WWYD with a found phone

[RoxMonster]

Out of curiosity, wondering what you'd do in this situation.

On our morning walk yesterday, we found a cell phone in the street. It was a bit scratched up but still turned on. There wasn't any "call this number if found" or anything like that on the lock screen. Not wanting it to get run over, we brought it home with us and I posted for the surrounding neighborhoods on Next Door. Basically I said where we found it and if someone thought it was theirs, asked them to PM me a description and the phone number for the phone (so I could call it and verify it).

So far no one has messaged. Of course, the person who lost it may not even be on Next Door or have seen this message/ever go on there. Obviously I will keep the message up for awhile. But if no one comes to claim this in weeks or months, what would you do? Just hold onto the phone indefinitely? At some point (months down the road), recycle the phone and take down the message? I thought about turning it in at the police station but I have no idea if they could do anything to find the owner of it. And if I lost my phone, I would not really think of going to the police about it. But should we do that?

[mccallister84]

Are there emergency contacts listed? I’d probably try texting one of them.

[sadlebred]

Do you have any local Facebook groups? Maybe post there. If not, I'd probably take to the police in a few days.

[rubytue]

I’d check the emergency contacts.

[UMaineTeach]

I probably would have taken it to the police if I just found it on the street.

If I found it near a store or restaurant I would probably take it there.

[RoxMonster]

OK I feel kind of dumb because I had no idea you could check emergency contacts on a locked phone. I know there is an "emergency" button on the lock screen, but I thought that only allowed you to call 911 from a locked phone. I can try this.

[RoxMonster]

Alright they have no emergency contacts. I can see they have T Mobile. Could they do anything to find the owner if I bring it into a T Mobile store? Or better off just giving to the police?

[rubytue]

RoxMonster, and anyone else that doesn’t know, it’s a really good idea to put emergency numbers in your phone. They are in health on the iPhone. It allows first responders, or anyone who finds a phone, to contact someone.

[noodleoo]

I’d take it to the police station. That’s what I see people do who post on FB when they find phones.

[RoxMonster]

I called T Mobile and the guy said he couldn’t do anything, but if they report the iPhone lost or stolen, it will show a number on the screen I can call. I am going to give it until Monday and if no one has messaged me, I’ll bring it to the police.

And I did just add an emergency contact so that was something helpful that came out of this

[cricketwife]

Aug 5, 2023 17:38:03 GMT -5 rubytue said:

RoxMonster , and anyone else that doesn’t know, it’s a really good idea to put emergency numbers in your phone. They are in health on the iPhone. It allows first responders, or anyone who finds a phone, to contact someone.

RoxMonster, I didn’t know this either, so you aren’t alone! I’ve just added them to my phone. 

[wanderingback]

Is it an iPhone?
I have an iPhone so what I’d do is keep it plugged In and hope find my iPhone would work.
I’d prob hold on to it.

[VillainV]

I’d keep it plugged in and charged (assuming you have the correct charger for it) for a few days and the ringer turned on so I could hear if it rings. After a few days I’d take to the police station.

[loira]

I'd take it to the police, and maybe post on local groups that I'd found it and state which police station I'd dropped it at.

[wambam]

I would call the first person on speed dial

[babsbunny]

I've held the side button and said "call mom" to siri. Maybe some other commands might work too.

[fernweh]

Aug 5, 2023 20:38:18 GMT -5 babsbunny said:

I've held the side button and said "call mom" to siri. Maybe some other commands might work too.

I think the newer phones have voice recognition. I’ve tried giving commands to H’s phone and nothing happens.

[Roc A Bee]

Is it unlocked?

[erbear]

I’d wait for someone to call or text it that it was lost and connect with them.

[bugandbibs]

Honestly, I’d keep it indefinitely and charged so it could be located or they could try calling it. I would also try to wake up Siri and have her call some generic prompts like mom, dad, husband, wife. If it was in front of houses, I might knock on a few doors on that street in case it fell out of a parked car at the curb.

I don’t next door or Facebook so I’d never find a lost phone that way. A phone found on a neighborhood street seems more like it fell while a kid was riding a bike so it may take longer for them to “find” it.

[heygrey]

Someone in my neighbourhood recently found a phone, waited until someone texted (couldn’t respond), looked up the name on Facebook, found a local person by that name, messaged them and asked if they just texted a person and could they contact that person another way and ask if they lost a phone. It was a wildly convoluted story with updates on our neighbourhood FB group, but the person was reunited with their phone!

If I didn’t feel like playing detective I would turn it in to the police station.

[imojoebunny]

I have found several phones recently. I try to see if there is an emergency contact first, and two of them, I could use that to return it. The third, I didn’t find, my neighbor did. She posted on Nextdoor and our neighborhood FB, and no one knew the people in the screen photo. She gave it to me, and I took it to a few phone stores, until I found the right one, where they could use the SIM card info to return it to its owner. I think the people who had that one didn’t care if they got it back, I left it at the phone store, which was the least helpful of the 3 I went to. I didn’t want someone knocking on my door thinking I stole it because they looked at find my phone.

[RoxMonster]

Aug 5, 2023 21:05:51 GMT -5 Roc A Bee said:

Is it unlocked?

No it’s locked.

[livinitup]

Aug 5, 2023 17:38:03 GMT -5 rubytue said:

RoxMonster, and anyone else that doesn’t know, it’s a really good idea to put emergency numbers in your phone. They are in health on the iPhone. It allows first responders, or anyone who finds a phone, to contact someone.

So, I just did this. Thank you !

[bugandbibs]

You could also check their notifications from the Lock Screen. Mine show my social media handles when I get tagged or liked. You could DM them that way and let them know you have their phone.

[underwaterrhymes]

I’m very invested and will need a final update please.

[georgeglass]

Is it an iPhone? My kid found one and said, "Siri, who am I?" and it gave a name.

[underwaterrhymes]

Aug 6, 2023 10:11:18 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Is it an iPhone? My kid found one and said, "Siri, who am I?" and it gave a name.

I just tried this with my phone locked and my name popped up.

[rubytue]

Aug 6, 2023 10:18:44 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Aug 6, 2023 10:11:18 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Is it an iPhone? My kid found one and said, "Siri, who am I?" and it gave a name.

I just tried this with my phone locked and my name popped up.

Same. Well, it said “You are asking me, Ruby?” Which would be useful if I found it in the office, where I knew if it said, say, Mike or Patty, I could find them. But not useful for a random phone on the street. 

[RoxMonster]

What’s odd is there are no texts, and only one notification on the locked screen (for something called Shop). I wonder if they lost it days ago, realized it was lost and already got a new phone?

I’ll take it to the police station tomorrow since I doubt I’ll hear from anyone but I’ll keep the post up and edit it to say it was turned into the police.