In this post I will show you how you can lock a stolen, lost or misplaced iPhone either by iCloud or by IMEI.
Thefts and assaults are the daily bread in every corner of the planet. Although it is true that the theft rate is different in each country, we are not 100% exempt from living some of these unpleasant experiences.
Thousands of thefts happen daily, and when it comes to thefts of the Apple brand, let us tell you that only in 2019, more than 1 million 600 thousand devices stolen in robberies. If you have been a victim of the theft of your iPhone cell phone, whatever the model, let us tell you that you can do something about it.
The first thing you should do, is to erase personal information that you could have on your cell phone, lock stolen iPhone so that no one can use it in the future.
But you may wonder: how can we do this if our iPhone has already been stolen?All these actions can be performed remotely!
Join us throughout this step-by-step tutorial, where we will teach you how you can block any stolen or lost iPhone cell phone either by iCloud or by IMEI.
Article index
Lock iPhone by iCloud
Our first choice will be physically lock the phone to prevent attackers or whoever finds the iPhone if it is lost from using it and compromising our information.
This it we can do it remotely from any other cell phone or computer that has an updated and modern browser.
However, to be able to perform this method successfully, it is necessary meet some requirements to ensure that requests to block or delete content connect to the device.
Previous requirements
- The cell phone must have enough battery (1/4 up): it is necessary to have enough battery to be able to follow the location clues, as well as lock the device. These functions require considerable power usage from the device.
- You must have an internet connection source turned on such as mobile data or WiFi connection: so that the location is updated, and the blocking instructions can reach the cell phone.
- It has to be linked to your Apple ID.
- Must be on: otherwise, this method cannot be used at all.
Steps to lock it with iCloud
If by reviewing the prerequisites you must meet (see above), you fully meet them, you can perform this method.
Thanks to the iCloud platform, we will use the tool «Find my iPhone» that the company Apple Inc officially has to find and manage lost, lost or stolen cell phones of the brand.
The tool will allow you not only know the exact location of the lost iPhone, but you can block the cell phone so that no one can access your personal data, as well as delete it.
Follow these steps to be able to block or erase the content of your lost or misplaced iPhone:
1.- First, from any modern browser, access the iCloud portal.
2.- Subsequently, click on the option «Find iPhonand".
3.- Then, You will see a list of all available devices that you have for your iCloud account. Select the device you want to manage.
4.- After selecting it, on the right side, you will have 3 options to choose from:
- Play Sound: Plays only a loud sound on the lost device so that you can locate it if it is only lost in a narrow area. Not recommended in case of theft.
- Lost Mode: a message with a phone number is configured for the person to call you and return the cell phone. In addition, if it did not have a lock code, it can be configured directly, so the stolen iPhone can be blocked from accessing your information.
- Erase iPhone (erase iPhone)- Delete all information from the device and leave it as factory.
5.- Then, once these points are explained, to block the stolen iPhone, we will choose the option «Lost mode». Upon entering, if it did not have a lock code, it will ask you to enter one to prevent the attacker from accessing your personal information.
In the case of having had a code, it will not show it to you, and it will directly enter the next step.
6.- Now, optionally, the wizard will ask you to place a contact number in case the person wants to return it. In the case of a robbery, it is something illogical. If you don't want to put anything, just click on «Next» or «Next».
7.- Then, optionally, it will ask you to configure a message that will be displayed on the home screen of your iPhone Stolen. If you don't want to put anything, just click on «Done» or «Accept».
In this way, the iPhone will be locked and the configured messages will be sent, if you put any. So you can lock a lost or stolen iPhone from iCloud.
If you wish erase all information from your stolen iPhoneYou can do it from iCloud in the same way, by pressing the button «Erase iPhone».
Lock iPhone by IMEI
There is a more advanced form of blocking, which, completely blocks the formal use of the device, and it is the iPhone lock by IMEI.
The IMEI is a series of 15 unique characters worldwide, which help to identify a mobile device internationally, and, thanks to it, the cell phone operator can verify the status of the device in a large database.
Thanks to this, we can check not only if a cell phone is reported as stolen and unusable, but we can lock an iPhone by using IMEI completely.
Next, we will show you the requirements that you must meet to be able to block the cell phone, as well as the steps to take to achieve it.
Requirements to block by IMEI
There are some prerequisites to be able to report a cell phone as stolen or lost that you must get yes or yes.
These documents are to be able to guarantee that you are the owner of the device and have the rights to be able to block the cell phone. Here are the requirements:
- Have the IMEI number.
- Purchase invoice for your operator's device.
Steps to lock iPhone by IMEI
Once we have the requirements, we can block the Apple device so that thieves cannot sell it or take advantage of it.
Follow these next steps to block the stolen iPhone by IMEI below:
1.- First, as we said in the requirements, you must check your IMEI. You can do it by calling «» (without the quotes), or if it has already been stolen or you have it lost, generally, the number comes on the cell phone bill.
If you don't have your invoiceIt is somewhat difficult to consult the IMEI of the cell phone, since they must be secret and unique for the buyers of the laptop. Try calling your phone provider from which you purchased the device to try to obtain it.
2.- When you have your IMEI, you must now report it to your telephone provider where you acquired your iPhone before it was stolen, and ask them to add it to the blacklist, in order to block the stolen iPhone.
3.- Once you have done it, the process will be done. You can check if it is blocked through the telephone service institution of your country. For example, for Mexico, you can do it from this link.
We hope you have been able to block your lost or stolen iPhone through iCloud or IMEI. Do not forget that in this blog we write more cool apple tutorials. Visit us!
See you until a new post, reader.