According to MacRumors, Apple will not repair iPhones that have been reported lost or stolen. Apple stores and authorized service providers will not repair these phones.
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According to an internal memo sent to Apple Store employees and service providers, the company will now use the GSMA Device Registry to check whether a device has been reported as lost before proceeding with iPhone repairs. If the company's internal systems indicate that the device has been "reported as lost," then technicians will refuse the repair.
The GSMA Device Registry is a global database that owners smartphone to register incidents such as loss, theft, fraud related to the device, etc.With the phone's IMEI, companies that have access to this platform can check if a device belongs to any of the above categories.
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Apple doesn't repair lost iPhones
Apple has always had policies that prohibited repairing iPhones that were lost or stolen, but only if they had the Find My feature enabled.
The new policy aims to prevent stolen iPhones from being replaced with new ones if they never had Find My enabled. Of course, for devices with Find My enabled, nothing changes. The company refuses to repair locked devices.
If for some reason you have lost access to your Apple ID, Apple may (in some cases) accept your device invoice as proof of purchase to repair or replace your device.
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You can find more details on how to prepare an iOS device for repair service on Apple's site.
Source: 9to5mac
