Is my iPhone Misplaced or stolen

May 25, 2012 1:13 AM

I have lost my iPhone. When I look at my AT&T account there has been no activity since the last call I made. When I call my phone I get my voicemail message. My question. If someone found the phone and removed my sim card would my voicemail still work?
posted by pianomover to technology (8 answers total)

It sure would.
posted by Brent Parker at 1:18 AM on May 25, 2012

You can still get voicemails if you have your phone off or have no reception, so yes, you can still get voicemails.
posted by littlesq at 1:22 AM on May 25, 2012

Yup.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 6:25 AM on May 25, 2012

Yes.

To visualize how it works, think of it like this: somewhere at AT&T, there is a server that "supervises" your phone number. It matches your phone number with your sim card number, and when a call (or sms or whatever) comes through, it broadcasts out a message to the cell network saying "has anyone seen this sim#?" If a tower says "yes", the call is routed to that tower and then your phone. If not, the call is routed to the voicemail server.
posted by gjc at 6:54 AM on May 25, 2012

Your SIM card is not much more than an authorization for some device to answer calls for some number. If no device is using your SIM to register itself as 867-5309, then calls to that go to voicemail (or whatever is set up with that number's carrier like diversions).
posted by cmiller at 7:24 AM on May 25, 2012

If the phone rings and then goes to voicemail, it means it's powered up and getting a signal. If it skips the rings and goes straight to voicemail, it means the battery is dead, there's no reception, it's in airplane mode, it's powered down, the sim card has been removed, etc.
posted by BurntHombre at 7:28 AM on May 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

When I called Apple they were not sure if I would receive voicemails. Calling AT&T is like going in for root canal surgery.

When I call my phone I receive my voice mail message and I can leave a message. Later when I check my AT&T account info there is no record of that or any other calls being received.

Should I assume that it is in someone else's possession?
posted by pianomover at 3:06 PM on May 25, 2012

If your phone had been turned off and the SIM removed, it would (should, anyway) go straight to voicemail. If your phone is still on, or the HLR thinks it is, it should ring for a while before hitting the voicemail greeting.

You should call at&t and have them shut off that SIM, lest someone find the phone and run up $$ bill calling Timbuktu.
posted by wierdo at 8:56 PM on May 25, 2012