iPhone Stolen? Follow These Steps To Protect Your Device And Apple Account

Losing an iPhone or iPad can put both your personal data and Apple Account at risk. Apple advises users to act quickly if their device is lost or stolen by enabling Lost Mode, tracking its location, notifying authorities and their network provider, and securing account details. Taking these steps promptly can help protect sensitive information and improve the chances of recovering the device.

Here are the steps one should follow to protect their data on iPhone.

Step 1: Put your iPhone or iPad into Lost Mode

If your iPhone or iPad is stolen, the first priority is to immediately put it into Lost Mode. This locks the device with a passcode, preventing the thief from accessing it or making changes to your Apple Account.

If "Stolen Device Protection" is enabled on your iPhone, turning off Lost Mode requires Face ID or Touch ID. Consequently, even if the thief knows your passcode, they will not be able to unlock the iPhone.

Steps to mark the device as Lost:

• Visit the iCloud.com/find website.
• Sign in to your account. A verification code is not required for this step, so you can log in here even if your trusted device has been stolen.
• Select your iPhone or iPad from the "All Devices" list.
• Go to the "Mark as Lost" option.
• Follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Things to keep in mind after activating Lost Mode

If your device has been stolen, do not enter your contact details when enabling Lost Mode. Providing a phone number or message can be helpful if the device was simply misplaced and the finder wants to contact you, however, in the case of theft, a thief could exploit this information for social engineering attacks.

Do not remove the stolen iPhone or iPad from your "Find My" list. Removing the device from "Find My" also disables Activation Lock, making it easier for the thief to erase the device and resell it.

Even with "Stolen Device Protection" enabled, you should still put the device into Lost Mode as soon as possible. The extra security provided by this feature is not permanent and applies only for a specific duration.

Step 3: View the iPhone or iPad's location on the map

When you select your iPhone or iPad on iCloud.com/find, the map will zoom in to show its location.

If the device has been stolen or appears at an unfamiliar location on the map, do not attempt to retrieve it yourself. Instead, contact local law enforcement authorities. 

If Stolen Device Protection is active and someone attempts to change your Apple Account password from an unfamiliar location, your iPhone might not appear on the map at iCloud.com/find. Even so, you can still lock it by enabling Lost Mode.

Step 4: Report The Stolen Device

Report your stolen iPhone or iPad to the local police station. The police may ask for the device's serial number. You can obtain this serial number even if you do not have the device with you.

Additionally, inform your wireless network provider about the theft and ask them to suspend your account. If your iPhone is covered under their network plan, file a claim as well.

Step 5: Erase The iPhone or iPad remotely

If there is no hope of recovering the stolen device, you can erase it remotely. However, exhaust all options to locate the device before doing so, as the erase process cannot be undone.

You can erase your iPhone or iPad remotely using the Find My app on another device or by visiting iCloud.com/find.

If your device is running iOS 15 (or later) or iPadOS 15 (or later), it can still be located via Find My or iCloud.com/find even after being erased.

Do not remove the device from Find My after erasing it. Doing so would disable Activation Lock, potentially making it easier for the thief to resell the device.

If the device is currently offline, the remote erase process will begin as soon as it comes back online.

Step 6: Check your Apple Account details

You can check your Apple Account details on another trusted device-such as an iPad or Mac-where you are already signed in to your Apple Account.

• Open Settings or System Settings.
• Tap on your name.
• Scroll down to view the list of devices associated with your account. You can remove a stolen device from your Apple Account without removing it from Find My.
• Also, remove any devices you do not recognize or did not add to your account.
• Tap on Sign-In & Security.
• Review your security settings carefully. This includes information regarding email addresses, phone numbers, and recovery methods associated with the account.
• If you see any information that you did not change or do not recognise, update it and change your Apple Account password.

You can also view your Apple Account information by visiting account.apple.com. If you have a trusted device available, you will be prompted to use that device to make changes to the account.

If your iPhone is covered under AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, you can also file a claim for a replacement.