plus I think if you erase it, it can't be tracked. Good Luck!

 

[tigs318i]

A few months ago my iPhone fell out of my pocket after sitting in a chair at a gym, then it was stolen a few minutes later when I stepped away. I saw it's 'last gasp' ping going down the road (opposite way I drove) on iCloud about 15 minutes later. Security cameras were "just out of view" of the chair. Great. Pretty sure I saw it on Craigslist the next day, seller wouldn't respond, but his listing said he "had to sell it fast because he was going out of state" (so??!!). A few weeks later, I get a call from a lady who thinks she has my phone. Turns out she bought it off a table at a swap meet for $300 in AZ (I'm in CA). The guy had reset it so the screen showed "Welcome to iPhone." Lady didn't verify it was unlocked, which it wasn't, obviously. So her husband connected to their wifi at home during the setup screens and then saw my lost phone message with my wife's cell #. Happy to say it's back in my hands now!!! If we could only find the jerk with her $300 so both she and I can post his picture online and shame his pathetic arse.

Morals of the story, turn ON find my iPhone, keep it locked, keep data backed up in real-time, and don't buy a phone without verifying it's not blacklisted!

[doublepost=1496634233][/doublepost]Had you reported the phone as stolen to your carrier during that few week time period? I am concerned that when I tell ATT they are going to shut that phone down and send me a replacement - and then the lost message will not appear to the next person that buys the phone (like what happened in your situation).

 

[sudo1996]

Are you saying that link doesn't take you to icloud.com? Keychain recognised it.

You guys are guessing.

That site is not icloud.com; it's lr.at. They sent you a URL that looks like it. Anyone can buy an SSL certificate for a site they own. It just means that the fake owner really does own the fake site. So the SSL certificate doesn't mean anything unless the URL's domain name ends with "icloud.com".

 

[MrX8503]

Do NOT click/tap on any link. MANUALLY type out iCloud.com in your address bar.

 

[fredrik9]

Or what to do when you drop your white Airpod in the white snow as I did yesterday. Start find my iphone, realize you're not logged in, get 1password, realize 1password is not unlocked with master password since last restart, write long master pass, get password to Apple id, unlock find my iPhone, start emergency sound on Airpods, realize the one not lost is still in my ear, take it out, put in case, then feverishly search the snow at my feet for the sound, and YES! THERE IT IS!

Man I was lucky. Standing on a handicap parking too. Those Airpods are slippery buggers!

 

[acctman]

Best option for getting your lost item back is to offer a reward. I have recovered two iPhones in the past for friends. One was a $50 reward and the other was $100 ... The cops are not going to do anything its not there job to return stolen property... They can not prove who an item belongs too, regardless of what proof you might have people lie to cops all the time.

 

[Ayephyu]

Yesterday, my brother lost his iphone. He forgot his icloud ID password for using find my iphone and doing lost mode. Is there any way for finding iphone without using icloud ID?
Please suggest me.
Thanks!

 

[Fred Zed]

One thing that I don’t think that was mentioned in the original article. If the iPhone in question didn’t have find my iPhone enabled it can still be prevented from being activated at some point down the line after a complete wipe user reset, if the original legitimate owner claimed via insurance from apple for a replacement using apple care plus theft and loss. So in essence you’d have a black listed iPhone temporarily as an iPod , however when resetting somewhere down the line it’ll fail to activate on the apple server side.