14 DAY TRIAL // It’s not a secret that iPhones are pretty popular among thieves, and not in a good way. Lots of iPhones end up being stolen across the world on a daily basis, and while we don’t have any statistics in this regard, you can be sure this is true because Apple’s smartphones are pretty valuable goods.
Right now, iPhone owners whose devices go missing have several options to try to recover their smartphones. First, they can use Find My iPhone (if this feature has already been enabled on the missing device), and therefore be able to track the location of the device unless the thief shuts it down.
Then, they can report the theft to the police, in which case the Find My iPhone information also comes in handy because law enforcement can locate the device.
And third, they can report the missing phone in the GSMA Device Registry, which is a global platform where customers from all over the world can add their devices in case they get lost or stolen.
Apple no longer fixes flagged iPhones
At this point, Apple refuses to repair devices brought in with a Find My lock in place, so unless the customer disables the feature, they need to go somewhere else to service the device.
How about those iPhones where Find My iPhone wasn’t activated?
According to a report from MacRumors and based on a memo sent by Apple, engineers working in an Apple Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider will first check if the device has been reported as missing before doing any repairs.
If the iPhone brought in for repairs is listed in the GSMA Device Registry, then Apple engineers are now required to decline the repair, though it goes without saying the same fixes would be possible at third-party service centers not part of the Apple network.