You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When yousign up with your Apple ID, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members byupvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When yousign up with your Apple ID, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members byupvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.
User profile for user: soiahagen
soiahagen Author
User level: Level1 5 points
one question. my iphone got stolen, and i have no icloud backup. it was only yesterday, and i could lock it via find my iphone about 2h later, in that time it was switched off when i called from others phones a couple of time (was stuck at the police station for quite awhile before i could get to my mac book at home).
i marked it "lost" via findmyiphone, hasn't come thru yet (pending) as iphone wasn't turned on i guess.
should i "erase" it via findmyiphone? i have no clue which version i had on my iphone SE, but would it be possible to reverse erasion in the unlikely case that it is returned?
any other tipps what to do?retrieving data ect
thank you
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone 6, iOS 12
Posted on Sep 12, 2023 9:34 AM
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Posted on Sep 12, 2023 12:34 PM
A correction. If an iPhone is erased by the person who has it in hand (they're already past the lock screen and knows both the Apple ID and password), then the phone will behave as new when it restarts.
But when erased via Find My, such as while logged into your account at icloud.com, then the phone will be erased while still remaining in Activation Lock so it cannot be used.
View in context
Similar questions
- How to erase my stolen iPhone?Hi. My iPhone is taken... and i try to erase my phone, how i know that erase proses is complete ?[Re-Titled by Moderator] 9362
- Stolen Phone Erased - Not in My Devices Anymore!Hi.My iPhone was stolen so I placed it in Lost Mode. It was turned on briefly a week later so I set it to be erased. I was then notified (via my wifes phone number not mine) that it has been erased. I assume this means the thief turned it on a second time, or connected it to a computer.The device is now no longer accessible in my devices, is this a normal process for erase mode, or has it been compromised? In either case, is my data and information in the cloud and on other devices safe?Thanks. 38025
- i have lost my apple iphone , can anyone suggest the other way to get my phone back10 Xs max 256 on 4th Sep 2021 between 1 AM to 2:30 AM, when i start checking the device from find my iphone form icloude it is showing as offline. i have raised a compliant at nearest police station. can i get phone back? 1801
10 replies
Loading page content
Page content loaded
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Sep 12, 2023 12:34 PM in response to Kurt Lang
A correction. If an iPhone is erased by the person who has it in hand (they're already past the lock screen and knows both the Apple ID and password), then the phone will behave as new when it restarts.
But when erased via Find My, such as while logged into your account at icloud.com, then the phone will be erased while still remaining in Activation Lock so it cannot be used.
Link
User profile for user: LD150
LD150
User level: Level10 90,706 points
Apr 5, 2024 2:44 PM in response to Kurt Lang
I need to say the Erasing the phone in Find my will not remove activation lock.
That is done by Remove from account which should never be done
Erase a device in Find My on iPhone – Apple Support (UK)
quote
"What happens when you erase a device in Find My?
- A confirmation email is sent to your AppleID email address.
- When you erase a device remotely using Find My, Activation Lock remains on to protect it. YourApple IDand password are required to reactivate it."
Link
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Apr 5, 2024 2:50 PM in response to LD150
Yes, I corrected my earlier post above:
A correction. If an iPhone is erased by the person who has it in hand (they're already past the lock screen and knows both the Apple ID and password), then the phone will behave as new when it restarts.
But when erased via Find My, such as while logged into your account at icloud.com, then the phone will be erased while still remaining in Activation Lock so it cannot be used.
Link
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Sep 12, 2023 11:02 AM in response to Jellybeankj
Go to iCloud.com and login with your Apple ID and password. Up front will be your photos, iCloud Drive, Calendar and Numbers. At the lower left, you can get at all of various items backed up via iCloud by clicking on the respective button.
Link
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Apr 5, 2024 2:55 PM in response to LD150
Still good you posted as I forgot to mention this part:
That is done by Remove from account which should never be done
If a user does that, then anyone can erase the stolen phone as new.
Link
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Sep 12, 2023 10:23 AM in response to soiahagen
No, do not erase it. If you do, the thief will have a free phone to use or sell as a working phone. Left in lost mode, it will forever remain in Activation Lock, and only an extremely lucky guess of both your email address and password will unlock it.
Even if recovered, an erased phone will be impossible to retrieve data from. If still in Activation Lock, you will be able to release it.
Assuming you never get the phone back, from any other device, you should be able to recover your data from iCloud. Pictures, contacts, etc.
Link
User profile for user: Jellybeankj
Jellybeankj
User level: Level1 8 points
Sep 12, 2023 10:35 AM in response to Kurt Lang
“Assuming you never get the phone back, from any other device, you should be able to recover your data from iCloud. Pictures, contacts, etc.”
How can this be done without an existing backup of the “offline” lost/stolen device?
Link
User profile for user: Aldercomp
Aldercomp
User level: Level1 8 points
Apr 5, 2024 8:01 AM in response to Kurt Lang
Hey id like to say after avout 6 months if it hasnt turned up i would erase it for a few reasons security hasnt been being kept updated which means your data could be compromised for one ... for two if the thief sold your phone to your grandma and it was locked now the thief has money your grandma has a new paper weight and you still have nothing ... im against stealing but im also against the e-waste and the thief... my suggestion is change it from a hello screen to a you got a bad apple? if activation lock and after 6 months of no use (new phone value is halved) it can be unlocked by an associate at apple... i kno the pain of my phone being stolen but im also sitting on 10 locked devices i traded family and friends for working phones that i fixed after they got scammed to mitigate there losses...
Link
User profile for user: Kurt Lang
Kurt Lang
User level: Level9 60,570 points
Apr 5, 2024 8:14 AM in response to Aldercomp
if activation lock and after 6 months of no use (new phone value is halved) it can be unlocked by an associate at apple
Apple will not do that. Ever. If you cannot prove the phone is yours - and that means a genuine original sales receipt with the matching serial number - then Apple will not unlock and erase it for anyone, no matter how long it's been lost.
Link
User profile for user: LD150
LD150
User level: Level10 90,706 points
Lost iPhone, if erased can it reversed?
