Found an iPhone

[ExXB]

I found an iPhone 5 in the street outside our house. Its password locked so I can't see anything except the lock screen.

Battery was down to 37% so plugged in in to charge it fully.

Sent email to neighbours but no responses as of now. Will put a note up on the street as well.

I know iPhones are licked down tight, and I haven't tried to enter a passcode as I know it's limited to three trys.

Any suggestions on how to reacquaint it with it's owner?

[yellowtriumph]

Most, if not all Apple products, have a 'find my iphone' application on it - which owners should have activated very soon after the iPhone came into their original possession.

If it was activated, then the owner should/will have remotely logged into his iCloud account and viewed where all his activated products are physically located. It's reasonably accurate. The owner can also:

a. Remotely erase the phone.
b. Make the iphone start issuing a regular - annoying - loud bleep.

So, if you hear it bleeping loudly, the owner has probably located roughly where you are so I would stand outside your house if it starts bleeping loudly.

Alternatively you could ring up Apple support, quote the iPhone serial number on the back and ask them to send the owner an email with your contact details. That assumes he has registered his product with Apple. I haven't tried this approach but I don't see why Apple support wouldn't play ball (you can chat to Apple support on-line if you want).

I'm sure you'll let us know how you get on.

PS. I wouldn't put a notice up in the street as I fear you may simply encourage chancers?

[ExXB]

I've also thought about popping out the SIM card and then ask thenetwork provider to contact the owner. On my own devices I'm thinking of having a contact number put on my lock screen.

I'm in quite a rural area, so not too worried about chancers. If they know the PIN they can have it.

[ImageGear]

Could have been stolen and then dumped??

[xraydice]

Either call Apple customer support or hand into nearest apple store ( get a receipt ) I dropped one off to the Aberdeen store and it got reunited with owner , and got a thank you call too

[4Screwaircrew]

My iPhone was returned to me, I'd left it in a store and they apparently interrogated Siri and got my land line number and phoned me.

[yellowtriumph]

Just out of interest, had you activated 'find my iPhone' on your iPhone? - just in case?

Which 'Siri' did they interrogate? - your iphone would have been PIN locked so not yours obviously.

[Avtrician]

Try the sim card in another phone, maybe there is a phonebook on it ( Im not sure if Iphones do that). At least you could find out the number and the carrier, and contact them to contact the owner.

[ExXB]

SIRI can be set up to work from the lock screen. That is not the default setting and on this phone had not been activated. You just hold down the home button and, if activated, you can try saying "Call home" or similar.

Nearest Apple Store is Geneva. SIM card is from Swisscom. I'll try them next.

Oh, it's not a 5 it's a S, guessing 6S?

Could have been stolen and then dumped??

I'm beginning to think so. The SIM is locked, which normally you wouldn't find on a phone.

But I have now edited my wallpaper on my phones/iPad to add my land line. I recommend everyone does something similar. These things are not cheap.

[onetrack]

Have you tried contacting your local law enforcement? Perhaps the person who owns the iphone has reported it stolen.

[ExXB]

Dropped it off at the police this afternoon. No report, so far, of any lost / stolen phone in last couple of days.

[4Screwaircrew]

Yellowtriumph, find my iPhone was activated but they called me before I realised I'd lost it, and yes they interrogated Siri on the phone.

[ChickenHouse]

How about this, just press the home button, touch emergency and talk to the emergency guys. Upon the call they'll have the phones number and they do have access to the database telling the owner.

[Planet Basher]

"Hello, which service do you require"......"Phone finder".........Phone off time water".

[ExXB]

If nobody claims it in a year, it is ours. Not sure what we would do then. I don't think even Apple can restore it to a blank state.

[yellowtriumph]

Originally Posted by ExXB

If nobody claims it in a year, it is ours. Not sure what we would do then. I don't think even Apple can restore it to a blank state.

Did you make a note of the serial number? I still wonder if a chat (telephone/online) with Apple support would not result in an email from Apple to the registered owner?

And thanks for your tips re Siri etc.

[FlightDetent]

Overdue observations:

Find My iPhone needs an iCloud account, which some of us may decide to shy away from.

Find my iPhone needs data to work. As the phone is locked you cannot connect it to home WiFi. If you pull the SIM out - in case it is locked as default - you may not be able to restore the phone's data connectivity.

Email address on homescreen is something I do as well, the later Androids have that as a setup option.

The phone can be reset to factory default, only if it is signed out from iCloud (or never activated)

The best way seem to be
a) via Apple service centre, to get in touch with the Apple ID owner
b) via tel-Co service centre, to get in touch with the SIM owner.

The idea to call 911 is technically sound and quite cool, unfortunately little beyond ethical.

[david1300]

I had a similar experience, but the phone screen was cracked (pretty shattered, actually). Shortly after I found it (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) the screen lit up, and fortunately I guessed correctly that it was an incoming call that answered when I swiped right. Phone owner was on the line asking if someone had picked it up - he had left it on the roof of his car and driven off. He came and collected it 10 minutes later. I guessed that seeing as he knew the number he could have it.

[megapete]

Worth knowing that with an iPhone if you press emergency from the lock screen then the Medical ID link will give you ICE (in case of emergency ) number if the owner has set it up. No need to trouble the emergency services! Google ICE for more info.