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How to erase stolen iPhone, when Find My is turned off.

I had my phone stolen on Sunday and unfortunately I had turned off Find My iPhone, so I can't easily wipe it. Is there any way of locking or wiping the phone, without using Find My? I can see the phone on my iCloud account, but I'm not sure if I should remove it or not?


Any help here much appreciated!

iPhone SE, iOS 16

Posted on Jul 4, 2023 2:38 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 4, 2023 6:55 AM

If you see it at https://icloud.com/find then Find My is still enabled. You can choose the Erase option and it will be erased as soon as it has an internet connection. If the phone had a passcode your content is safe, even if it is not erased.


However, Beware of a common phishing scam: You may get a text or email from “Apple” or “Apple Security” (or sometimes “Police”) saying your phone has been found and to click on a link to see its location. This is NEVER from Apple or from law enforcement; it is from the thief or fence to steal your Apple ID and identity. Delete any such message without responding to it. Apple never gets involved in lost or stolen devices→Avoid phishing emails, fake ‘virus‘ alerts, phony support calls, and other scams

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 4, 2023 6:55 AM in response to keb501

If you see it at https://icloud.com/find then Find My is still enabled. You can choose the Erase option and it will be erased as soon as it has an internet connection. If the phone had a passcode your content is safe, even if it is not erased.


However, Beware of a common phishing scam: You may get a text or email from “Apple” or “Apple Security” (or sometimes “Police”) saying your phone has been found and to click on a link to see its location. This is NEVER from Apple or from law enforcement; it is from the thief or fence to steal your Apple ID and identity. Delete any such message without responding to it. Apple never gets involved in lost or stolen devices→Avoid phishing emails, fake ‘virus‘ alerts, phony support calls, and other scams

How to erase stolen iPhone, when Find My is turned off.

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