# US 12,001,857 B2 · Device locator disable authentication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,001,857 B2 - Document ID: US12001857B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/323,302 - Filed: 2023-05-24 - Published: 2023-09-21 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-06 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Raghunandan K. Pai; Karthik Narayanan; Paul Chinn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001857B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files} - G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication - G06F 21/88: Detecting or preventing theft or loss - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04M 1/724: User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 8/18: Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data - H04W 12/126: Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning - G06F 2221/2103: Challenge-response - G06F 2221/2111: Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS - G06F 2221/2117: User registration - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A device locator mode or find my device (FMD) mode can allow a lost, stolen, or misplaced mobile device to be located. The FMD mode can be enabled or disabled on a mobile device. Sometimes thieves or unauthorized parties attempt to disable the FMD mode. To prevent this, the mobile device can transmit a unique device identifier to a remote server. The remote server can link the device identifier to a cloud-based user account associated with the user of the mobile device. Before an FMD mode is disabled on the mobile device, before the content or settings can be erased, and/or before a mobile device is permitted to be activated/reactivated, a user of the mobile device can be challenged for the credentials of the cloud-based user account. If valid credentials are provided, FMD can be disabled, the content or settings can be reset, and/or the device can be activated/reactivated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, at a mobile device, a user input to enable a security setting, the security setting requires reactivation of the mobile device with user account credentials following receipt of a second user input at the mobile device to restore the mobile device to factory settings, wherein a hardware identifier of the mobile device is associated with a user account; on the mobile device, the mobile device having been restored to factory settings: entering, by the mobile device, an activation operating mode, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable one or more functions in the activation operating mode; determining, during the activation operating mode, that the mobile device is associated with the user account; presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for user account credentials for the user account; and activating the mobile device in response to receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, further comprising: blocking activation of the mobile device until receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: limiting functionality of the mobile device until the mobile device is activated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: disabling the security setting upon request of a deletion of the user account from the mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: activating the mobile device with an association of the user account with the mobile device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling the security setting with an association of the user account with the mobile device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting a request to a server to determine if the security setting is enabled for the mobile device, the request being associated with a hardware identifier of the mobile device; and receiving request for the challenge for the user account credentials of the user account when the security setting is enabled for the mobile device. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving, at a mobile device, a user input to enable a security setting, the security setting requires user account credentials following receipt of a second user input at the mobile device with a request to restore the mobile device to factory settings, wherein a hardware identifier of the mobile device is associated with a user account; on the mobile device, the mobile device having received the second user input: determining that the mobile device is associated with the user account; presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for the user account credentials of the user account; and restoring the mobile device to factory settings in response to receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, further comprising: blocking one or more functions of the mobile device until receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, further comprising: limiting functionality of the mobile device until the mobile device is activated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, further comprising: disabling the security setting upon request of a deletion of the user account from the mobile device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, further comprising: activating the mobile device with an association of the user account with the mobile device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, further comprising: enabling the security setting with the association of the user account with the mobile device. ### Claim 14 A data processing system on a mobile device, wherein the data processing system comprises: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by the processor, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, at the mobile device, a user input to enable a security setting, the security setting requires reactivation of the mobile device with user account credentials following receipt of a second user input at the mobile device to restore the mobile device to factory settings, wherein a hardware identifier of the mobile device is associated with a user account; on the mobile device, the mobile device having been restored to factory settings: entering, by the mobile device, an activation operating mode, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable one or more functions in the activation operating mode; determining, during the activation operating mode, that the mobile device is associated with the user account; presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for user account credentials for the user account; and activating the mobile device in response to receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The data processing system as in claim 14, the operations further comprising: blocking activation of the mobile device until receipt of valid user account credentials at the user interface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The data processing system as in claim 14, the operations further comprising: limiting functionality of the mobile device until the mobile device is activated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The data processing system as in claim 14, the operations further comprising: disabling the security setting upon request of a deletion of the user account from the mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The data processing system as in claim 14, the operations further comprising: activating the mobile device with an association of the user account with the mobile device.