if I remove an iPhone that is "Pending Erase" from iCloud will it still erase after it has been removed?

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Level 1

13 points

if I remove an iPhone that is "Pending Erase" from iCloud will it still erase after it has been removed?

I lost my iPhone on 9/2015 in Portugal and immediately deactivated it and sent an erase request. Today a person who has the iPhone contacted me asking that I remove it from iCloud so they can use it (I have no problem with that, it was an older model, it's been 9 months and the iPhone has long been replaced). I logged into Find my iPhone and it shows that the phone is "Pending Erase". If I remove the iPhone from iCloud will it still erase when the other person goes online or will they have access to the information?

iPhone 4S

Posted on Jun 20, 2016 11:46 AM

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Answer 1

javaliga

Level 10

120,179 points

Jun 20, 2016 12:18 PM in response to hectordelsol

Based on this article:

If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple Support

I would:

Erase your device. To prevent anyone else from accessing the data on your missing device, you can erase it remotely. When you erase your device, all of your information (including credit or debit cards for Apple Pay) will be deleted from the device, and you won't be able to find it using Find My iPhone. After you erase a device, you can't track it. If you remove the device from your account after you erase it, Activation Lock will be turned off. This allows another person to activate and use your device.

If it was me, I would not remove the device from iCloud without erasing it first. At this point, you have nothing to gain and everything to lose.

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Answer 2

hectordelsol Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 20, 2016 12:32 PM in response to javaliga

I sent the request for the device to be erased. However, since the phone has not been online it is still showing as "Pending Erase". If I remove the iPhone from iCloud will it still erase when the other person goes online or will they have access to the information?

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