Remotely lock a lost device
Overview
Locking a lost or stolen device protects the data on it and prevents anyone else from using it. A user who has signed in with an unmanaged (personal) Apple Account and turned on Find My can lock the device by marking it as lost in the Find My app on another device or at iCloud.com. An organization can lock a supervised and managed device through its device management service, using Managed Lost Mode on an iPhone or iPad or Remote Lock on a Mac. Both methods can be available on the same managed device.
Requirements and expected behavior
A user can mark a device as lost only if they’ve signed in with an unmanaged Apple Account and turned on Find My. An organization can prevent this by restricting Find My or by allowing only Managed Apple Accounts to sign in to its organization-owned devices.
On an iPhone or iPad, marking the device as lost puts it in Lost Mode, which locks the device and, on devices that support Apple Pay, suspends the user’s payment cards and passes. The user can display a message with contact information on the Lock Screen. If the device is offline, it locks the next time it connects to the internet. The user turns off Lost Mode by entering the passcode on the device or by turning off Lost Mode for that device in Find My.
On a Mac, marking the device as lost puts it in Lost Mode, which locks the Mac and suspends Apple Pay. The user turns off Lost Mode by signing in to the unmanaged Apple Account, which can be done only on the Mac itself, not online or from another device.
Reported behavior
When a user marks an iPhone or iPad as lost, or an organization places it in Managed Lost Mode, the device locks and optionally shows a message on the Lock Screen to help someone return it.
A locked Mac behaves differently depending on how it was locked. If a user marked it as lost in Find My, the Mac locks. If a device management service sent a Remote Lock command, the Mac restarts to a padlock screen that reads “This Mac is Locked” and “The system PIN is required to use this Mac,” displays any message the administrator added, and offers only Shut Down and Restart. It won’t unlock without the six-digit PIN.
Users may report a device that suddenly locked, a prompt for a passcode or password they don’t recognize, or an unfamiliar message on the Lock Screen.
Isolating the issue
The user or an organization locked the device. Identifying who locked it determines how to unlock it. On a managed device, either might have locked it, so confirm which one before choosing an unlock method.
If the user locked the device, they can unlock it themselves; if an organization locked it, a device management service administrator unlocks it.
Troubleshooting
If a user marked a device as lost, have the user unlock it. On an iPhone or iPad, they enter the passcode or turn off Lost Mode in Find My. On a Mac, they sign in to the unmanaged Apple Account.
On a managed iPhone or iPad, only a device management service administrator can turn off Managed Lost Mode.
On a managed Mac, unlock it by entering the six-digit PIN shown in the device management service.
If a lock or unlock command hasn’t been received, verify that the device is turned on and connected to the internet. The service keeps trying to send the command until the device connects.
Managed environments
An organization locks a supervised and managed device through its device management service, not through Find My. For iPhone and iPad, the device management service places the device in Managed Lost Mode. For a Mac, the device management service sends a Remote Lock command.
Managed Lost Mode locks the device and optionally displays a message on the Lock Screen, such as a phone number to call if someone finds it. While a device is in Managed Lost Mode, the service can locate it even when Location Services is off, and can play a sound. Managed Lost Mode also turns on Low Power Mode to help preserve battery life. Only a device management service administrator can turn off Managed Lost Mode, and when they do, the device notifies the user that it was in Managed Lost Mode and that the service acquired its location.
Remote Lock restarts the Mac and locks it with a six-digit PIN, and optionally displays a short message. A Mac that has received a Remote Lock command won’t restart into macOS without the PIN.