What do when finding a lost iPhone that you can’t unlock

Jul 9, 2018 09:41 GMT  ·  By

Returning a lost iPhone to its owner isn’t exactly an easy thing to do, mostly because Apple has implemented a bunch of security features supposed to block unauthorized access to stored data.

This means that in case you do lose your iPhone, there’s little chance for someone else to access photos in the gallery, but at the same time, it’s pretty hard for them to return the device should they want to do a good deed.

But while at first glance a locked screen could be the end of the game for many people finding iPhones, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to find the name, address, or contact information of the owner. There are several steps that you can try out, and I’m going to discuss them below. You can use them in any order you want, though I’d say the last three should be considered the ultimate options.

First and foremost, you should try asking Siri for information about the owner. Most iPhone users configure Siri not necessarily to store such data just in case they lose their phones, but to get a personalized experience with the digital assistant. This means Siri could know the name of the owner, their email address, or phone number.

Asking Siri for owner info could help find contact details
Asking Siri for owner info could help find contact details

This method only works if the phone wasn’t rebooted before you found it, so in case it had a dead battery, it won’t make any difference. When starting up the iPhone, the device prompts you to enter the unlock code and Siri won’t work until provided. If you can use Siri, ask it “whose phone is this?” or require it to “call mom” or “call home.”

If using Siri isn’t an option, you can check for the medical ID in case the owner provided such information. To do this, tap Emergency on the passcode screen and then tap the option Medical ID at the bottom left. You may see some personal information about the owner that could eventually help you reach out to them and return the iPhone.

There’s also another option. You can remove the SIM from the lost iPhone and, if unlocked, plug it into a different phone and look for the phone number. As an alternative, you can call one of the contacts that could know the owner, like mom, dad, brother, sister, home, or anything like that. Again, this only works if the SIM isn’t protected with a PIN code.

Only older iPhones come with the IMEI written on the back
Only older iPhones come with the IMEI written on the back

If the owner reported the phone as lost or posted it online on social networks like reddit and Facebook, you can try searching for the IMEI. Apple no longer shows the iPhone’s IMEI on the back of the phone, but you can find it on the SIM tray. Search the web for the IMEI and see if the owner reported the lost iPhone.

If none of these helped you find the owner, you could simply leave the phone turned on with cell coverage, so that they can use Find My iPhone to determine your location. Obviously, this only works if the SIM wasn’t locked already and if a data plan is active.

The last options are to leave experts to take care of the whole thing for you. This means you can take the iPhone to the carrier, to an Apple Store, or to the police. Apple Stores typically have information on each iPhone, so with an IMEI check, they should be able to find the name of the owner. Carriers can use similar info to determine the number of the customer, while the police can check their database and see if someone reported the lost iPhone.

If you’re still not able to find the owner after trying all of these, there’s almost nothing more than you can do. This is why it’s critical for iPhone owners to fill in their contact information in Siri, the medical ID, or at least set a wallpaper with their details, just in case they lose their phones and somebody else finds them.

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Apple's iPhone SE
Asking Siri for owner info could help find contact detailsOnly older iPhones come with the IMEI written on the back
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