All kinds of things happen in life. But one of the most unpleasant feelings is when you lose something. Of course, it’s okay when it’s just some tangible thing, but it can still make some people sad. On the other hand, when you find something valuable, you will definitely be overwhelmed with joy. Especially if it’s something you’ve lost before. All this should be understood by the person who found the lost thing, such as an iPhone.
Even for the most decent person, it can be difficult to decide what to do if that person has found a lost iPhone. Of course, the best solution is to return the lost thing to its legal owner, because if you keep the gadget for yourself, it will be considered as theft. In addition, in the case of Apple devices, this is completely useless thanks to the Activation Lock feature.
So, here is what to do if you have found a lost iPhone.
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Keep an iPhone charged
The first action you have to do is to buy or borrow a charger to keep an iPhone’s battery alive. Unfortunately, modern smartphones cannot boast a high-capacity battery, and the charge is usually barely enough for a day. In the case of the Plus or Max versions, the charge may hold out somewhat longer. If the iPhone you found is dead, press the power button and see what happens. If the smartphone does turn on, put it on charge right away. If you don’t have your own iPhone, you’ll have to get a Lightning cable somewhere.
Check for the passcode lock
Check if the iPhone is locked with the password. If so, don’t try to brute-force it. If you have access to the call history or Apple ID, try to find information that allows you to contact the owner of the gadget. But there is a small chance that the mobile device is unlocked. This means that the owner has not set a password, which all smartphone owners must do. If by some miracle the device happens to be unlocked, there are two things you can do:
- First, you can go to the “Settings” app, find the email address under “Apple ID” (click on First and Last Name), and contact this person.
- Secondly, you can look in the call log, call back a friend or relative of the owner and tell them that you have found this iPhone.
Access the Medical ID
If you are still trying to find the owner of a lost iPhone, you can try the Medical ID feature. While its primary purpose is to provide important medical information to first responders in the event of an emergency, it can also give you more clues about the owner’s identity.
If you want to access the Medical ID feature, open the lock screen on an iPhone and select Emergency at the bottom left corner of the screen. A number pad will then appear on the screen. At the bottom left of the screen, select Medical ID. If the owner has configured this feature, you will see his name and additional information about him.
Check if an iPhone is connected to the Internet
You can try to reconnect to the Internet by turning on the iPhone and inserting the SIM card, or by connecting it to an open Wi-Fi network. The lost gadget probably already has a SIM card that allows you to connect to the Internet over a cellular network.
Things are a bit more complicated with Wi-Fi. If the iPhone was turned off when you found it, iOS will not connect to an unsecured network without entering the password. However, if the device has been turned on, there will be no problem connecting.
Try to use Siri
If you have managed to connect your iPhone to the Internet, ask the voice assistant. Siri can provide enough information about the owner even if the device has been locked. However, this will only work if the gadget was on when you found it. If the smartphone was turned off and then on, the voice assistant will be deactivated. To call Siri, you need to press and hold the Home button.
Think carefully about what to ask Siri. For example, you could give the command “call my wife” (mom, dad, boss, etc.) or “read my last message”. You can also ask who the owner of the iPhone is and what his e-mail address is.
Check to see if “Find My iPhone” is activated
Nobody else can use your iPhone because the “Find My iPhone” feature makes it completely useless in the wrong hands. The Activation Lock prevents you from using a gadget even after a factory reset and allows an owner to track a lost or stolen gadget.
If “Find My iPhone” is activated on an iPhone, it means that its owner has logged into iCloud and marked his device as lost. You will see an appropriate notification and a message left by the owner, which should include his contact information. If the iPhone connects to the Internet, the owner will be alerted via iCloud about its location.
Contact the carrier or police
As a last resort, you can pull out the owner’s SIM card and write down the operator’s number and the number printed on the SIM card. Then you can contact the operator, call the number, and maybe he or she can help you contact the owner of the device.
After trying all these options, it’s best to take it to the police station closest to where you found the iPhone. You can explain to the police that you found someone else’s phone and tried to contact the owner, but nothing works.
