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Learn How To Lock Stolen iPhone Properly [100% Authentic]

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Mar 08, 2024 • Filed to: Remove Screen Lock • Proven solutions

When it comes to security in smartphones, Apple stands at the forefront. The Activation Lock is a robust barrier to preventing unauthorized access and device theft. Losing your iPhone can be a disturbing event, as accidents are inevitable. Taking prompt action to stop unauthorized data access becomes important. This guide offers a step-by-step approach to how to lock a stolen iPhone.

understanding ways to lock stolen iphone

Part 1. Major Threats To Consider When iPhone Is Stolen

A lost iPhone can become susceptible to a myriad of threats. It could compromise your privacy, security, and personal data. Here are the reasons why learning how to lock your iPhone when lost is essential:

  1. Unauthorized Access to Personal Data: Thieves can exploit an unsecured iPhone to gain unauthorized access to personal information. These include contacts, messages, emails, and photos.
  2. Financial Exploitation:With access to your iPhone, thieves may attempt to get stored payment methods.
  3. Identity Theft: Stolen iPhones often contain a wealth of sensitive information. This makes them a prime target for identity theft.
  4. Compromised Social Media Accounts: Using social media applications on your smartphone carries potential risks in the event of device loss. Unauthorized access to your social media accounts can lead to many problems, including misinformation and compromised privacy.

Part 2. Use Find My To Locate Stolen iPhone

On learning about how do I lock my stolen iPhone, Apple's robust Find My feature emerges as a beacon of hope. It uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals to locate your iPhone accurately.

using find my to locate iphone

Key Scenarios Where Find My Works

Find My can be a source to track stolen iPhones, but certain scenarios are associated with its operations. To know more about these scenarios, this section continues the discussion further below:

  1. iPhone Turned On:Find My can provide real-time location trackingwhen your stolen iPhone is still powered on and connected to the internet.
  2. iPhone Turned Off or In Airplane Mode:The last known location before the device was powered down or put in Airplane Mode is accessible, offering a starting point for recovery efforts.
  3. Offline Finding with Bluetooth:The Find My service leverages Bluetooth technology to create a vast network of Apple devices. With these, it can securely help locate your iPhone, even offline.
  4. Activation Lock Integration:This service is also integrated with Activation Lock, adding an extra layer of security. The Activation Lock remains active if a thief attempts to erase your device.

How To Use Find My To Locate Your Stolen iPhone

  • Step 1. Access the Find My app on a trusted device and open it. If you can't access one, use the iCloud website to access Find My service.
  • open find my app

  • Step 2. After logging in, select the lost device, and you can see its last recorded location on the map.
  • consider last device location

    Part 3. Using Lost Mode To Lock Stolen iPhone

    Lost Mode locks the device and allows users to showcase a personalized message on the screen. This can help greatly in the safe return of the smartphone. The following are the simple steps you need to follow to learn how to block stolen iPhone with Lost Mode:

    Activating Lost Mode Using Your Smartphone

  • Step 1. Within the Find My app, tap "Devices" from the bottom toolbar and select your lost device. Now, scroll down to "Mark As Lost" and tap "Activate."
  • proceed to activate lost mode

  • Step 2. You will now be given a summary of the Lost Mode; tap "Continue" to proceed. On the following screen, add a phone number, tap "Next," and add a message that will be displayed on the lost device.
  • add message for lost device

  • Step 3. After adding a message, tap "Next" on the following screen and press "Activate" from the top right corner.
  • proceed to turn on lost mode

    Activating Lost Mode Using iCloud Website

  • Step 1. Access the iCloud website via your computer's web browser. Sign in using your Apple ID, continue to click the “Grid” icon in the top right corner, and select “Find My.”
  • sign into icloud account

  • Step 2. In Find My, add your Apple ID password again to access "All Devices." Now, choose the lost device from the list of all devices in the top left corner. Then, click "Mark As Lost," and the following pop-up Lost Mode prompt, tap "Next."
  • access lost mode option

  • Step 3. Now go on to add your phone number and tap "Next." Follow it by providing the message you want to display and click "Activate" to enable Lost Mode.
  • activate lost mode from browser

    Part 4. Can't Find Stolen Phone? Erase iPhone Completely!

    When efforts to locate a stolen iPhone fail, the need to protect sensitive data intensifies. As a result, the option to erase the device becomes a crucial step instead of how to lock the iPhone when lost. Here's how to protect against the potential misuse of your information by erasing your device via Find My:

  • Step 1. After accessing Find My service, choose the lost device from the list and click "Erase This Device."
  • erase device from find my

  • Step 2. Select "Continue" on the erased iPhone screen for the Find My app. Once you've added the number, press "Erase" in the top right corner and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the procedure.
  • follow prompts to erase

  • Step 3. If using the iCloud website, tap "Erase This Device" and click "Next" on the upcoming prompt. You will be asked to enter the Apple ID password, after which you can use the on-screen guidelines to finish the process.
  • erase device from browser

    Part 5. Other Things To Do iPhone Is Stolen

    There are additional measures you can take to enhance your overall security apart from understanding how do I lock my stolen iPhone. The following are some options you should utilize in case of device loss:

    To Do List #1. Report to Police

    If your iPhone is stolen, it is crucial to immediately inform your local law enforcement agency. It facilitates the recovery process and assists in combatting criminal activities. Provide essential details about your iPhone, such as the Model, color, and IMEI number. Share information about your efforts to locate the stolen iPhone using Find My.

    reporting iphone stolen to police

    To Do List #2. Make an Insurance Claim With AppleCare

    You can claim insurance if you have AppleCare+ coverage for your iPhone. AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for iPhone includes protection against theft and loss incidents. It offers up to two incidents of such coverage every 12 months.

    To qualify for theft or loss coverage, it is necessary for Find My to be enabled on your device at the time it goes missing. Moreover, it should remain enabled alongside Lost Mode throughout the claims process.

    insurance in applecare

    To Do List #3. Remove iPhone From Trusted Devices (2FA)

    After your iPhone is stolen, it becomes essential to bolster the security of your online accounts. It is particularly essential for those safeguarded by Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), which needs to be removed:

    From iOS Device Settings

  • Step 1. Access Settings on an iOS device logged in with the same Apple ID as the lost one. Here, tap on your name on the following screen and scroll down.
  • open settings and apple id details

  • Step 2. Simply select the misplaced device, and in the subsequent interface, press "Remove from Account" to eliminate it from the list of trusted devices.
  • remove stolen device from account

    From the Apple ID Website

  • Step 1. If you cannot reach a secure device, visit the http://appleid.apple.com website and sign in with the identical Apple ID.
  • log into apple id account

  • Step 2. Once logged in, click "Devices" from the left side and select the lost device. To remove this device as a trusted device, click "Remove from Account."
  • remove device from browser

    Part 6. Precautions To Take for Avoiding Losing iPhone

    Users can proactively adopt specific measures to reduce the likelihood of such an occurrence. The following essential precautions are recommended while learning how to block your iPhone when stolen:

    Precaution #1. Enable Find My on Device

    Activating Find My increases the likelihood of recovering your device. Take the following steps to enable the Find My feature on your iPhone:

  • Step 1. On your iOS device, navigate to “Settings” and tap the Apple ID on the top. Now, scroll down and press "Find My" on the following screen.
  • open find my settings

  • Step 2. Next, tap "Find My iPhone," on the ensuing window, toggle "Find My iPhone." This will enable the Find My service on your device.
  • turn on find my service

    Precaution #2. Enable Separation Alerts on iPhone

    Enabling “Separation Alerts” assists in preventing the loss of your iPhone by alerting you when you distance yourself from it. Follow these steps to enable Separation Alerts on your iPhone:

  • Step 1. Navigate to and launch the Find My app on your iPhone. Select the device from the "Devices" tab for which you want to enable separation alerts.
  • look for device in find my

  • Step 2. From the available options, tap "Notify When Left Behind," and on the following screen, toggle "Notify When Left Behind." You can also add locations on this screen by tapping "New Location," for which you don't want to receive a left-behind notice.
  • notify on separation enabled

    Precaution #3. Enable 2FA on iPhone

    Activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) enhances the security of your iPhone. The mandatory secondary verification step makes 2FA crucial in securing your accounts. Follow these steps to enable 2FA on your iPhone:

  • Step 1. Access the Settings app on your iOS device and tap your name/Apple ID. Find and tap "Sign-In & Security" to proceed further.
  • open security settings iphone

  • Step 2. On the following screen, tap "Turn On Two-Factor Authentication." Follow it by tapping "Continue" afterward, and use the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
  • turn on two factor authentication

    Bonus Tip. Find Stolen iPhone Back but Locked? Unlock With Wondershare Dr.Fone

    Recovering your stolen iPhone successfully can be a joyous event. Yet, the frustration of discovering your device locked due to a forgotten password can be disheartening. Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) offers a solution to regain access to your device. This robust tool is crafted to help users unlock various iOS screen lock scenarios.

    It provides a hassle-free solution for those locked out of their devices. This powerful tool effortlessly removes various lock screens on iPhones and iPads. It can bypass the iCloud activation lock without the need for a password.

    Key Features of Wondershare Dr.Fone

    1. If you are using iTunes for backup but have forgotten the iTunes backup encryption passcode, Dr.Fone can remove it without data loss.
    2. This tool can remove Apple IDfrom your iPhone or iPad if you have forgotten its password.
    3. You can free up your device by removing MDMand carrier locks using Dr.Fone.

    Steps To Unlock Your Locked iOS Device Using Wondershare Dr.Fone

    Wondershare Dr.Fone is a comprehensive toolkit that addresses many iOS-related issues. It offers a user-friendly solution to unlock your iPhone with the help of the following steps:

  • Step 1. Launching Wondershare Dr.Fone and Accessing Toolbox
  • Once you have installed and launched Wondershare Dr.Fone, access the "Toolbox" tab. Click "Screen Unlock," and on the following screen, choose “iOS." Click "Unlock iOS Screen" on the following screen and link your iOS device to the computer.

    start ios screen unlock

    safe Downloadsafe & secure
  • Step 2. Entering Recovery Mode and Choosing System Version
  • The next step requires you to put your device in Recovery Mode, for which you can follow the instructions given on-screen. After your device is in Recovery Mode, Dr.Fone will display its “Model.” Now choose the appropriate "System Version" and click "Start." Here, Dr.Fone will start downloading the required firmware. Once it is downloaded and verified, tap "Unlock Now."

    proceed to unlock ios

  • Step 3. Acknowledging Data Loss Warning and Initiating Unlock Process
  • To show your acknowledgment of the warning, enter the asked code, which is "000000." Afterward, click "Unlock" to initiate the screen unlocking process. Once the process is complete, tap "Done" to conclude the procedure.

    acknowledge and unlock device

    Conclusion

    Knowing how to lock stolen iPhones is essential for safeguarding personal and sensitive data. Apple's Find My empowers users to remotely locate, lock, and erase their lost devices. If you have recovered your stolen device but it is locked, Wondershare Dr.Fone emerges as the top choice to unlock it within minutes.

    Tips: Are you searching for a powerful Screen Unlock tool? No worries as Dr.Fone is here to help you. Download it and start a seamless unlock experience!

    screen unlock

    Daisy Raines

    staff Editor

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