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I found an iPad sitting on the sidewalk outside my house. Called the police and they sent a guy around to pick it up. Same day the same cop brought it back, said they couldn't figure out who it belonged to. Now what do I do with it?
iMac 27″, macOS 10.12
The owner of the iPad will be able to track their device as long as there is an iPhone nearby to relay the Find My information and there is still battery power on the device assuming they have left Find My turned on. What you do with the device to make it easier for the owner to find it is up to you. If the owner has not realized it is lost yet, they may provide contact details on the Lock Screen when they do mark it as lost.
The owner of the iPad will be able to track their device as long as there is an iPhone nearby to relay the Find My information and there is still battery power on the device assuming they have left Find My turned on. What you do with the device to make it easier for the owner to find it is up to you. If the owner has not realized it is lost yet, they may provide contact details on the Lock Screen when they do mark it as lost.
Unless the iPad that you have found displays a message that includes contact details of the owner, you will not be able to trace the owner. Apple will not be able assist with tracing or reuniting the device with its owner.
You would be best advised to hand the device to your local authorities - as you appear to have done - along with an explanation of where and when the item was found. Alternatively, if found at a transport hub, hand the device to the lost and found department.
If the iPad is locked with an unknown Passcode or AppleID - or is disabled - the device is and will remain useless to anyone other than the bona-fide owner.
The iPad battery is down zero. I own an iPhone myself, which is in the same house the iPad is now in. So can I charge the iPad with my iPhone's charger, and if I do, the iPad will tell it's owner where it is if it's "Find My info" is turned on?
Most models of iPad require a Power Adapter rated at 12W (i.e., 2.4A @5V) or greater to reliably charge. 5W Power Adapters (1.0A @5V) intended for older models of iPhone are inadequate to charge an iPad; if the iPad charges at all, charging will be very slow. Recent models of iPad are supplied with a 20W USB-C Power Adapter.
The iPad will only be able to communicate if it has an active WiFi or Cellular connection. However, if the iPad has a recent version of iPadOS installed - and it is configured to participate in Apple's Find My Network - other Apple devices may anonymously detect a device that has been marked as lost by its owner. In such circumstances, the owner may be able to access the device location using the Find My service.
Thanks for the info. I guess the iPad goes back out on the sidewalk where I found it.
Found an iPad, now what?
