Apple Locks Stolen iPhones Remotely and Tracks Looters

• Apple is locking devices that are in the hands of looters, rendering them almost useless.
• The company is also tracking the looters and is threatening to inform the police of their location.
• There’s no stealing an Apple iPhone, and people should already be aware of that.

Looting is terrible, and those who do it are merely exploiting the current situation that involves protests, violence, burning and breaking, and general chaos that is raging in numerous cities across the United States. Some shops have placed barricades to keep the ill-intended outside, while others simply closed down and prayed not to become the target of looters. Apple has also announced temporary retail store closures across the USA. However, of course, opportunists still broke in and stole those valuable glass and metal sandwiches that feature the bitten apple logo in the back.

Apple store in Portland being looted during protest pic.twitter.com/GqmGCOqRkt

— Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) May 30, 2020

To their great disappointment, though, when they tried to activate the stolen iPhone devices, they were greeted with a message that said: “Please return to Apple [specific looted store]. This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted.” So, the people who exited the Apple stores with tens of 11 Pro Max devices in their hands should have probably thought better. The ones that went for the chargers and the Airpods seem to have it better.

https://twitter.com/onlyfanobtainer/status/1266933834064572416

It is unlikely that Apple will see any of these phones returned, though, as people would rather break them apart, disassemble them for parts, or just throw them away in fear that they’re being tracked. Some will also try to sell them to others at a very low cost, as there are people who claim to be able to unlock these devices anyway. Still, the risk of being tracked and reported to the local police as you try to unlock the device is real, and thus, not many would be willing to take it.

Apple has introduced this tracking and anti-theft system a long time now, as the problem of devices stolen from stores isn’t a new one. The “Find My” system that has recently raised concerns for Tile has been there for years, helping Apple device owners locate their stolen devices and even to lock them remotely. All you have to do is put the stolen or lost device in “Lost Mode” and the system will do the rest.

So, there you have it. Stealing Apple devices doesn’t work, you will not get to enjoy them, and you may even get the police knocking at your door. Simply put, it is not worth the risk. Android also has a native anti-theft app in place, called “Find My Device,” but electronic retail stores usually don’t bother to activate it so they are more at risk - this is not to encourage you to loot Android stores, though. Remember, looting is against the law, undermines the message of the ongoing protests, can get you into serious trouble, and may lead to the store going out of business, which would result in the loss of whatever jobs are left in the middle of this pandemic. Many stores that saw their sales bottom during COVID-19 didn’t have the financial capacity to insure their products, so stealing from them is like dooming them to permanent closure. Just don’t do it.