iPhone 7 disabled and still has SIM card. I need help returning it to owner.

[Andy_2341]

Hey everyone!
I found an iPhone 7 in my instructors classroom sitting in a box. It's been there for at least a year, and they don't seem to have any idea about why it is there. I took it home with me to investigate it, and after a good while charging it found it to be disabled. I plugged it into my M4 MBA and used DFU mode, but finder doesn't recognize it and Apple Configurator only tells me the ECID. An online search has returned that the iCloud lock is active. There's an AT&T SIM card inserted, but it doesn't have service. Is there some way to find the owner?

 

[chrfr]

It's recycling material at this point. You won't be able to find its owner.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Found an iPhone 7 in an old company drawer - thankfully I knew it was the company's phone - plugged it into my 16' MBP - which had to download something to communicate with the phone - after which, I was able to wipe it (with the company's permission) - and then take it to Apple for recycling (it was too old to offer $) which they did accept.

 

[Andy_2341]

Darn, I was hoping I could do something with it. Thank you though.

 

[baconcat_8964]

Find My iPhone is designed for the owner to contact someone who finds their lost phone, but not in reverse.

Just think about it this way: if anyone could access the owner's information simply by examining a lost phone, it would lead to a huge personal information crisis.

 

[Andy_2341]

Find My iPhone is designed for the owner to contact someone who finds their lost phone, but not in reverse.

Just think about it this way: if anyone could access the owner's information simply by examining a lost phone, it would lead to a huge personal information crisis.

Right, that makes perfect sense. I was hoping there might be some more technically involved way to find clues or details though. Alas, it is in poor condition and well abandoned.

 

[HowEver]

This may be going above and beyond, but you might be able to copy ("import") the contacts from a disabled SIM card to a phone that has a physical SIM card/slot.

Settings > Contacts > Import SIM contacts.

Of course, after, you'll have to delete those contacts.