Found iphone 4. anyway i can use it?

**JAYNOOK** · 10-23-2011, 07:07 PM

Before you say "RETURN IT YOU LITTLE THEIF" i have tried. my father found it on the train as he works on them everyday. he turned it in and after 30 days of no one claiming it they said it was his. i currently have an android phone for att but would like to use this one if possible. i tried restoring it via itunes but i keep getting error message 3194. it has a password so i cant look at the contacts and call a number. any help on getting it restored would be greatly appreciated.

**kch50428** · 10-23-2011, 07:12 PM

It has in all likelihood been reported as lost to the carrier, and it's MEID has been placed on a list that will DENY it from ever being activated again on that carrier. It may be possible to use internationally but that would be it.

In other words, there would be NO use of it domestically as anything other than an iPod.

**JAYNOOK** · 10-23-2011, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by kch50428

It has in all likelihood been reported as lost to the carrier, and it's MEID has been placed on a list that will DENY it from ever being activated again on that carrier. It may be possible to use internationally but that would be it.

In other words, there would be NO use of it domestically as anything other than an iPod.

is the meid the same thing as the imei?

**Speak** · 10-23-2011, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by kch50428

It has in all likelihood been reported as lost to the carrier, and it's MEID has been placed on a list that will DENY it from ever being activated again on that carrier. It may be possible to use internationally but that would be it.

In other words, there would be NO use of it domestically as anything other than an iPod.

If it is CDMA, it can be activated on Cricket Wireless with jailbreak/unlock.

GSM, it can be activated on T-Mobile if carrier blocks. Is there any reason you can't SIM swap with iphone4/android as long as the android phone uses microSIM?

Edit: IMEI is similar to, but not the same as MEID. IMEI is on most mobile devices, while MEID is strictly on CDMA devices .

I heard apple/att are very strict about NOT allowing devices themselves to be blacklisted, but have no personal experience/first-hand knowledge about it.

**andrewsmith** · 10-23-2011, 08:35 PM

put it in dfu mode and completely restore it as a new device to get rid of the password. then you should be able to use it if it's GSM (idk about CDMA)

**takeshi** · 10-23-2011, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by JAYNOOK

Before you say "RETURN IT YOU LITTLE THEIF" i have tried. my father found it on the train as he works on them everyday. he turned it in and after 30 days of no one claiming it they said it was his.

I don't see where you tried to return it to the carrier. Turning it into the train lost & found isn't trying.

**JohnH59** · 10-23-2011, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by briareus

I don't see where you tried to return it to the carrier. Turning it into the train lost & found isn't trying.

Agree, return it to the carrier. They can determine the owner and return it.

**Peligro911** · 10-23-2011, 11:29 PM

Im not here to discuss morals ..Yup dfu mode and restore ... Prob can't use it thou if it's Verizon ... AT&T you should be fine

Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

**JAYNOOK** · 10-24-2011, 08:29 PM

so i got it restored and its a gsm so i think i should be good? i keep hearing att can block the imei but not sure if its true anyone have any knowledge on this?

**Peligro911** · 10-24-2011, 08:58 PM

I would try a sim and see if it works

Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

**jonmark** · 10-25-2011, 01:40 AM

Had a similar experience a while back ... In order to check if it's been blacklisted, just check the IMEI of the iPhone, which can be found in the settings -> general -> about ... Google search to check IMEI numbers of phones, which is what I did, and entered the IMEI number in a few different sites that came up. None of them listed the IMEI as being blocked, reported lost or stolen ... So I went ahead and activated the iPhone without any problems. Been using it for almost a year now.

**Speak** · 10-25-2011, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by JohnH59

Agree, return it to the carrier. They can determine the owner and return it.

Having worked as an indirect sales agent for Verizon, the carrier won't do anything other than add the device to the lost/stolen list. I had a number of good samaritans attempt to return their (non-apple, I quit before iphone) devices to me, and all we could do (and the internal support phone # as well) was report it as stolen. It was claimed to protect the personal information of whomever the phone belonged to, but I am inclined to think that it was more to boost device sales/insurance claims.

**jacobtt33** · 10-30-2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by JAYNOOK

so i got it restored and its a gsm so i think i should be good? i keep hearing att can block the imei but not sure if its true anyone have any knowledge on this?

Hey JAYNOOK,

I'm in the same pickle... how did you manage to restore the phone with a passcode?

- J

**noaim** · 10-30-2011, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by jacobtt33

Hey JAYNOOK,

I'm in the same pickle... how did you manage to restore the phone with a passcode?

- J

Put it in dfu mode and restore it..

Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

**Bias X** · 10-30-2011, 11:38 AM

About the whole blacklist thing. AT&T is extremely strict or simply just doesn't care. I tried to blacklist my blackberry after it was stolen. The local corporate store didn't even know what blacklisting was. After escalating it on 611. The manager/ higher up just simply told me it wont happen.

**jacobtt33** · 10-30-2011, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by noaim

Put it in dfu mode and restore it..

Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

Hey thanks for your response, but it won't allow me to restore because it's not from the administrating computer...

**furygoalbrtis39** · 10-30-2011, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by jacobtt33

Hey thanks for your response, but it won't allow me to restore because it's not from the administrating computer...

Putting it in dfu mode should bypass the administrative security

Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

**BryanTheRed** · 10-30-2011, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by Offensive Bias

About the whole blacklist thing. AT&T is extremely strict or simply just doesn't care. I tried to blacklist my blackberry after it was stolen. The local corporate store didn't even know what blacklisting was. After escalating it on 611. The manager/ higher up just simply told me it wont happen.

AT&T and most GSM carriers world wide will not black list lost or stolen phones. CDMA carriers appear to be the only ones who black list IMEI/ESN numbers on lost and stolen devices. I don't want there to be any confusion about this, AT&T will NOT black list the phone!

**Macboy74** · 10-26-2012, 02:21 AM

If you return it to the carrier they restore it and sell it.

**Fausty82** · 10-26-2012, 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by mritalian

If you return it to the carrier they restore it and sell it.

Absolutely not true...

**kch50428** · 10-26-2012, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by mritalian

If you return it to the carrier they restore it and sell it.

Originally Posted by Fausty82

Absolutely not true...

They'll part it out to refurb other phones...

**djogie** · 02-17-2013, 10:31 AM

My ex girlfriend and I had a bad break up and she canceled my iphone 4s and reported it stolen. I called bell to see if there was anything I can do they said no because the phone was under her name it doesn't matter that I was the one who paid for everything. with that being said and done i have an iphone 4s I cannot use nor have the knowledge or know how to unlock it. With this being said and done I want to sell it, or seek advice on how to get my phone operational again. I am asking for $300, but will be willing to go cheaper because the back of it is smashed, the front of it however is in mint condition.

**kch50428** · 02-17-2013, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by djogie

My ex girlfriend and I had a bad break up and she canceled my iphone 4s and reported it stolen. I called bell to see if there was anything I can do they said no because the phone was under her name it doesn't matter that I was the one who paid for everything. with that being said and done i have an iphone 4s I cannot use nor have the knowledge or know how to unlock it. With this being said and done I want to sell it, or seek advice on how to get my phone operational again. I am asking for $300, but will be willing to go cheaper because the back of it is smashed, the front of it however is in mint condition.

The fact the device is reported stolen to a carrier makes it difficult to activate again - you might be able to get some $$ out of selling it to a 3rd party repair service for parts use...

**funnel1** · 05-19-2013, 08:11 PM

I actually found a Verizon iphone and took it to the dealer. The person I spoke with told me that the person will most likely not get the phone back if I turn it in. He told me to keep it.

**GulfCoastToad** · 05-19-2013, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by JAYNOOK

Before you say "RETURN IT YOU LITTLE THEIF" i have tried. my father found it on the train as he works on them everyday. he turned it in and after 30 days of no one claiming it they said it was his. i currently have an android phone for att but would like to use this one if possible. i tried restoring it via itunes but i keep getting error message 3194. it has a password so i cant look at the contacts and call a number. any help on getting it restored would be greatly appreciated.

If you really want to return it to the rightful owner, put up a Craigslist ad with the details. The owner will have to confirm the pass code.