Apple Stores Will Now Decline to Repair iPhones Reported as Missing

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will now be alerted if an iPhone has been reported as missing in the GSMA Device Registry when a customer brings in the device to be serviced, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.

repair iphone x
If an Apple technician sees a message in their internal MobileGenius or GSX systems indicating that the device has been reported as missing, they are instructed to decline the repair, according to Apple's memo shared on Monday. The new policy should help to reduce the amount of stolen iPhones brought to Apple for repair.

The GSMA Device Registry is a global database designed for customers to report their devices as missing in the event of loss or theft. Devices in the database are identified by their unique IMEI number. An iPhone's IMEI is listed in the Settings app under General > About.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are already unable to service an iPhone if the customer cannot disable Find My iPhone, and this policy will help to prevent stolen iPhones that never had Find My iPhone enabled from being repaired by Apple. In the event your iPhone is lost or stolen, be sure to read our guide on the next steps to take.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iphone air thickness

Apple Said to Cut iPhone Air Production Amid Underwhelming Sales

Friday October 17, 2025 8:29 am PDT by
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec). The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
m4 macbook air blue

M5 MacBook Air Coming Spring 2026 With M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini in Development

Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year. Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...

Top Rated Comments

upandown Avatar
47 months ago
Why wasn’t this protocol from the start?

What’s the point of having a “missing phone” feature if it doesn’t do anything.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happydude Avatar
47 months ago
hope they also alert the original owner it's been located vs. giving it back to the person who brought it in. otherwise...what's the point. the phone is still not in the original owners hands, fixed or not. police should prob be notified too, I'd think.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alan Wynn Avatar
47 months ago

Dumb policy. A used stolen/lost phone can be legitimately purchased.
Nope. Since the person who sold it did not legally own it, no one down the line can have purchased it legitimately.

By the time it reaches a repair centre, the previous owner of a stolen or lost phone would have already moved on with life.
Making it harder to sell stolen iPhones makes them less valuable, and discourages thefts, just as Activation Lock has done.

This is marketing for morons like their green initiatives.
No, this is a good thing for consumers. I am curious why it took so long to implement, and I think it is also interesting that it seems carriers do not prevent these devices on their networks.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
currocj Avatar
47 months ago
Why did this take a decade?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UltimateSyn Avatar
47 months ago

Should also include remote detonation feature. If a thief jack’s my phone from my hand I can blow it up.
“We’ve removed the Lightning port in order to make room for 200mg of C4 in every new iPhone.”
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
This is great. I hope it also bricks the iPhone and notifies the original owner.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)