How To Unlock A Found iPhone? Return A Found iPhone To Its Owner

3 Efficient Ways to Unlock a Found iPhone

Unlocking an iPhone seems challenging, especially when it's not yours, but it's not impossible. You have various ways to unlock a found iPhone, but most are a waste of time. So, to save time and energy, we have compiled 3 efficient ways to unlock a found iPhone.

These methods will be easy to follow because of the detailed step-by-step guide.

1.Unlock it from Recovery mode

Many people need to realize that you can unlock your iPhone in Recovery Mode. This built-in feature of the iPhone allows you to turn your device to its factory settings.

But there are two ways to unlock a found iPhone from recovery mode. The old iPhones, like iPhone 5 to iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, can be unlocked from recovery mode differently, and the newer iPhone models have different methods.

So, let's discuss both of them in detail.

Unlock iPhone 7 Plus and Older in Recovery Mode

If you want to unlock an iPhone 7 or older model in Recovery Mode, follow these instructions.

1. First, connect your iPhone to the computer with a lightning cable and launch iTunes.
2. Now, turn off your iPhone and then press and hold the Home button and Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. Keep holding both buttons until you see the recovery mode screen.
3. Once you see the recovery mode screen, release both buttons. Now, you will see a message in iTunes saying, "There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored."
4. Click on the Update button, and iTunes will try reinstalling iOS erasing your data. Once the process is completed, your iPhone will be unlocked.

Now, set up your iPhone, and you are good to go.

Unlock iPhone 8 and Update Models in Recovery Mode

The process of unlocking an iPhone 8 or newer model differs from the older models. So, follow these instructions if you want to unlock an iPhone 8 or later in Recovery Mode.

1. First, connect your iPhone to the computer with a lightning cable and launch iTunes.
2. Now, turn off your iPhone and press and quickly release the Volume Up button. After that, press and release the Volume Down button immediately, and hold the Side button until you are in the recovery mode screen.
3. Once you see the recovery mode screen, release the Side button. Now, you will see a message in iTunes that says, "There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored." Or another message that says restore this iPhone. You can click on any option.
4. Click on the Update or Restore button, and iTunes will try reinstalling iOS while also erasing your data. Once the process is completed, your iPhone will be unlocked.

Now, set up your iPhone, and you are good to go.

2. Unlock it via the DNS server

If the above method doesn't work or iTunes is not detecting that iPhone, you can follow this method.

1. This method is easy to follow and doesn't require any technical skills.
2. All you need is the DNS server IP address.
3. Connect your iPhone to the Wi-Fi network and go to Settings -> Wi-Fi. Now, tap the "i" button next to the Wi-Fi network you need to connect to.
4. Scroll down and tap on the Configure DNS option. Now, select the Manual option and enter the DNS server IP address.
5. For US servers, you can use 74.82.42.42 or 208.67.222.222
6. For UK servers, you can use 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4
7. For Canadian servers, you can use 199.85.126.10 or 208.67.222.222
8. For Australian servers, you can use 1.1.1.1 or 208.67.222.222
9. After that, tap the Save button and connect to the Wi-Fi network. Now, open the Safari browser, redirecting you to the activation screen.
10. Follow the instructions on the screen, and your iPhone will be unlocked.

3. Dr.Fone-Screen Unlock

If none of the above methods can be used for you, there is an ultimate method that will surely help you if you want to unlock a found iPhone.

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Here are the simple steps that can help you.

1. First, connect your iPhone to the computer with a lightning cable and launch Dr.Fone on your computer.

2. Now, click on the Screen Unlock option from the main interface.
3. After that, click on the iOS Screen Unlock to begin the process.

4. Now, put your iPhone in DFU mode or Recovery mode according to your iPhone model.
5. If you have no idea about it, don't worry. The software will provide on-screen instructions to help you put your iPhone in DFU mode or Recovery mode.

6. Once your iPhone is in DFU mode or Recovery mode, the software will ask you to start downloading the necessary firmware for your device. So, choose an appropriate firmware according to the iPhone model.

7. After downloading the firmware, click the Unlock Now button to begin the unlocking process.

8. Once the process is completed, your iPhone will be unlocked, and you can set it up again.

So that's how you can easily unlock a found iPhone. This method has been tested, and it will surely work for you. So, if you have an iPhone that is locked or disabled, you can use this method to unlock it without any problem.

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What Can I Do to Contact Its Owner?

Once the found iPhone is successfully unlocked, you can contact its owner in many ways.

Following are some of them that work.

Contact the owner with the phone number in lost mode

Many iPhone owners habitually put their phone numbers in lost mode. So, you can check if any phone number is available in the lost mode. If a phone number is available, you can contact the owner and return the iPhone to them.

The rightful owner of the iPhone activates lost mode. You can see the lost mode on the notification panel, where a message will show that the phone is lost. The owner can also remotely lock the phone using this mode.

Check medical ID in an emergency call

There is a feature in the iPhone known as medical ID. This feature can help you contact the owner of the found iPhone if they are unavailable.

To do this, go to the emergency call screen and tap on the Medical ID option. Here, you can find out the name and phone number of the owner. So, you can use this information to contact the owner and return the iPhone.

Take photos to communicate with the owner via iCloud

This is a great way to contact the owner of a lost iPhone. You can use this method if you cannot find the owner's phone number in the lost mode or medical ID.

To do this, go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos and turn on the iCloud Photo Library. Now, take some pictures with the found iPhone, and they will be automatically uploaded to iCloud.

Most people who have lost their iPhones often check their iCloud, and once they find out that someone is taking pictures and uploading them to their iCloud, they will try to communicate with you.

And that's how you can also communicate with them and ask for contact details so that you can return their phone and be a good citizen.

The Bottom Line

So, that's how you can unlock a found iPhone and contact its owner. I hope this article will help you find the lost iPhone owner and return it to them.

All the methods mentioned above have a high success ratio, but the last ultimate method is better than all because it will unlock the iPhone within minutes.

Dr.Fone-Screen Unlock is one of the most effective ways can help you to unlock a found iPhone. This method has been tested, and it will surely work for you. So, if you have an iPhone that is locked or disabled, you can use this method to unlock it without any problem.

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