Can apple block my stolen iphone??

hello Christian. and thanks for the response. I used Find My iPhone but the phone is locked.
It can be used by one who stole it? Maybe reinstall new software? I have chances to recover it? I gave a statement to police after being stolen.

My simple point of view I see this a an important iniciative. And I'll be delighed if Apple takes iniciative, and why not advantage of it

I agree with you, and Apple would be happy to put a Kill Switch in their product. But until we can get past the NSA, Congress, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, a million lobbiests working for these companies, we won't get any kind of a kill switch. They would rather have you spend more money and buy a new phone, and have the back door left open to watch your email and web surfing.

Apple is doing everything they can to protect the phones. So you should use a passcode to lock your phone. Lock locations down using Restrictions so that a thief even if they can unlock your phone still can't turn off Find My iPhone. Don't make the Control Center accessible from the lock screen (If it is anyone can put the phone in Airplane mode and then try to get into it.

And as an owner keep your phone as safe as possible from others. iPhones are the number one stolen item right now so you have to do your part to protect it. Turn on Find My iPhone. Don't let your phone sit out on a table in public where anyone walking by can grab it and walk away with it. Don't use a simple passcode. Use a different passcode for Restrictions when you lock down Locations. Make sure you have the serial number, model number and IMEI number written down where you can get to it easily. And if your phone gets stolen, call your cell company right away.

Hi crislaleaua,

"Search my iPhone" was designed to render your iPhone useless when it's stolen, this means the thief can't get the data from the stolen iPhone if you had a passcode not easily guessable.

Have a nice day,

Chris

4pp131n51d3r wrote:

"Search my iPhone" was designed to render your iPhone useless when it's stolen, this means the thief can't get the data from the stolen iPhone if you had a passcode not easily guessable.

I believe your confusing the Activation Lock (associated with Find My iPhone) and the passcode lock for the phone.

The Activation lock uses your Apple ID. It does not, in and of itself, render the phone unusable. It means that, should someone steal your phone and attempt to wipe it, they will need your Apple ID passcode to complete the process. Find My iPhone also enables you to wipe the phone remotely.

The passcode lock will prevent someone from using your phone. It's independent of the Activation lock. While not impossible to crack, it will deter most theives.

Hi, Meg St._Clair.

I did not confuse it. I meant that if crislaleaua did not wipe the phone, the thieves cannot access the phone if it doesnt have a passcode like "1111" or something like that.

Have a nice day,

Chris

If however, crislaleaua did not use a passcode but did have Find My iPhone turned on she could attempt to locate her phone and to wipe it. Even if she cannot do that the thief will not be able to Restore the iPhone and activate it for use.

If they had a passcode activated but not Find My iPhone the thief only has to put the iPhone in Recovery mode and Restore the iPhone in iTunes.

my passcode was not 1111 . but I think that if the thief can not use it, he'll throw it, and I can not find it. You have no idea what network Gypsy thieves exist here in Romania. I'm sorry it was stolen, because I barely had received for my birthday.

Oh... I understand. I feel bad for you have got stolen the iPhone which you got for your birthday. If your iPhones battery is empty or the thief destroyed the iPhone, I cannot help you here any more.

Turning on Find My iPhone under Settings > iCloud will not automatically enable a passcode. That has to be done elsewhere, either on the device under Settings > General > Passcode Lock, or remotely via www.icloud.com or another iOS using the FMiP app.

You apparently have not kept up lately:

3a. Apple introduced Activation Lock with the introduction of iOS 7. If Find My iPhone is activated on the iPhone then whoever steals the iPhone will not be able to Restore it and use it. Blocking service on a cell phone is a carrier function. Manufacturers have offered to include kill switches but cell carriers have balked at the idea. Apple so far is the only one who has done so.

Indeed. Thanks very much for that update. All cell companies in some countries have cooperating agreements. Their role is important as you say. We received excellent service from Apple, and the cell phone company. If all these stolen phones are completely useless, I wonder why they keep getting stolen?

Yanglorian wrote:

If all these stolen phones are completely useless, I wonder why they keep getting stolen?

Acccording to a criminal defense attorney I know, people often resort to a life of crime because they are not smart enough to get a proper job.

Unfortunately, there's always a fly in the ointment and no software-based lock will hold back a determined thief. On a security forum whose URL escapes me at the time, there was a lively discussion on the developing market for iPhone crackers who can overcome the Activation Lock and restore the stolen device as a marketable commodity. As long as there is no physical and untamperable lock cast in silicon, which is the case of all the iPhone line thus far, someone will find a way in. We can only hope the i6 will include such a protection.

if it is a contract phone, call your service provider and ask for the handset to be BLACKLISTED ,in tht case no one can use the phone using any other sim as well ...good luck 🙂