Q: What if I cannot find the owner of the iphone. I'm from the phil and my aunt just gave this iphone 4s from canada she had picked from their street. How can I activate it? Should I surrender this instead in the apple store here in the phil? Help pls
How can I activate this phone? What could be the best solution to my problem. This iphone 4s is still in good condition.
iPhone 4S
Posted on Jul 15, 2016 5:34 AM
If you find a lost device, I would advise that you contact the carrier. If there is a SIM card in the iPhone, the carrier's name is probably written on it.
If would also advise you to contact law enforcement. If the iPhone was reported as lost and the person who lost it provided the serial number, the police will be able to give them back the iPhone.
If you still cannot find the original owner, you should know that the iPhone can be locked in three different ways :
- Passcode lock : This is a security feature to protect data saved on the iPhone. You'll need to erase it : https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306
- Activation lock : This is a security feature to prevent thieves from activating stolen devices. Unfortunately, it also goes for lost devices. You can find out if it's locked right here : https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/ If this is the case, the iPhone's previous owner is the only one who can unlock the iPhone, sorry. Unless they sign in to their Apple ID and remove the iPhone from their account, you won't be able to use it. There is no much point in leaving the phone to Apple as they won't be able to use it either. Maybe the local police can keep it.
- Carrier lock : A carrier locked the phone to their network. You can contact the carrier to ask them to unlock the iPhone. There can be a fee for this.
Of course, the iPhone can be locked in all three of those ways. The only one you cannot get over without the original owner is Activation lock.
Posted on Jul 15, 2016 5:50 AM