How do I get this lost iPhone back to its owner?
April 1, 2021 11:19 AM Subscribe
I found an iPhone on the sidewalk today. I chased down the only person nearby and they said it wasn't theirs. It was on airplane mode and I was able to disable that but then I found out there's no SIM. Is there a way for me to get it back to its owner or should I just drop it off at the police station and let them deal with it?
The police are probably just going to put it in lost and found and never think about it again. (Or eventually some cop will help themself to it.)
If it's locked and you can't access a contacts list, I'd try dropping by the nearest mobile carrier's storefront (if the phone itself is branded a carrier, go to their storefront). They may be able to tell you something. If the random person at the counter can't help, ask if the manager can.
posted by knucklebones at 11:42 AM on April 1, 2021 [6 favorites]
If it's locked and you can't access a contacts list, I'd try dropping by the nearest mobile carrier's storefront (if the phone itself is branded a carrier, go to their storefront). They may be able to tell you something. If the random person at the counter can't help, ask if the manager can.
posted by knucklebones at 11:42 AM on April 1, 2021 [6 favorites]
Did you check emergency contacts? Hit the "emergency" button on the lock screen, then hit "Medical ID", and that might have contact information. If "Medical ID" is missing then they likely haven't set it up, but we were able to return an iPhone to its owner this way.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 11:50 AM on April 1, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 11:50 AM on April 1, 2021 [5 favorites]
Take it somewhere it can connect to WiFi. If the owner has turned on Find my iPhone, a message may pop up from them.
posted by praemunire at 11:51 AM on April 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 11:51 AM on April 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
I own a SIM-free [android] smart phone which I dropped on the moorland behind our gaff. Took a while to find it because it couldn't be called. I use mine for GPS and pictures. Me, I'd rootle through the pictures to see if that throws up clues. Police, stores are not invested in this like you. If there are phone numbers, ICE is widely used as a contact name because in case emergency. Mom and Dad may be dead! I intend to tape a metre of red string to my instrument.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:10 PM on April 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:10 PM on April 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
Did you try asking Siri who the phone belongs to?
posted by pinochiette at 12:12 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 12:12 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The phone is locked so I can't access contacts. The best I could do was the emergency call from the lockscreen which is how I was able to turn off airplane mode.
No "Medical ID" in the emergency call screen.
There's wifi where I am now but how would I be able to input the details if the phone is locked?
If the police station isn't a good idea then would it make better sense for me to drop it off at an Apple store? I wasn't planning on going anywhere near a mall and I don't know what our lockdown restrictions are going to be but I have needed to buy some new pairs of pants for months so I do have some other reason to go there.
Would there be harm in me putting my SIM card in the phone? That should give it access to internet and then maybe the owner could find it?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:16 PM on April 1, 2021
No "Medical ID" in the emergency call screen.
There's wifi where I am now but how would I be able to input the details if the phone is locked?
If the police station isn't a good idea then would it make better sense for me to drop it off at an Apple store? I wasn't planning on going anywhere near a mall and I don't know what our lockdown restrictions are going to be but I have needed to buy some new pairs of pants for months so I do have some other reason to go there.
Would there be harm in me putting my SIM card in the phone? That should give it access to internet and then maybe the owner could find it?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:16 PM on April 1, 2021
Response by poster: Well I put my SIM card in and it seems to have service. Now I'll wait for someone to call or send a message.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:25 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:25 PM on April 1, 2021
I would trust the Apple Store over the police with the phone.
They may have some sort of way to track down the rightful owner via the phone's IMEI number, or other ways of being able to gather data about the phone.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:25 PM on April 1, 2021 [8 favorites]
They may have some sort of way to track down the rightful owner via the phone's IMEI number, or other ways of being able to gather data about the phone.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:25 PM on April 1, 2021 [8 favorites]
Post about it on Nextdoor, and ask them to identify some characteristic about the phone to collect it. Details of lock screen wallpaper, model number, etc. It'll be difficult to track the person down, better to see if they'll come to you.
posted by mikesch at 12:27 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by mikesch at 12:27 PM on April 1, 2021
Response by poster: Well if someone calls it would be for me anyway because it's my SIM (duh) but maybe this way they can track the phone or send a message to it because it has internet now.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:28 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:28 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
With your SIM card in it, the only calls you’ll receive are calls to your own number :) It’s pretty strange that it doesn’t have the owner’s SIM; it must not be a primary phone, or perhaps someone else tampered with it before you found it.
I doubt Apple would want to accept any kind of responsibility for finding the owner, but could be wrong about that.
Waiting for a Find My iPhone message over your cellular data is your best bet, I think. But if you don’t see anything within the next day or two, they probably won’t be activating it.
posted by Ryon at 12:29 PM on April 1, 2021
I doubt Apple would want to accept any kind of responsibility for finding the owner, but could be wrong about that.
Waiting for a Find My iPhone message over your cellular data is your best bet, I think. But if you don’t see anything within the next day or two, they probably won’t be activating it.
posted by Ryon at 12:29 PM on April 1, 2021
I agree this isn't a situation the police are going to improve.
Whoever lost it knows they lost it, so they're going to be doing things like posting on craigslist hoping you see it. They may also put a note on your local coffee shop's bulletin board or whatever else makes sense in the neighborhood. So I think you should look in those places.
posted by fritley at 12:31 PM on April 1, 2021
Whoever lost it knows they lost it, so they're going to be doing things like posting on craigslist hoping you see it. They may also put a note on your local coffee shop's bulletin board or whatever else makes sense in the neighborhood. So I think you should look in those places.
posted by fritley at 12:31 PM on April 1, 2021
So, there's not a lot of situations where someone loses a phone without a SIM card.
1. Phone was stolen - person who stole it removed the sim card. Then they ditched it.
2. It was a kids phone, who just used it for games and stuff. Then they left it somewhere.
3. Someone with a LOT of phones, who likes to switch it up all the time, was carrying it without the sim (for some reason) and lost it?
What I would do is talk to Apple in person. Have them see what they can see at an apple store. If they don't have a resolution, I would learn how to restore to factory settings, and sell it or keep it.
posted by bbqturtle at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2021
1. Phone was stolen - person who stole it removed the sim card. Then they ditched it.
2. It was a kids phone, who just used it for games and stuff. Then they left it somewhere.
3. Someone with a LOT of phones, who likes to switch it up all the time, was carrying it without the sim (for some reason) and lost it?
What I would do is talk to Apple in person. Have them see what they can see at an apple store. If they don't have a resolution, I would learn how to restore to factory settings, and sell it or keep it.
posted by bbqturtle at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2021
You could probably find out from a carrier (or Apple) if the IMEI is reported stolen. If it is, they will know whose it is or how to get it back to them.
posted by AugustWest at 1:11 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by AugustWest at 1:11 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Newer Apple phones have eSIMs so there might not be a physical SIM. Does it say "No SIM" in the upper left? I disagree that putting your own SIM in will only enable phone calls to your number, it should allow Find My iPhone to work. I think that's all you can do, really. Bringing it near widely used WiFi networks is a good idea, like a nearby Starbucks or library. But that doesn't seem better than giving it a cellular data connection.
posted by wnissen at 1:22 PM on April 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by wnissen at 1:22 PM on April 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
“Hey Siri, whose phone is this?” may bring up a contact card with some useful info.
posted by thejoshu at 2:31 PM on April 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by thejoshu at 2:31 PM on April 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I can see that the location services arrow icon is on so hopefully that means they're looking for the phone. No messages yet that I can tell though.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:35 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:35 PM on April 1, 2021
My phone doesn't use a SIM either--many carrier / phone combinations have gone SIM free.
I think dropping it off at an Apple store is a good idea.
posted by mark k at 3:10 PM on April 1, 2021
I think dropping it off at an Apple store is a good idea.
posted by mark k at 3:10 PM on April 1, 2021
Response by poster: So an Instagram message has appeared on the lockscreen. I don't know Instagram but the two names on the top look like they could be account names. Would this be a message between the owner of the phone and someone else or is it something posted from someone to a whole bunch of followers? If one of these people is the owner then I can create an account telling them I have their phone.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:52 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:52 PM on April 1, 2021
That looks like a comment to a user from a user. Maybe send that screenshot to the kylee... user on Instagram and see if they can help you progress with your search?
posted by kellygrape at 6:30 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by kellygrape at 6:30 PM on April 1, 2021
Response by poster: I ended up making an account and figuring out how to send a message to both of them. The other user replied so I told them the situation and gave my number and was able to get in touch with the owner. The owner said he dropped it running for the bus right where I found it. I'll be going by there on my way home so I'll be able to drop the phone off tonight and never have to think about it again.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:39 PM on April 1, 2021 [59 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:39 PM on April 1, 2021 [59 favorites]
Call the local stores for the big wireless companies in your area, and tell them you have the IMEI of a phone you found. They will tell you to bring it to a local store if it belonged to one of their subscribers.
It may have been handed down to a kid, though, like we did fir our younger ones, in which case it will be next to impossible to find them.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:47 PM on April 1, 2021
It may have been handed down to a kid, though, like we did fir our younger ones, in which case it will be next to impossible to find them.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:47 PM on April 1, 2021
Yay! Happy ending! Thanks for the update. :)
posted by mark k at 7:46 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by mark k at 7:46 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Wow, nice detective work!
posted by medusa at 6:10 AM on April 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by medusa at 6:10 AM on April 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
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When I lost a phone (and didn't know I'd done so) the good samaritan who found it tracked me down by looking in the phone contacts to see if I had my parents' number stored and called them. "Everyone has 'Mom and Dad' in their phones, I figure," she told me when we met up later. "And you would trust your Mom and Dad. So when I find a lost phone that's what I do."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:39 AM on April 1, 2021 [2 favorites]