After losing your iPhone, open Find My on another device or at icloud.com/find, mark the iPhone as lost, and never remove it from your account.
This guide lists what to do and what to avoid, how to report and claim a lost iPhone, what to do when it is dead or turned off, and how to spot scam messages that claim it was found.
What to do when you lose your iPhone
Find My is Apple's tool to find a lost phone, and it works only if Find My iPhone was on before the loss. Work through these steps in order.
- Open the Find My app on another Apple device, a family member's device, or go to icloud.com/find in any browser.
- Select your iPhone under Devices to see its current or last known location on the map.
- Tap Play if you are close; the sound plays for about two minutes when the iPhone is online.
- Turn on Lost Mode right away, even if you think the iPhone is nearby.
- If you cannot find it, report it to local police and to your wireless carrier.
- File an AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss claim if the iPhone is covered.
- Erase the iPhone remotely only after you have tried everything else, and keep it in Find My afterwards.
Lost iPhone do's and don'ts
Most of the damage after a lost iPhone comes from two moves: removing it from Find My, and answering a fake "we found your iPhone" message.
| Do | Don't | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mark the iPhone as lost straight away | Wait until you are sure it is gone | Lost Mode locks the iPhone with its passcode and suspends Apple Pay cards and passes |
| Keep the iPhone in Find My, even after an erase | Select Remove This Device or Remove from Account | Removing it from Find My turns off Activation Lock, which makes it easier for a thief to unlock and resell |
| Treat any "your iPhone was found" message as a scam | Share your passcode, password or verification codes | Apple never contacts you to say a lost iPhone has been found |
| Keep Find My on throughout an AppleCare+ claim | Remove the iPhone before the claim is fully approved | Theft and Loss coverage requires Find My on at the time of loss and through the whole claim |
| Try every other step before you erase | Erase first and search later | An erase cannot be undone |
| Report the loss to police and your carrier | Leave the line active if you will not get the iPhone back | The carrier can disable your account so you are not charged for calls |
How to turn on Lost Mode for a lost iPhone
You can do this from the Find My app on another device, including a Family Sharing member's iPhone, where your iPhone appears under their devices.
- In the Find My app, go to the Devices tab.
- Scroll down and select your missing iPhone.
- Tap the More button.
- Scroll down to Lost iPhone, then turn on Lost Mode.
- Follow the onscreen steps to add a phone number and message for whoever finds it.
- Tap Activate.
On the web, sign in at icloud.com/find, select the iPhone in the list of devices and select Mark As Lost. You do not need a verification code to sign in there; if you are asked for one, select the Find Devices button instead. That matters when the lost iPhone was your trusted device.
What happens when an iPhone is marked as lost
| Effect of Lost Mode | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The iPhone is locked with your passcode | If it had no passcode, you are asked to create one |
| Payment cards and passes in Apple Pay are suspended | No one can pay with your cards from the lost iPhone |
| Your phone number and message appear on the Lock Screen | Only once the iPhone is on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular |
| No alerts or sounds for messages, notifications or alarms | The iPhone can still receive phone calls and FaceTime calls |
| Its current location and any changes show on the map | Keep checking Find My for movement |
| A confirmation email goes to your Apple Account email address | Use it as proof of when you marked it lost |
| With Stolen Device Protection, Face ID or Touch ID is needed to turn off Lost Mode | A thief who knows your passcode is still locked out |
Can you track a lost iPhone that is dead or turned off?
Often, yes. What Find My shows depends on the iPhone's state and on the Find My settings that were on before you lost it.
| State of the lost iPhone | What Find My can show |
|---|---|
| Online over Wi-Fi or cellular | Current location, and it can play a sound |
| Turned off, supported iPhone with Find My network on | Location for up to 24 hours after it is turned off |
| In power reserve mode | Location for up to 5 hours |
| Battery ran out | Last known location for up to seven days in the Find My app; with Send Last Location on, the location sent just before the battery died |
| Viewed at icloud.com/find instead of the app | Its location only while it is on and connected; a Send Last Location report shows for up to 24 hours |
| More than seven days since its last report | "No location found" |
A supported iPhone stays findable after power off only if the Find My network was turned on before the loss. Commands you send while it is offline, such as Lost Mode or erase, wait until it connects.
How to find your iPhone's serial number and IMEI without the phone
Police and your carrier may ask for the serial number or IMEI. You can read both without the iPhone in your hand.
- Go to account.apple.com in a web browser and sign in with the Apple Account used on the lost iPhone.
- Choose the Devices section.
- Select the lost iPhone to see its serial number, EID and IMEI/MEID.
- Or, on another device signed in to the same Apple Account, open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap the iPhone's name.
- Or check the barcode on the iPhone's original packaging.
You also need the serial number or IMEI to check an AppleCare claim's status. Finding the iPhone on a map still depends on Find My, because you cannot track a lost phone with its serial number or IMEI.
How to report a lost or stolen iPhone
- Report the iPhone to local law enforcement and give them its serial number.
- Contact your wireless carrier to report the missing iPhone.
- Ask the carrier to disable your account or suspend service, so you are not responsible for calls or other charges.
- Ask whether your carrier plan covers loss, and file a claim with the carrier if it does.
How to file an AppleCare+ Theft and Loss claim for a lost iPhone
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss covers up to two lost or stolen iPhone claims a year; AppleCare One covers up to three incidents a year. Each incident has a deductible, and taxes may apply.
- Mark the iPhone as lost in the Find My app or at icloud.com/find.
- Go to support.apple.com/iphone/theft-loss-claims and select Start your claim online.
- Sign in with your Apple Account and file the claim for an iPhone replacement.
- Keep Find My on, and keep the iPhone in Find My and your Apple Account, until the claim is fully approved.
- In the US, check the claim status with AIG for plans bought on or after September 15, 2020, or with Assurant for plans bought before that date.
If the claim is approved, the lost iPhone is permanently disabled and you get a replacement. If you find the iPhone before approval, you might be able to cancel the claim; you then set the found iPhone up as new and restore it from a backup.
How to erase a lost iPhone remotely
Erase the iPhone only when you do not expect to get it back. An erase cannot be undone, but on iOS 15 or later you can still locate the iPhone afterwards, and Activation Lock stays on.
- In the Find My app, choose Devices.
- Select your lost iPhone, then tap the More button.
- Scroll down and choose Erase This Device (or Erase).
- Complete the onscreen steps. A phone number and message you add appear on the Lock Screen.
- Do not remove the iPhone from Find My afterwards.
At icloud.com/find, choose the iPhone, select Erase iPhone, then select Erase to confirm. If the iPhone is offline, the erase begins the next time it is online. Without two-factor authentication on your Apple Account, erase from iCloud.com instead of the Find My app.
How to secure your Apple Account after losing your iPhone
Check that nobody has changed your account details since the iPhone went missing. Change your Apple Account password if you find anything you did not change yourself.
- On another trusted iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap your name. On a Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click your name.
- Tap Sign-In & Security to review your security settings.
- Update any information you do not recognize, then change your Apple Account password.
- Without a trusted device, review your account at account.apple.com.
- On a new Apple device, sign in with your Apple Account; there may be a waiting period before you can change security settings.
How to tell if Lost Mode is on for your iPhone
- Open the Find My app and tap Devices.
- Tap the name of the lost iPhone, then tap the More button.
- Look below Lost iPhone: Activated means Lost Mode is applied.
- Pending means the iPhone is not connected; Lost Mode applies when it next goes online.
- Check your Apple Account email for the Lost Mode confirmation message.
To change the number or message, tap Pending or Activated, update the information, then tap Done.
How to turn off Lost Mode when you find your iPhone
- Enter your passcode on the found iPhone to turn off Lost Mode on the device itself.
- Or open the Find My app on another device, tap Devices and tap the iPhone's name.
- Tap the More button, then tap Pending or Activated below Lost iPhone.
- Tap Turn Off Mark As Lost, then tap Turn Off.
If you erased the iPhone, sign in with your Apple Account during setup to get past Activation Lock, then restore it from a backup.
Lost iPhone not showing location in Find My
Find My shows "No location found" for the lost iPhone
More than seven days have passed since the iPhone last sent its location through the Find My network.
- Tap the iPhone in Devices and, below Notifications, turn on Notify When Found.
- Allow notifications for the Find My app so the alert reaches you.
- Mark the iPhone as lost so it locks the moment it reconnects.
The lost iPhone shows as offline
It is powered off, its battery has run out, or it is not connected to a known Wi-Fi or data network.
- Check its last known location on the map.
- Send a sound, Lost Mode or an erase anyway; the iPhone receives each command when it turns on and connects.
The lost iPhone is not listed in Find My
Find My was not turned on before the iPhone was lost, so you cannot mark it as lost or erase it remotely.
- Sign in at icloud.com/find with the Apple Account used on the iPhone to make sure.
- Change your Apple Account password and review your account.
- Report the iPhone to the police and your carrier with its serial number.
A text, email or call says your lost iPhone has been found
Apple never contacts you to say a lost iPhone was found; these messages are phishing.
- Do not follow links or open attachments in the message.
- Never share your passcode, Apple Account password or verification codes.
- Forward a suspicious email, or a screenshot of a text, to [email protected].
- If you entered your password on a scam site, change your Apple Account password and make sure two-factor authentication is on.
Lost iPhone FAQ
What happens when an iPhone is marked as lost?
Lost Mode locks the iPhone with its passcode, suspends Apple Pay cards and passes, silences alerts and shows your number and message on the Lock Screen. It can still receive calls, and you get a confirmation email.
How does lost iPhone work?
An online iPhone reports its location over Wi-Fi or cellular data, and Find My shows it on a map. An offline iPhone can be detected over Bluetooth by nearby Apple devices in the Find My network, anonymously and encrypted.
Should I erase my iPhone if it is lost?
Only after you have tried everything else, because an erase cannot be undone. On iOS 15 or later you can still locate the iPhone after erasing it, and Activation Lock stays on. Never remove it from Find My afterwards.
What happens after I erase my iPhone remotely?
All content is erased once the iPhone is online, and a confirmation email is sent. Activation Lock stays on, so your Apple Account and password are needed to reactivate it. Your Lost Mode message keeps showing after the erase.
Can you turn off a lost iPhone remotely?
No. The remote actions in Find My are Play, Lost Mode and Erase, and none of them turns the iPhone off. If someone else turns it off, a supported iPhone with the Find My network on can still be located for up to 24 hours.
My iPhone is lost and dead. Can I still find it?
Find My shows its last known location for up to seven days. With Send Last Location on, the iPhone sent its location just before the battery ran out. Turn on Notify When Found to get an alert when it is next located.
Will Apple contact me if my lost iPhone is found?
No. Apple never contacts you to say a lost iPhone has been found. A message or call that says so is a scam, so never share your passcode, password or verification codes with the sender.
Why does my iPhone say it is lost?
The owner has turned on Lost Mode in Find My. The Lock Screen shows the message and phone number they added so a finder can return it. Entering the passcode on the iPhone, or turning off Mark As Lost in Find My, ends Lost Mode.
Can I find my iPhone if Find My was turned off?
No. A device without Find My does not appear in the Find My app or at icloud.com/find, and you cannot mark it as lost or erase it. Change your Apple Account password and report it to the police and your carrier.
