Erase my phone - help

Read this support article about what to do if a iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen -->

If your iPhone or iPad was stolen - Apple Support

- The Find My service described in the article is the only recovery feature Apple offers. It must be set up before the device is lost.

- “Don't remove the device from Find My, even if you remotely erase it. Removing the device from your Find My list removes Activation Lock, which will make it easier for the thief to unlock and resell your device.”

- Note that if you remotely erase your device as instructed in the above article, if you subsequently remove it from your account as in this article --> Review devices signed in to your Apple Account - Apple Support , then according to this article --> How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support you remove activation lock from the device. Do not remove it from your account. If you do that then a finder or thief will have an unlocked device that can be used by another person.

- If a thief tricks you into “signing in” on a fake Apple site and you later receive a removal notification from Apple, read this entire thread: Stolen iPhone Find My notice - Apple Community

and Remove a device from Find Devices on iCloud.com - Apple Support Unfortunately if you have fallen victim to this there is no solution to recover your device or to prevent it from being reset by a thief.

Read these support articles to find out how to use the Find My app to locate a missing device or item. Click here --> How to find your lost iPhone or iPad - Apple Support and Use Find My to locate your lost Apple device or AirTag - Apple Support

- A person can use the Find My app on a device owned by someone in their Family Sharing group.

- Alternatively, anybody can sign into https://www.icloud.com/find to locate their device using a browser. You don't need a two-factor code if you use any internet browser and log into www.icloud.com/find