How to block an iPhone if you lose it

Apple products are expensive, which means that any iPhone model is “at gunpoint” and automatically becomes the target of thieves and intruders. Fraudsters make money by selling stolen iPhones or keeping them for themselves. Also, it’s easy to lose or forget a smartphone in a taxi or cafe, but, naturally, the chance that the device will be returned is close to zero. What to do in a situation where your phone is lost or stolen?

There is a way out, and it was invented by Apple itself, which cares about its customers. In case of unexpected loss or theft, the corporation's engineers created an algorithm that allows them to track the device and, if necessary, block it, making it useless to the thief and, at the same time, preserving private information. The article will tell you how to remotely lock your phone in several possible ways (both official methods and using third-party utilities) if it is stolen or lost.

Why is iPhone stolen?

Criminals are always driven by one goal: to quickly and profitably sell an illegally obtained stolen item. The ideal victims are those who have little understanding of the security system of Apple gadgets and do not protect the device in any way: they simply do not set passwords when unlocking the device, not to mention enabling the “Locator” function (on iOS 12 and below this function is called “Find iPhone” "). Even though Apple improves its security every year by creating new apps and improving existing technologies, thieves are finding ways to unlock an iPhone, even if it is tied to a passcode, Touch ID fingerprint, or Face ID facial recognition system. Why are iPhones stolen?

Sell on the black market at an attractive price . If the fraudster has a suspicion that the owner of the iPhone may come to his senses and knows how to protect the lost gadget, they sell the stolen device at half the market price;
Put it up for auction on sites like Avito or Yula . Before purchasing a gadget from someone else, we recommend checking the gadget to see if it is listed in the stolen database. Such advertisements are often indicated by a postscript in the advertisement “urgent sale” and a reduced price compared to the cost of other sellers;
Give it to a pawnshop . The thief may not be able to help out much, but he will still be able to profit from someone else’s property. It is possible that the owner will be lucky, and the message left on the screen with a request to return the phone with a contact number will be seen by an employee of the establishment and will try to contact the user;
They reflash and keep it for themselves . If you can’t unlock your smartphone, then Jailbreak the gadget. The likelihood of finding a buyer decreases significantly, so attackers begin to use the “hacked” device themselves. It is unlikely that you will be able to return your gadget, and even in its former condition;
Sell for spare parts . An iPhone that is in a locked state is most often sold at a low price for components. A stolen or forgotten device will be taken apart piece by piece, making it almost impossible to get it back.

Search for AirPods using the option

With version iOS 10.3, it became possible to search for AirPods headphones, because they also connect to the device via wireless networks.

If you need to find headphones, then follow these steps:

Go to the iCloud website or the program installed on your smartphone and log in using the Apple ID that is used on the smartphone with headphones;
Open Find My iPhone and wait for the system to display a complete list of devices. Select the headphones there and see where they are currently located on the map.

The system can display 3 dots in different colors:

Blue - appears next to the device using your headphones;
Green - displayed next to devices that are currently online;
Gray—displayed next to devices that are turned off or low on battery. In the case of AirPods, you can also add the item “They are in the case,” that is, they are not active.

The service allows you to play a sound to find your headphones, and you can play both left and right, which is very convenient. To do this, you just need to click on AirPods in the list, select the “Actions” tab and start playing. Once you find it, click on the “Stop” button.

What does it mean to “lock” an iPhone?

In this case, all iPhone functions stop working, and when you try to unlock the screen, a message appears: “Lost phone. This iPhone was lost. Please call me (phone number).” Depending on the user's wishes, additional data and comments may be specified in the message. When locked, the owner marks the device as missing by remotely locking the gadget using a special password. This allows you to track the location of the device. And if the device has the Apple Pay function (and plastic cards are included in it), then you will not be able to pay with such a gadget.

You can block a device in several ways, listed below, but the fastest and most popular is remote blocking through a trusted iOS-based device of a loved one or relative. This message goes away, and the iPhone returns to normal when the owner cancels the lost mode and contacts the person who managed to find the lost or stolen device.

All this will work if the user has activated the “Locator” or “Find iPhone” function in advance. If this does not happen, then it will be more difficult to find the device, and the chance of regaining access and finding it by location is close to zero.

If you suspect or are sure that your iPhone has been stolen or lost, use one of the instructions below to find the gadget and protect your personal data.

Is it possible to find an iPhone by IMEI?

After detecting the loss, it is recommended to enter the device data into the IMEI databases of stolen/lost phones on specialized websites.

Finding out the IMEI of an Apple device is easy: just dial *#06#, and the number will appear on the screen.

You should start with www.sndeep.info - on the main page of this portal, click “Add to the list of lost or stolen.”

Next, fill out a short form (IMEI, owner’s name, email address, reward amount) and register the loss.

Do not regard this measure as hopeless: pay attention to the statistics - more than 25 thousand IMEI checks occur on the site per day! Statistics speak very eloquently about the popularity of the portal.

Lock iPhone via iCloud from another phone

As a reminder, to follow these instructions, you must have Find My enabled on your lost device (or Find My iPhone on iOS 12 and older). Without this, you will not be able to find out the location and block the gadget. What to do in such a situation is written a few points below.

If your friend or relative has any Apple device and the Find My or Find My Friends app pre-installed, then follow these steps:

Find your gadget by entering your Apple ID login and password. To do this, click on “Help a friend” below in the application;
Next, click on the “Find iPhone” icon. To find out the location of a device, click on it. If the device is nearby, then it can trigger a sound signal, which can be used to easily find the lost gadget. Please note that the iPhone must be working and not discharged (this problem has been resolved in iOS 13). It is impossible to find out the location of a turned off gadget until it is turned on again;
Mark your iPhone as missing by locking it remotely. Set a password and enter a custom message with a phone number or any other convenient method of communication. Whoever finds the gadget will be able to contact you and return the smartphone.

What to do to ensure safety?

Use Family Sharing to let anyone in your family help find your missing device. Then you can ask your relative to sign in to iCloud using their Apple ID, after which you can find any device that is part of the family group.

Even if your phone is turned off or offline, you can still put it into lost mode, lock it, or remotely delete all data on it. As soon as the device is turned on, all changes will take effect. If you remove a device from your account while it is offline, you can undo any changes that have not taken effect.

Via iCloud on your computer

To do this, you will need the desktop version of iCloud on your computer or the browser version on any phone. The sequence of actions is similar to the previous instructions:

Visit iCloud.com by entering your account username and password;
Select the device you want to block and leave a phone number for contact.

History of appearance

The service itself is integrated into iOS and macOS. Lost devices can be tracked either through a special application or on the official iCloud website. On iOS 8 and older, the tracking software can be downloaded for free from the AppStore. Starting with iOS 9, the application became built-in.

Find My iPhone was released in June 2010 as a program for MobileMe users. In November 2010, with iOS 4.2, Find My iPhone was made available for free. Many users were wondering how iPhone Lost Mode works and whether it is supported on their device. With the release of iCloud in October 2011, the service became free for all Apple users. It was also available as Find My Mac for Macs running OS X 10.7.2 Lion or later using iCloud.

Third Party Applications

If for some reason you need an analog detective for a lost or stolen smartphone, then here are several utilities that will help in an emergency. In the description below they have a short overview and their main functionality. Note: These apps must be pre-installed on your smartphone via the App Store.

Contact If Found

“Contact if found” allows you to put a screen saver on your lost device with contacts to contact the owner. In fact, it is no different from the standard function on iOS. The program is provided free of charge and is available for gadgets running iOS 9 and older.

iHound

A very useful application that tracks the location of an iPhone. To find a lost gadget and find out exactly where the last interactions with the device took place, scammers just need to connect the device to a computer. After a few seconds, the owner will receive a notification with the latest location. The utility updates the data every hour, sending geodata to the owner.

Reward If Found

It is very similar to the first application in the list - it can be used to generate a message asking the finder to return the device. And in the message, indicate any contact information. This is unlikely to save you from theft, but if a conscientious person finds the device, he will return it to its rightful owner.

iLocalis

A lost device on Jailbreak is another problem. It costs nothing to reflash the device, and even more so to reset the data. However, a hacked gadget has less value than the original one, so getting the device back increases significantly. Since Jailbreak does not have an App Store, but has an analogue store in the form of Cydia, this program is ideal. It works like this: when the fraudster removes the SIM from the slot, the application instantly recognizes this and sends the necessary information.

Option 2. The phone is lost and there is no access to it

It is a very annoying situation when access to the phone is lost and no measures were previously taken to possibly protect it from such a situation. Or maybe it’s not your phone, but you absolutely need to know its location? And in these cases, something can be done.

Contacting specialists

Detective agencies have existed at any time, and in the age of high technology their resources are almost limitless. While researching this problem, I turned to an Internet search and found something on this subject. The site rozshuk.com.ua, which will be discussed, is not an advertisement, but is given only as an example, its services are relevant for residents of Ukraine, but I am sure that there are similar organizations in Russia.

So, being specialists, representatives of this site claim that it is more than possible to find a person by phone number and are ready to confirm this upon receipt of the corresponding application through the form on their website.

Contacting law enforcement agencies

This method is a last resort in the event of your iPhone being stolen, we will not digress too much on this topic, since there is already a very useful article on this subject.

If the Find My iPhone or Find My option is turned off

What is the probability of finding an expensive smartphone? It is extremely small; applications and third-party utilities will not help here. Contact law enforcement agencies by filing a report of theft or loss (it is very important to clarify this point!). Police officers will definitely ask for a unique IMEI serial number (the combination can be found on the original box).

This can last for several days or several months. We can only hope that scammers will go online (no matter with which SIM card), broadcasting IMEI activity. This reveals the device's geoposition, making it easier to search.

If you haven't turned on the Find My or Find My iPhone function, then all you have to do is change your account password and hope for the best.

How do the police act when an iPhone is lost?

The detection rate for this category of crimes is low. Success is largely determined by the timely initiation of a criminal case, high-quality and rapid implementation of operational investigative measures, and initial investigative actions. The starting point is the discovery by the body of inquiry of information about the commission of a crime. To do this, there are enough facts about the signs of an illegal act: traces of breaking the door to the premises, violation of the usual environment in the apartment, loss of property.

If there is sufficient information about the theft, the investigator is obliged to immediately initiate a criminal case and begin an investigation.

When there is insufficient information, there is a need to conduct a preliminary check, the purpose of which is to establish the timeliness and validity of initiating a criminal case. It involves a number of measures, the list of which depends on the circumstances of a particular theft and the time of receipt of the report of the crime.

If the application is submitted immediately after the theft has been committed, it is necessary to immediately inspect the scene of the crime to detect and secure traces of the crime. Simultaneously with the inspection, the police are interviewing witnesses among those living, working in the same enterprise, and neighboring houses. If the inspection reveals a sufficient number of signs of theft, measures are taken to pursue and detain the culprit without delay.

If the appeal was written, an explanation is taken from the applicant. The protocol or explanation must contain a detailed statement of the circumstances of the theft and an indication of the reasons for the late reporting of the crime.

How to enable the Find My iPhone option

It's very easy to do. This basic function is preinstalled in any model and in the latest versions of the axis. Moreover, it cannot be deleted, so you will always find it in the settings. If you have any version before iOS 13, the procedure is as follows:

Go to “Settings” and select “iCloud”;
Enter your login and password for your account if this has not been done previously;
Allow the program to use your geolocation by clicking “OK”;
Scroll down a little and swipe right when it says “Find iPhone.” Confirm the action.

If you have iOS 13 firmware:

Open Settings and click on your name at the very top;
Select “Locator”, then tap on “Find iPhone”;
The next step is to move the “Find iPhone” value to the active position.
Read also: Setting up a TP-Link Wi-Fi router for Rostelecom - instructions

For correct operation in both cases, do not disable location services and always leave them in working position.

How to use on a phone or tablet?

For this purpose, there is a separate application in the iOS menu, which is called “Find iPhone”. By downloading it, the user will be able to log in using the details of his account, which is used on the lost device, and manage it from here.

Here the possibilities are almost the same as in the browser version, but there is one addition. You can click on the car icon to get directions to your lost iPhone. This is very convenient, because in one click the full path will be plotted on the screen, and you will receive useful information, namely, what is the distance to this point and how long the trip will take.

You can search and manage through the browser version also from a tablet or mobile phone. For example, if you use Android or Windows Mobile, then simply go to the iCloud website, log in with your account and carry out all the same operations as we described above.

Apple ID verification fraud

Cases of “verifying” Apple ID from your device have become more frequent. It looks like this: a stranger asks for help and tells you to enter your username and password on your iPhone to check the functionality of the functions. At first glance, it seems that you can trust this person, because no one will ever share your login and password information without any need. In fact, it turns out that the account is empty, there is nothing on it: no contacts, no photos, and the shell with applications is not touched. Often, thieves do not have Apple products at all, and all actions take place through the iCloud desktop site.

Often, attackers live on Apple-themed forums and ingratiate themselves with the user by asking his opinion and talking about his experience of use. And after a couple of days they come up with different stories: from “I’ve been using Android for a long time, and now I’m switching to Apple to check my old account”, “I can’t log in, but the name of an important medicine is in Notes” to “Bluetooth/Wi doesn’t work on my iPhone -Fi/geolocation, check on your device.” The essence of this fraud remains the same: to remotely block your iPhone and then demand several thousand rubles. This is iPhone theft in the truest sense of the word. After such actions, the scammer on the other side of the screen will make it seem like the user stole the gadget from him, and not vice versa. You will not be able to try to log out of the ill-fated account and enter your Apple ID data, because the phone has been marked by criminals as stolen. That is, in a nutshell, the device will turn into a “brick” until it is unlocked by a fraudster.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of such cases, and the police resources are not enough to investigate every small case. There is no way out of this situation yet: you should hope for the carelessness of the thieves and believe that they did not have time to change their own Apple ID password. Then try disabling Lost Mode and change the passcode. To avoid getting into such a situation, you should not respond to this kind of messages from strangers online and help only your loved ones and relatives.

Babysitting for children, workers, employees

This is quite a real situation, but what’s wrong with that? Moreover, when you start monitoring the network for different implementations of such capabilities, you become convinced that there is simply an unlimited number of such applications.

You can see the result of our research in the article “3 ways to track an iPhone.” You can also gain some useful experience on this topic from the article “Searching for an iPhone by phone number.” We will consider the latest and most unpleasant situation with the potential theft of an iPhone.

iOS 13 app version and improved search even with the iPhone turned off

With the release of firmware version 13, the two applications “Find iPhone” and “Find Friends” were combined for convenience. In the program, called "Locator", you can now not only track your own device and linked Apple products across the ecosystem, but also help your friends find the missing device. Plus, users can monitor the movements of family and friends (and also share the location), if the owner’s consent is given.

Plus, there is now an option to search for a device offline. For this, a Bluetooth module is used, which remains active even when the device’s battery is low or the smartphone is turned off. How it works? Apple said that for this feature to work, you will need absolutely any iPhone device nearby. The information is encrypted and thus geolocation data is created.

Can a user detect the location of a smartphone using a code?

To search for a lost device yourself, you need to have access to its serial number. The manufacturer assigns each gadget an individual code. The user cannot change it independently. But you can get information about it. To do this, look at the iPhone box or dial *#06# on your cell phone.

On the Internet you can find special online services that make it possible to find an iPhone by serial number. The search is carried out using geodata. For the option to be available, you must be connected to the Internet on your smartphone. If the network on the device is active, all you have to do is enter a fifteen-digit number in the search bar. Next, the program will begin searching for the lost smartphone. Still, there are situations when tracking the location of the phone will be impossible. This happens under the following circumstances:

attackers were able to change the current name of a smartphone (this happens very rarely);
to find the gadget, you will need to have access to equipment and services that are only available to law enforcement agencies.

If a client wants to track a smartphone through a computer on their own, without turning to the police for help, they can use the LoSToleN service. This portal works online, where the user can upload information about his gadget. Here you should also indicate what amount of reward is guaranteed for returning the cell phone. The information then appears in the database.

General step-by-step instructions and tips on what to do if your iPhone is stolen

Follow these steps:

If the iPhone is not nearby and there is no way to determine the location of the gadget, then immediately turn on the lost mode through the “Locator” / “Find iPhone” utility or on the iCloud.com website;
Block the SIM card (by contacting a hotline or local phone shop), especially if it was not protected by a four-digit PIN;
If it becomes clear that the gadget is irretrievably lost, activate the “Erase iPhone” function. Then all information on the phone will be deleted, and thieves will not be able to use private data;
If your friend’s smartphone, with which you remotely blocked the device, receives messages or calls from the “support service” about the appearance of the device, but the iPhone does not appear on the map in the application, then feel free to ignore calls and SMS by sending the number to the blacklist ;
Remember that notifications arriving on behalf of Apple are also sent to the specified email address. If there are no similar messages in the mail, then most likely these are attackers;
Do not click on links from messages - these may be phishing sites. Go personally to iCloud.com by manually entering the site name, and only there enter your Apple ID information;
If someone managed to find your phone, and this “someone” asks you to erase your phone from the Find My iPhone application, then under no circumstances do this - in this case, you will give your smartphone to the scammer with your own hands.

Share link:

Conclusion

Owners of a new iPhone are so excited about their purchase that they completely forget that the gadget can easily be lost or stolen. Take care of registering an Apple ID account, install additional search applications, write down all passwords, save packaging, receipts and, most importantly, the IMEI number immediately after purchasing the device.

Sources

https://AlfaMan.org/hi-tech/telefony/138-kak-nayti-poteryannyy-ayfon.html
https://support.apple.com/ru-ru/HT210515
https://www.opengsm.com/blog/mestonahojdenie-iphone/
https://bigiphone.ru/kak-naiti/
https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5d54328ea06eafb7bab346a4/kak-naiti-aifon-cherez-icloud-i-find-my-iphone-5df4e1c3d4f07a00ad78706b
https://iphone-gps.ru/iphone/kak-nayti-funktsiyu-nayti-iphone
https://SetPhone.ru/rukovodstva/kak-najti-poteryannyj-ajfon/
https://iphone-gps.ru/iphone/kak-nayti-iphone-cherez-android
https://profiapple.ru/iphone/instrukcii/bezopasnosty/nayti-ayfon-po-nomeru-telefona-onlayn.html

Blocking using standard iOS tools

Let's find out: how can you block it? Let's take a closer look at the lost mode and find out how to activate the function.

Click on the Lost Mode function.
Enter a password to lock your lost smartphone. Burglars won't know this password. Only you can turn it on when you receive it.
Add a contact number. The numbers will be displayed on the display of the stolen mobile phone.
It is recommended to write a short SMS to the attackers (to your number) so that the mobile phone can be returned as soon as possible.
Activate the function.

After simple manipulations, a stolen mobile phone will become a useless brick. It is impossible to do anything with it without knowing the password. You cannot make calls, send SMS, look at photos, or scroll through the menu. All you have to do is wait for them to call you back. When the Internet appears on your cell phone, you can find out its location through the program and then take the necessary actions to return expensive equipment.

Results

In this article, I tried to talk in as much detail as possible about how to detect and deny access to smartphone data to unauthorized people. Of course, I described only the simplest ways to lock an iPhone, but as practice shows, this is usually enough.

However, many different craftsmen know how to bypass any iPhone lock. This is usually done by resoldering different boards with different identification numbers. Of course, these services are quite expensive, since it is quite difficult to get the necessary elements. Law enforcement agencies know about this, but they cannot do anything; the repairs are carried out within the framework of the law.

Important Additions

There are several important points arising from using the Find iPhone application that you need to know:

First, you should understand that the smartphone location data provided by the iCloud service is not displayed in real time, but only shows the moment the lost iPhone was last connected to the Internet.
You can allow the application to receive notifications via e-mail, this will allow you to quickly catch the moment when a stolen smartphone appears online and quickly block the device and use the “Erase iPhone” function to delete all personal information.
The “Find iPhone” function will be useless if the device was stolen by a resourceful thief and promptly flashed before you even noticed it was missing.
And what is worth noting is that always-on geolocation puts a heavy load on the battery, as a result of which it discharges faster.

Let’s also imagine a situation where, for some reason, the owner did not immediately enable the “Find iPhone” function when purchasing the smartphone, then finding it, of course, will be more problematic, even almost impossible. But, nevertheless, it is possible to make life not so sweet for those people who find the device, but do not want to return it right away. The fact is that on the official Apple website there is such an excellent opportunity - to change the password for your AppleID account.

If everything is done quickly, this will instantly block access to many important functions. For example, to the AppStore, iTunes, iCloud, etc. Also, something worth taking care of is changing passwords on social networking accounts so that your photos and correspondence are not made public and simply do not fall under the prying eyes, and this can be done quite easily from a personal computer.

In this case, the most important thing is speed, since you didn’t take care in advance, you didn’t protect yourself from the loss of your phone by installing the “Find iPhone” application. And the faster the user blocks his personal data remotely, the greater the likelihood that an unscrupulous person will return the smartphone, which he will not be able to fully use.

A person who has installed the “Find iPhone” application on his device will have to be very careful and cautious about the safety of his personal credentials and not give them away left and right. Because if your data ends up in the wrong hands, these hands, in turn, will be able to calmly block the gadget and, promptly changing the iCloud password, subsequently come into contact with the owner of the smartphone and blackmail him, that is, you. This type of fraud is now very relevant, unfortunately, since according to various sources, recently more and more injured users are suffering from this type of action.