Can stolen iPhone be disabled?

[Nemises]

My friend had their iPhone6 stolen. Unfortunately the “find my iPhone” function was not turned on so we can’t find it using GPS. The phone was locked with a pin so we’re not worried about the thief accessing the phone’s data.
My question is.... can the phone be disabled so that it won’t work for the thief- even if they put in a new SIM from another provider? We have the phone’s serial number and asked the current provider (AIS) if they could make the phone inoperable, but they said they couldn’t. Just wondering if what they say is true...
Or is there any other way to disable it

[NiwPix]

try logging in to www.icloud.com with her apple id and password. From there you should be able to figure it out. Normally you should be able to do it, howevery, not sure if it works when findmyphone was not setup.

[Nemises]

Thanks but no good. What you suggested only works if “find my iPhone” is set up on the phone, which it wasn’t :(

 

We’ve given up on finding it because the thief can apparently do a factory reset using a computer or laptop. We just would love to be able to disable it as we have the phone’s serial and IMEI numbers

[Jillie Norman]

Immediately, change the password of your iCloud, emails and other important things. If it is reset it will still ask for your apple ID.

[DMC1]

Report the stolen iPhone serial/IMEI number to Apple

 

[dallen52]

On 6/11/2018 at 7:24 PM, Gregster said:

Thanks but no good. What you suggested only works if “find my iPhone” is set up on the phone, which it wasn’t ?

 

We’ve given up on finding it because the thief can apparently do a factory reset using a computer or laptop. We just would love to be able to disable it as we have the phone’s serial and IMEI numbers

Try imei blocking. 

Its only operable in some countries. Uk Australia USA. 

Not sure if Thailand supports.

But any carrier can block or lock the imei number.

Its the unique 15 number global identification used on many devices. 

 

When you buy a new phone it has to be activated. 

So certainly can be deactivated. 

 

http://www.imeipro.info/report-stolen-lost-phone.html

 

May work...????

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by dallen52

[The Theory]

“Immediately, change the password of your iCloud, emails and other important things. If it is reset it will still ask for your apple ID.“

 

if if it was that easy to reach information in an iPhone then Apple would be out of business long ago. ?

Edited June 17, 2018 by The Theory

[Destiny1990]

Its combination of fingerprint and a number code for an i phone six...

 

i dont think thieves can enter the phone.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 6/11/2018 at 5:40 PM, Gregster said:

My friend had their iPhone6 stolen. Unfortunately the “find my iPhone” function was not turned on so we can’t find it using GPS. The phone was locked with a pin so we’re not worried about the thief accessing the phone’s data.
My question is.... can the phone be disabled so that it won’t work for the thief- even if they put in a new SIM from another provider? We have the phone’s serial number and asked the current provider (AIS) if they could make the phone inoperable, but they said they couldn’t. Just wondering if what they say is true...
Or is there any other way to disable it

There is no other way to disable the phone retrospectively. If you haven't bothered to turn on find my iPhone.  If you had turned it on the phone could have been easily bricked.

 

To the best of my knowledge  IMEI blocks are not available in Thailand and the effectiveness of them is dubious, and even if you could use an IMEI block there is nothing to prevent any of most people's use which doesn't need cell service. With no sim I can even make calls using Skype.

 

The data on the phone is also at  risk unless you turned on the wipe data after 10 incorrect pin attempts.  Specially if you have one of these pin codes

 

While this is bolting the stable door, next time 

1) turn on find my iphone

2) turn on erase all data after 10 incorrect Passcode attempts 

3) turn on Restrictions 

4) turn on Passcode (very much more difficult to guess than a pin) with require immediately.

 

Also remember that a newish iPhone is valuable and be extremely careful of social engineering attacks for many months, specifically any suggestion that the phone has been found and all you need to do is prove that it is yours, this can even workaround the find iPhone lock.

[elgenon]

Sorry, I have a dumb question: how do you activate Find My iPhone if the phone is stolen?

[dallen52]

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

Sorry, I have a dumb question: how do you activate Find My iPhone if the phone is stolen?

Its possibly worth reading. 

Im an Android man.

But this link suggests some things to try.....

 

https://trendblog.net/how-to-track-your-lost-iphone-or-ipad-without-tracking-app/

 

I

[dallen52]

On 6/17/2018 at 11:52 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

There is no other way to disable the phone retrospectively. If you haven't bothered to turn on find my iPhone.  If you had turned it on the phone could have been easily bricked.

 

To the best of my knowledge  IMEI blocks are not available in Thailand and the effectiveness of them is dubious, and even if you could use an IMEI block there is nothing to prevent any of most people's use which doesn't need cell service. With no sim I can even make calls using Skype.

 

The data on the phone is also at  risk unless you turned on the wipe data after 10 incorrect pin attempts.  Specially if you have one of these pin codes

 

While this is bolting the stable door, next time 

1) turn on find my iphone

2) turn on erase all data after 10 incorrect Passcode attempts 

3) turn on Restrictions 

4) turn on Passcode (very much more difficult to guess than a pin) with require immediately.

 

Also remember that a newish iPhone is valuable and be extremely careful of social engineering attacks for many months, specifically any suggestion that the phone has been found and all you need to do is prove that it is yours, this can even workaround the find iPhone lock.

The carriers can imei block even in thailand. 

At thier discretion...lol

[jenny2017]

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

Sorry, I have a dumb question: how do you activate Find My iPhone if the phone is stolen?

How do you sleep with your wife when she's left you? 

 

    If phones have such features I'm wondering why people don't use them?

Edited June 20, 2018 by jenny2017

[elgenon]

Yeah, I finally got my lazy ass up and Googled it. I had already downloaded the app but felt "it would never happen to me". That part was delusional.

 

I once caught a LB's hand reaching into my pocket.

 

Thanks for humoring me.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 6/20/2018 at 4:09 PM, dallen52 said:

The carriers can imei block even in thailand. 

At thier discretion...lol

While an IMEI block can stop a device connection to a particular mobile network it is not universal. You would have to get all the Thai carriers to block it (not much chance of one, fat chance of all of them). Or simply sell it to a country that doesn't bother with checking IMEI numbers (like China) 

 

So as I said an IMEI block is of dubious value, and no value in some other countries.

[dallen52]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

While an IMEI block can stop a device connection to a particular mobile network it is not universal. You would have to get all the Thai carriers to block it (not much chance of one, fat chance of all of them). Or simply sell it to a country that doesn't bother with checking IMEI numbers (like China) 

 

So as I said an IMEI block is of dubious value, and no value in some other countries.

Ti

[dallen52]

Just now, dallen52 said:

And..

If its a high quality phone or tablet its going to be off loaded overseas. 

The other thing is...

If the device is not blocked.

It is possible for the clever kids to use an imei generation programme. 

Or as they do in India, with Apple stuff.

Put a new logic chip in the device. 

Gives it a new identity. 

 

[BEngBKK]

But I still think it is quite save..
(if you have a good password)

I have not yet seen anybody that could  bypass the ICloud Activation yet. so Even with complete restore of firmware the IMEI is still the same and jailbreak will not do it...