How to contact the owner of an iPhone I found?

Thank you for wanting to do the right thing and reunite a lost phone with its rightful owner. Its refreshing, to be honest.

As already mentioned, Apple doesn't get involved in lost or stolen devices and we can't help.

But the suggestion to turn it over to the local authorities in the hopes the owner reported it missing is really the best hope for helping them get it back.

It is really up to the owner to post information to it via a lost mode screen message. But that is at their discretion to do so, or not.

There really is no way for you to discover anything about the owner if they don’t use the tools built into Find My to display their information.

In addition to the tools built into Find my, I took one of my photos, used Markup on it and added the following as my lock screen wallpaper:

If you found this

Please Call

xxx-xxx-xxxx

So, if anyone found my phone, all they'd have to do to try to find me is see the lock screen.

That's a great idea, but I would not feel comfortable a) putting my phone number out there or b) setting up a meeting with a stranger who may be someone I would not be comfortable meeting with anywhere. They could no doubt also be able to find out my address if they are savvy enough or steal my wallet during the meetup.

I saw a segment on CBS recommending people do this. And the number I provide on the lock screen is not my cell number. It is my work number. I guess they can come to my office and harm me, but they'd have a difficult time doing so. I would only meet in a safe place for sure.

Ahh, that may be ok, but I don't have a work number, so I would not put it out there. Years ago (before internet/cell phones), I picked up a nice looking couple - they said they had a problem with their car and she was/pretended to be pregnant - so I gave them a ride. They were in the backseat. I left them in the next town and later realized that they had emptied my purse: all money, ID, etc was gone. They left the purse, but got a lot of cash (that was in Europe before credit cards - carried more cash). Have never given a ride to anyone I didn't know since. .

With iOS/iPadOS 15 you could use email and hide my email to make a rescue address without exposing your real address.

My domain hosting service lets me set up to 2000 addresses (and I have a couple of domains I deliberately don’t use for anything but temp or burner email addresses), so I have made burner email addresses that way in the past. If they get used, I use them until not needed, then just delete them so they no longer exist. Hide my email is perhaps even a better way to do that.

great idea; unfortunately, we just moved and are now in an apartment type situation and internet access via Wifi is included. Cabled internet access can be purchased, but it does not give me a router, just a cable for one device plugged into the wall. Email is not available. Had to give up my previous email address from my ISP since we, effectively, no longer have an ISP (so to speak). So I chose an online email provider as my main email and have a couple of non-descript ones for use with online purchases and such. But it does not give me much control over anything.

The emei number is irrelevant and no, Apple will not assist in cases of loss or theft. The best thing is to either put a notice where you found it or turn it into your local police department.