What happens when you erase a device in Find My iPhone - Techness

Erase a device in Find My iPhone on iCloud.com

If your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or Apple Watch gets lost or stolen, you can erase it in Find My iPhone on iCloud.com.

To sign in to Find My iPhone, go to icloud.com/find.

• A confirmation email is sent to your Apple ID email address.

• Activation Lock remains on to protect the device. Your Apple ID and password are required to reactivate the device.

• After you erase a device, you cannot use Find My iPhone to locate the device or play a sound on it. However, you may still be able to locate your Mac or Apple Watch if it is near a previously used Wi-Fi network.

• Apple Pay is disabled for your device. Any credit or debit cards set up for Apple Pay, student ID cards and Express Travel cards are removed from your device. Credit, debit and student ID cards are removed even if your device is offline. Express Travel cards are removed the next time your device goes online. See the Apple Support article Manage the cards that you use with Apple Pay.

• If you use two-factor authentication, the device that you erased is removed from your list of trusted devices.

• If you erase but then find your device, you can restore the information on it with an existing backup. See the Apple Support articles Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch from a backup, Restore your Mac from a backup and Restore Apple Watch from a backup.

Remotely erase your device or a family member’s device

1. In Find My iPhone on iCloud.com, click All Devices, then select the device you want to erase.

   If you do not see All Devices, it is because you have already selected a device. Click the name of the current device in the centre of the toolbar to access the Devices list, then select a new device.

2. Click Erase [device].

1. Do one of the following, depending on what you want to erase:

   • iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch: enter your Apple ID password or your family member’s Apple ID password. If you are not using a trusted browser, answer your security questions or enter the verification code that is sent to your other devices. If you are using your own computer and want to skip the verification step in the future, click Trust. If you are using a friend’s computer, click Don’t Trust.

   • Mac: enter your Apple ID password or your family member’s Apple ID password. If you are not using a trusted browser, answer your security questions or enter the verification code that is sent to your other devices. If you are using your own computer and want to skip the verification step in the future, click Trust. If you are using a friend’s computer, click Don’t Trust. Enter a passcode to lock the Mac (you need to use the passcode to unlock it).

2. If the device is lost and you are asked to enter a phone number or message, you may want to indicate that the device is lost or how to contact you. The number and message appear on the device’s locked screen.

If your device is online, the remote erase begins after you follow the onscreen instructions. If your device is offline, the remote erase begins the next time it is online.

For more information about trusted devices and verification codes, see the Apple Support article Two-factor authentication for Apple ID.

Cancel an erase

If your device is offline, the remote erase happens the next time it is online. If you find the device before it is erased, you can cancel the request.

1. In Find My iPhone on iCloud.com, click All Devices, then select the device.

   If you do not see All Devices, it is because you have already selected a device. Click the name of the current device in the centre of the toolbar to access the Devices list, then select a new device.

2. Click Stop Erase Request, then enter your Apple ID password.

If you are using iCloud.com on your iPhone or iPad, see Use Find My iPhone on iCloud.com on your iPhone or Use Find My iPhone on iCloud.com on your iPad.

If Find My [device] is not set up on your missing device, see the Apple Support article If your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch is lost or stolen.

Note: If you do not expect to find your iPhone, iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models) or Apple Watch (Wi-Fi + Cellular models), contact your network provider to suspend service so you are not responsible for phone calls or other charges.