With the introduction of its policy, Apple is making it harder for thieves to send in stolen iPhones for repairs and then sell them off. An Apple memo reviewed by MacRumors advised technicians at Apple stores or Apple Authorised Service Providers to determine if the phone they are working on has been registered as missing or stolen.
If the phone is listed as missing in the registry, technicians are told to refuse to repair the device. Apple believes that this would deter thieves from sending stolen iPhones to Apple for repairs.
Users can report their device as missing on the GSMA Device Registry by updating the list with the IMEI number of the phone. The policy of the tech giant is an additional step to ensure that stolen phones are not sent to Apple’s technicians for repairs.
Currently, Apple stores or Apple Authorised Service Providers are not allowed to repair the device if the customer is unable to disable the “Find My iPhone” function. There are no official records for stolen iPhones but the premium quality of the iPhone has been a reason for thieves to target iPhones.