If a thief knows your iPhone passcode
Why a passcode changes things
A thief without your passcode has a locked phone. A thief with your passcode may be able to open your apps and see your pictures. Unless Stolen Device Protection is on, they may also get to your saved passwords and your Apple Account settings.
What to do now
- Mark your iPhone as lost at icloud.com/find, from another phone or a computer.
- Change your Apple Account password from another Apple device you're signed in on, if the thief may know your passcode. No other Apple device? Try account.apple.com. It may ask for a code sent to your number, which stops working once your SIM is blocked, and if Stolen Device Protection is on, some changes can't be made on the web. If you can't get in, or your password has stopped working, go to iforgot.apple.com to start account recovery. There's a waiting period. Check that nobody has added a new trusted device.
- Call your network to block your SIM, so login codes stop reaching that phone.
- Call your banks and e-wallets. Tell them someone may have your passcode.
- Change your email password and sign the phone out of your other accounts.
- Change any password you had saved on the phone, starting with the most important ones.
Our full plan is in what to do if your iPhone is stolen.
What to do before it happens
- Use a longer passcode, and cover the screen when you type it in public.
- Turn on Stolen Device Protection. It only helps if it's on before the theft.
- Learn your Apple Account password, because you'll need it on someone else's device.
- Think about what's in your pictures. Anyone who can open your phone can look through Photos, including pictures of your cards and IDs.
How FirstHour helps
Protect points out pictures of cards, IDs and codes so you can deal with them first. The Vault has its own pattern or PIN, separate from your iPhone passcode, so knowing your passcode isn't enough to open it. FirstHour's own app lock is weaker: it opens with your iPhone passcode. It also can't change your passwords for you.
Questions
Can a thief turn off Find My with my passcode?
Apple says Find My can't be turned off while Stolen Device Protection is on. Away from familiar places, turning that protection off takes Face ID or Touch ID and a one-hour wait. In a familiar place, such as your home, your passcode is enough unless you've chosen Always. That's why it's worth turning on now, set to Always.
Should I erase my iPhone right away?
Apple says to make sure you've tried everything else first, because erasing can't be undone. Mark it as lost first, and keep the iPhone in Find My even if you erase it.
Sources
- About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone, Apple Support
- If you forgot your Apple Account password, Apple Support
- How to find your lost iPhone or iPad, Apple Support