Devices · Action Guide

What to do if Mom or Dad’s iPhone is lost or stolen

10 minFreeDo this with: Together

Short answer · G020

Use Find My or iCloud.com/find, mark the iPhone as lost, and follow Apple’s current lost/stolen-device steps. Do not remove a stolen iPhone from Find My.

Do this now

Open Find My on another Apple device or go to iCloud.com/find.

Select the missing iPhone and mark it as lost as soon as practical.

If theft is suspected, follow Apple’s current stolen-device guidance and contact the carrier as appropriate.

Review the Apple Account and other important accounts if there is reason to think the device passcode or credentials were exposed.

Don’t do this

Do not remove a stolen iPhone from Find My; doing so can remove Activation Lock.
Do not give a supposed finder your device passcode, password, or verification code.
If the phone was stolen, be cautious about putting personal contact information into a lost-device message.

Official sources

Apple — If your iPhone or iPad was stolen ↗

Apple — Find a lost iPhone or iPad ↗

Last reviewed: September 23, 2026

RELATED NEXT STEPS

Keep going only if it helps.

Do a 10-Minute iPhone Safety Check With a ParentCheck updates, account recovery, and core account protections.Check Android Security and System UpdatesCheck Android version, security update, and Google Play system update status.Turn on iPhone Stolen Device ProtectionAdd protection against sensitive account changes if an iPhone is stolen and the thief knows the passcode.

Finished this task?Mark it done on this device. You can undo it later.

Not sure what else Mom or Dad needs?

Build the full plan around their actual devices and setup. Free steps come first.

Build the full plan · about 3 minutes