Hopefully, the owner has this account set up on another device (computer, iPad, web mail access, etc.) and get your message. Write an e-mail to the (presumed) owner and tell them where their phone will be. Look at the "From:" field, address the e-mail to this account. Since you're on the "Mailboxes" screen, it'll pick the default mail account if there are multiple accounts set up. Hint: ask for the manager on duty at the establishment, don't give it to just anyone.Īnother possibility if the phone is unlocked: go into the mail app, make sure you've backed out to the "Mailboxes" screen, then tap the icon to compose a new message. If they can't reach the owner right there and then, it might mean leaving it at the establishment that you found it at and the carrier rep will ask for the establishment's address, (just in case the owner might not know where it was found at). They may try to call the owner's alternate number(s) on file (home, work, etc.). When I've found unlocked phones (or plain-old "feature phones"), I just call 611 and tell the carrier that I've found this phone I'm calling from, and ask them how they would like for me to proceed. If you've ever come across a lost or stolen iPhone, how did you go about reuniting it with the owner? Did you perform any of the steps above? And if so, were any of them successful for you? Be sure to let us know in the comments below! Your advice for finding the owner of a lost or stolen iPhone? The decisions you make from the second you pick it up can affect you, too. So keep this in mind if you happen to stumble across a misplaced iPhone.
If Find My iPhone is activated and the owner successfully tracks you, they may have gotten law enforcement involved. If you find it and don't turn it in, it can still be considered theft. There is no finder's keepers rule when it comes to lost property such as cell phones. If the latter happens, that phone cannot be activated on many cellular networks, at least in the United States. Keep in mind that many iPhone owners can either use Find My iPhone to track their device or they can call their carrier and report it lost or stolen. A final note about lost or stolen iPhones Wake the iPhone from sleep and check to see if the owner of the phone left a message for the person who finds it. It also allows you to leave a message on the phone's lock screen.
Look for a Find My iPhone messageĪny iPhone user can use Find My iPhone to enable Lost Mode, which locks the lost iPhone, enables Low Power Mode, and disables Apple Pay. Since there aren't a huge amount of carriers in any one area, this process should still be relatively easy even without knowing the carrier off-hand. Keep in mind that even if you found an iPhone that won't power on, you can always try calling different carriers in your area to see if they have a record of the IMEI or MEID.
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How to find the serial number, IMEI, MEID, CDN, and ICCID number of an iPhone or iPad (opens in new tab).How to remove the SIM card from an iPhone or iPadįor even more help finding and recognizing an IMEI or MEID number, or any other identifying number for that matter, Apple has a great support article complete with photos you can take a look at:.If you aren't sure how to remove the SIM tray from an iPhone, you can follow our guide: Look for the IMEI to be printed on the back of the tray. Eject the SIM tray on the side of the device and flip it over.Before iPhone 6s, Apple printed the IMEI at the back, bottom portion of the device. There are several ways to find IMEI or MEID info: The carrier name appears immediately to the right of the signal dots. If the iPhone is powered on, you can tell what carrier they have by looking at the carrier name in upper left hand corner of the screen. While they can't release information about the owner, they most certainly can help you track them down. If you can't, you can always call the carrier over the phone and start from there. It's best to just visit the carrier's store where they can then take possession of the iPhone and handle it from there. The owner's carrier can use this information to track the owner down and hopefully contact them. Every iPhone has a unique number called an IMEI (or MEID for some CDMA phones) imprinted somewhere on it.