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Disabling Lost Mode On Restarted Mobile Devices

  • May 6, 2026
  • 13 replies
  • 135 views
ZakN
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Hello,

I’m currently using Lost Mode in Jamf Pro to disable iPads / iPhones that are not returned to the IT Helpdesk.

Occasionally, when these devices are returned, they have either run out of battery or have been restarted while still in Lost Mode. After rebooting, the devices are locked down; No WiFi, Ethernet (with working adaptor) or not connecting to Mac via Apple Configurator.

Because the device is still in Lost Mode, the passcode cannot be entered, and the device is unable to check in with Jamf to receive the “Disable Lost Mode” command.

This leaves the device stuck in Lost Mode unless it is restored via Recovery Mode.

Has anyone found a way to:

  • Ensure devices reconnect to a network after reboot while in Lost Mode, or
  • Remove Lost Mode without requiring a full restore?

For context:

  • Devices are supervised and managed via Jamf Pro
  • Enrolled via Automated Device Enrolment
  • No cellular connectivity for iPads (Wi-Fi only devices)

Any advice or best practices would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Best answer by agungsujiwo

allowUSBRestrictedMode

boolean

If false, the system allows iOS devices to always connect to USB accessories while locked. In macOS, allows new USB and Thunderbolt accessories, and SD cards to connect without authorization. If the system has Lockdown mode enabled, it ignores this value. This restriction is not supported on the user channel.

Available in iOS 11.4.1 and later, and macOS 13 and later. Requires supervision in iOS.

Default: true

    13 replies

    ktrojano
    Forum|alt.badge.img+21
    • ktrojano
    • Jamf Heroes
    • May 6, 2026

    ​@ZakN We are in the same situation as you. As far as I know there is not a way to get around this. If anyone as found a way or know if it’s even possible I’d like to know as well. 

    Kim Trojanowski
      C
      Forum|alt.badge.img+7
      • Chris_Cover
      • Valued Contributor
      • May 6, 2026

      Ran into the same issue some time ago. Have you tried to connect it to a Docking station that has networking (instead of a simple adapter)? I think you’ll get ethernet briefly but long enough for commands to go 

        C
        Forum|alt.badge.img+7
        • Chris_Cover
        • Valued Contributor
        • May 6, 2026

        Also just retested and on reboot it reconnected to WIFI. What IOS version are you running?

        C
        Forum|alt.badge.img+7
        • Chris_Cover
        • Valued Contributor
        • May 6, 2026

        Also just retested and on reboot it reconnected to WIFI. I think it’s the loss of battery power doing it.

        C
        Forum|alt.badge.img+7
        • Chris_Cover
        • Valued Contributor
        • May 6, 2026

        Hello,

        I’m currently using Lost Mode in Jamf Pro to disable iPads / iPhones that are not returned to the IT Helpdesk.

        Occasionally, when these devices are returned, they have either run out of battery or have been restarted while still in Lost Mode. After rebooting, the devices are locked down; No WiFi, Ethernet (with working adaptor) or not connecting to Mac via Apple Configurator.

        Because the device is still in Lost Mode, the passcode cannot be entered, and the device is unable to check in with Jamf to receive the “Disable Lost Mode” command.

        This leaves the device stuck in Lost Mode unless it is restored via Recovery Mode.

        Has anyone found a way to:

        • Ensure devices reconnect to a network after reboot while in Lost Mode, or
        • Remove Lost Mode without requiring a full restore?

        For context:

        • Devices are supervised and managed via Jamf Pro
        • Enrolled via Automated Device Enrolment
        • No cellular connectivity for iPads (Wi-Fi only devices)

        Any advice or best practices would be greatly appreciated.

        Thanks in advance!

        I also think that what happened is the user (or thief) tried to enter the passcode too many times which enabled locked mode on top of lost mode. That mode disables all wifi.

          ZakN
          Forum|alt.badge.img+1
          • ZakN
          • Author
          • New Contributor
          • May 6, 2026

          Hi ​@Chris_Cover ,

          We are running iOS / iPadOS 26.2 - 26.4.2. 

          I agree with you ​@Chris_Cover that the battery loosing all power is a cause, as when I ask them then they come up to me with the iPad in Lost Most they say it was ‘dead’.

          As staff members usually have their Apple devices, just not used, I don't think it would be Locked Mode. But that is an interesting factor to keep in mind.

          Thanks, Zak

            agungsujiwo
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            • agungsujiwo
            • Contributor
            • May 7, 2026

            Hi ​@ZakN ,
            My solution below has consistently worked for me:

            1. Open the iPad device in Jamf Pro.
            2. Go to:
              Device → Management → Management Commands
            3. Clear all failed commands, and only leave the pending Disable Lost Mode command.
            4. Prepare an Ethernet adapter for the iPad:
              • USB-C to Ethernet adapter, or
              • Lightning to Ethernet adapter
                depending on your device model.
            5. Connect the Ethernet adapter to the iPad.
            6. If there is no change after about 1 minute, perform a hard restart.

            Hard Restart Instructions

            For devices without a Home button:

            • Press and release the Volume Up button
            • Press and release the Volume Down button
            • Then press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears
            • Release the Power button once the Apple logo is displayed

            Apple reference:
            Force restart iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)

            For devices with a Home button:

            • Press and hold the Power button and Home button together
            • Keep holding until the device restarts and the Apple logo appears
            • Release both buttons once the Apple logo is displayed
               
            1. Wait for the restart process to complete.
              After rebooting, the device should connect through Ethernet automatically.
            2. The Disable Lost Mode command should now be received by the iPad, and the device should become usable again.
              ZakN
              Forum|alt.badge.img+1
              • ZakN
              • Author
              • New Contributor
              • May 7, 2026

              Hi ​@ZakN ,
              My solution below has consistently worked for me:

              1. Open the iPad device in Jamf Pro.
              2. Go to:
                Device → Management → Management Commands
              3. Clear all failed commands, and only leave the pending Disable Lost Mode command.
              4. Prepare an Ethernet adapter for the iPad:
                • USB-C to Ethernet adapter, or
                • Lightning to Ethernet adapter
                  depending on your device model.
              5. Connect the Ethernet adapter to the iPad.
              6. If there is no change after about 1 minute, perform a hard restart.

              Hard Restart Instructions

              For devices without a Home button:

              • Press and release the Volume Up button
              • Press and release the Volume Down button
              • Then press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears
              • Release the Power button once the Apple logo is displayed

              Apple reference:
              Force restart iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)

              For devices with a Home button:

              • Press and hold the Power button and Home button together
              • Keep holding until the device restarts and the Apple logo appears
              • Release both buttons once the Apple logo is displayed
                 
              1. Wait for the restart process to complete.
                After rebooting, the device should connect through Ethernet automatically.
              2. The Disable Lost Mode command should now be received by the iPad, and the device should become usable again.

              ​@agungsujiwo thanks for the reply.

              I have just tested this but unfortunately, this has not worked.

              I’ve disabled a test device and restarted it, to mimic the issue. I cleared all commands and sent the Disable Lost Mode command. Connected it to a working ethernet adaptor, after a about a minute I force restated the iPad but no joy.

              The iPad is not getting any Ethernet communication.

              If this helps, for reference I am currently using an iPad Air 4th Gen on 26.4.2 as a test device.

                agungsujiwo
                Forum|alt.badge.img+9
                • agungsujiwo
                • Contributor
                • May 7, 2026

                Hi ​@ZakN ,
                My solution below has consistently worked for me:

                1. Open the iPad device in Jamf Pro.
                2. Go to:
                  Device → Management → Management Commands
                3. Clear all failed commands, and only leave the pending Disable Lost Mode command.
                4. Prepare an Ethernet adapter for the iPad:
                  • USB-C to Ethernet adapter, or
                  • Lightning to Ethernet adapter
                    depending on your device model.
                5. Connect the Ethernet adapter to the iPad.
                6. If there is no change after about 1 minute, perform a hard restart.

                Hard Restart Instructions

                For devices without a Home button:

                • Press and release the Volume Up button
                • Press and release the Volume Down button
                • Then press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears
                • Release the Power button once the Apple logo is displayed

                Apple reference:
                Force restart iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)

                For devices with a Home button:

                • Press and hold the Power button and Home button together
                • Keep holding until the device restarts and the Apple logo appears
                • Release both buttons once the Apple logo is displayed
                   
                1. Wait for the restart process to complete.
                  After rebooting, the device should connect through Ethernet automatically.
                2. The Disable Lost Mode command should now be received by the iPad, and the device should become usable again.

                ​@agungsujiwo thanks for the reply.

                I have just tested this but unfortunately, this has not worked.

                I’ve disabled a test device and restarted it, to mimic the issue. I cleared all commands and sent the Disable Lost Mode command. Connected it to a working ethernet adaptor, after a about a minute I force restated the iPad but no joy.

                The iPad is not getting any Ethernet communication.

                If this helps, for reference I am currently using an iPad Air 4th Gen on 26.4.2 as a test device.


                Did you enable this restriction in jamf pro  “ allowUSBRestrictedMode “ ,
                If this is active, then you cannot use USB-C to Ethernet and connect to Apple configurator.

                  Praetorian1110

                  We encountered the same issue here - how should the restriction has to be set to enable the functionality of the USB C-to-RJ45-Adapter?

                  Allow USB restricted mode  or

                  Restrict USB restricted mode?

                   

                  Thanks in advance!

                   

                    agungsujiwo
                    Forum|alt.badge.img+9
                    • agungsujiwo
                    • Contributor
                    • Answer
                    • May 8, 2026

                    allowUSBRestrictedMode

                    boolean

                    If false, the system allows iOS devices to always connect to USB accessories while locked. In macOS, allows new USB and Thunderbolt accessories, and SD cards to connect without authorization. If the system has Lockdown mode enabled, it ignores this value. This restriction is not supported on the user channel.

                    Available in iOS 11.4.1 and later, and macOS 13 and later. Requires supervision in iOS.

                    Default: true

                      ZakN
                      Forum|alt.badge.img+1
                      • ZakN
                      • Author
                      • New Contributor
                      • May 8, 2026

                      allowUSBRestrictedMode

                      boolean

                      If false, the system allows iOS devices to always connect to USB accessories while locked. In macOS, allows new USB and Thunderbolt accessories, and SD cards to connect without authorization. If the system has Lockdown mode enabled, it ignores this value. This restriction is not supported on the user channel.

                      Available in iOS 11.4.1 and later, and macOS 13 and later. Requires supervision in iOS.

                      Default: true

                      ​@agungsujiwo This seems to have worked.

                      I’ve enabled Lost Mode, Shut down the iPad, Turned the iPad on, Cleared Commands and then sent a disable Lost Mode command, Plugged the iPad in to Ethernet adapter. After a few seconds Lost mode was disabled and I could enter the Passcode.

                      I will leave the test iPad in Lost Mode and shut down over the weekend and see if this fix is still affective.

                      Will post an update next week.

                      Thanks for all the replies! Zak.

                        ZakN
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                        • ZakN
                        • Author
                        • New Contributor
                        • May 11, 2026

                        allowUSBRestrictedMode

                        boolean

                        If false, the system allows iOS devices to always connect to USB accessories while locked. In macOS, allows new USB and Thunderbolt accessories, and SD cards to connect without authorization. If the system has Lockdown mode enabled, it ignores this value. This restriction is not supported on the user channel.

                        Available in iOS 11.4.1 and later, and macOS 13 and later. Requires supervision in iOS.

                        Default: true

                        ​@agungsujiwo This seems to have worked.

                        I’ve enabled Lost Mode, Shut down the iPad, Turned the iPad on, Cleared Commands and then sent a disable Lost Mode command, Plugged the iPad in to Ethernet adapter. After a few seconds Lost mode was disabled and I could enter the Passcode.

                        I will leave the test iPad in Lost Mode and shut down over the weekend and see if this fix is still affective.

                        Will post an update next week.

                        Thanks for all the replies! Zak.

                        Hi All,

                        Just a quick update. After being shut down for a full weekend I was still able to connect ethernet and disable ‘Lost Mode’ on the test iPad and was able to log in with no data loss.

                        Thanks for all the advice, really appreciated! Zak.

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