Phone got stolen and erase is pending. What do I do?

It will not hurt to stop the erase process on the phone, but it also won't help either, since things will be delayed. You will still have to start over again if you stop the process.

The erase is "pending" for one or more of the following reasons:

• The battery has run down
• The phone has been powered off
• The phone does not have an Internet connection where it is currently located

Thieves are also very fond of placing a stolen phone in a special type of small bag that will not allow the phone to either send or receive signal.

Frankly, there is not really anything that you can do about this except keep checking a few times each day to see if the status of the phone has changed.

Do NOT remove the phone from the list of devices that are using your Apple ID.

Watch out for any messages that appear to be from "Apple" or "Apple Support" that indicated that your phone has been found.....and you just need to provide a few more details so the phone can be returned to you.

Apple does not get involved with lost or stolen phones, so you know that any message like this is a scam that is trying to trick you into revealing your personal information. Ignore and delete any messages that you see like this.

NEVER remove the device from your Apple ID; keeping it tied to your Apple ID makes it unusable by the thief or anyone else, thanks to Activation Lock.

It will erase when it has an internet connection, but if you had an passcode on your phone your content is safe.

And see→If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple Support for additional suggestions.

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