Mark A Lost iPhone As Lost: How It Works

Locks the phone, suspends Apple Pay and shows your contact details. This page explains what it does, how to use it on an iPhone and which carriers it applies to.

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What is Mark A Lost iPhone As Lost?

Lost Mode is the first thing to do, before calling anyone. It locks the iPhone with its passcode, suspends the payment cards and passes in Apple Pay, and can display a message and phone number so a finder can reach you. Marking it lost also strengthens Activation Lock's deterrent, because the device visibly still belongs to someone.

Use the Find My app on another Apple device, or sign in at iCloud.com/find. Apple notes a detail that matters when the missing iPhone is your trusted device: signing in to iCloud.com/find does not require a verification code, so you can still mark it lost. If you are asked for one, select the Find Devices button instead.

If the battery has died, Find My shows the last known location for up to seven days. And if you eventually erase the device remotely, do not remove it from Find My afterwards — removing it strips Activation Lock and makes the phone genuinely resellable.

Important: Never remove the device from Find My, even after a remote erase. That removes Activation Lock and hands the thief a usable phone.

How do I do it?

1. Open Find My on another Apple device, or go to iCloud.com/find.
2. Select the missing iPhone under Devices.
3. Scroll to Lost Mode and turn it on, then tap Activate.
4. Add a contact phone number and message for whoever finds it.
5. Erase it remotely only once you have given up on recovery — and leave it in Find My.

Which carriers does this apply to?

Published for	any iPhone
Type	iOS setting
Good to know	Requires Find My to have been switched on before the iPhone went missing. There is no way to enable it afterwards.

Related security and scam reporting

• Stolen Device Protection
• Activation Lock
• Turn Off Email-To-Text On Verizon
• Apple Account Two-Factor Authentication
• Report A Call To T-Mobile Scam Shield
• Check A Phone Against The Stolen List

See all security and scam reporting or every category of iPhone codes.

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