Apple will no longer repair iPhones that have been marked as missing
Apple has distributed an internal memo to inform Apple Store employees and Authorized Service Providers that the company will no longer repair iPhones that have been marked as missing in the GSMA Device Registry.
First reported by MacRumors on Tuesday who obtained a copy of the memo, Apple says if a technician sees a message in their internal MobileGenius or GSX systems reporting that the device they are working on has been marked as missing, they must decline the repair in an effort to reduce the number of stolen iPhones brought to Apple for technical services.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers already decline device repairs if the customer is unable to disable Find My iPhone however until now no checks in the GSMA Device Registry database were required when undertaking repair work.
In short, the GSMA Device Registry database is a global database where customers can report their smartphones as stolen or missing. With the service working internationally, any Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Providers will be able to tell if a device has been reported as missing or stolen.