iPad stuck in lost mode and I can't get it out of lost mode.

[dmitchell]

We haven't really used jamf for iPads until now, only Macs. Last week someone tested lost mode by sending the command to a test iPad we have, I have sent the command to get it out of lost mode but it's not taking, likely due to network connection. Since I can't access the iPad, I can't get it back on the network, I can't wipe it via iTunes due to the policy on the device and I can't get it to go into DFU mode for some reason. What else can I do?

[RLR]

Might be worth looking at this thread here

There are some cables you can buy that makes the iPad connect via an ethernet cable. It works most of the time but I have had some iPads not connect until I put a passcode in.

Another thing to try is to plug it into a mac and try restoring using apple configurator.

[kturnbeaugh]

The only way we've been able to recover iPads that have been restarted after lost mode was enabled, is to connect them via Ethernet using these two adapters. We now have a policy that clears the passcode directly after putting it in lost mode, but this is the only way we were able to get them out of lost mode previously. We have a different policy for stolen that we don't clear the passcode on, and rely on these two adapters to recover it if it's stolen.

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC704LL/A/apple-usb-ethernet-adapter

Good luck.

[dmitchell]

Looks like I will need to try the ethernet adapter, configurator did not work, thanks for the help!

[Drtrider]

I have the same issue as the OP. I've tried the adapter setup with no luck. Any way to simply wipe the iPad?

[ssteiner]

I had this issue yesterday. The ethernet workaround did not work. I put the iPad into recovery mode and plugged it into iTunes. Because the student hadn't updated his iOS to the latest version, I was able to hit "update" instead of "restore". Somewhere in the updating process, the iPad reconnected to the wifi and the unlock command went through. Problem solved!

[kuypers]

One thing we do before putting a device in Lost mode is to send a clear Passcode command to the device first, what this does is keeps the wifi active and not in a sleep mode.

[estes]

I have an iPad stuck in lost mode and I still have wifi communication. I updated iOS via JSS commands, updated inventory, just can't disable lost mode... I get this failed command.

DisableLostMode MDM Lost Mode could not be disabled on this device

We also connect via ethernet/lightning same results.

[samuel_stephens]

Has anyone found the answer to this yet. We tried the Ethernet workaround but that doesn't work. Tried to iTunes reset and it tells me that it's being manage by us.

How do you create a lost mode feature but it disables the wifi so it can't get the command from JSS?

[Emmert]

Have you tried sending the command through after setting up the iPad on a computer in the new tethered caching mode? I read somewhere that that might work even if the USB adapter doesn't.

[estes]

If you can get ethernet/lightning working you can push a config profile to connect to wifi... lost mode shouldn't disable wifi.

We finally talked to Apple and they could see that lost mode wasn't "actually" invoked... we just did an iTunes restore and wiped it.

If lost mode is "actually" invoked you can't wipe it from iTunes. Somewhere in APNS it checks for lost mode or activation lock etc...

We could push config profiles, update inventory, basically full control of the iPad... except it was stuck in lost mode. We even updated the iOS from a JSS command and saw a desktop on the iPad for about 5 seconds.... then gone. Lost mode.

Call Apple.

[NickKoval]

Just ran into this today (and found out through troubleshooting that my Camera to Lightning adapter is bad - time for a trip to "the store"). Unfortunately, pairing was disabled on the iPads. Thankfully, we were able to pull the Apple Supervision Identity from Settings > Mobile Device Management > Apple Configurator Enrollment > Supervision Identities. Once we had the identity, we added the organization in Apple Configurator and selected the Supervision Identity. Now we were able to connect the iOS device to the computer and it was recognized. We "Erased all content and settings" on the device and we were able to get the device to enroll again.

It's worth mentioned that we had enabled tethered-caching on the Apple Configurator 2 computer. As a result, we didn't have to connect the iPad to the wireless network, it used the NAT from the computer. After a bit of inspection, we determined that the reason the device wouldn't reconnect to the network was because it had 3 wireless device profiles on it for that network and one had bad data.

For your reading pleasure ...
About Tethered Caching

[saffinati]

Hello! I just went through all this - thought I would share what I found. The short answer is, if wifi is off, tethered caching works IF your mac(book) is also in the same DEP as the iPad. My post in this thread has more details. It's pretty easy and it works!

There are a number of reasons why wifi may be turned off, including when someone reboots (or when it's turned off intentionally.)

• Suzanne.

[GlendaCoppie]

We managed to bring an iPod touch out of Lost Mode that had been put there through an MDM command and passcode set set on machine and had been rebooted! by using Configurator2 on a Mac , version 2.7 . Cabled up to the USB port on the Mac . Ran Configurator2 . Under actions select Restore and the iPod then restored iOS and fired up again to the remote management screen for re enrolling.

[Alopez1295]

@kturnbeaugh Sorry to loop back on this so much later but was interested in how you made that policy to disable passwords when you enable lost mode

[kturnbeaugh]

I'd recommend reading this post https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/25506/ios-11-and-lost-mode because there was a bug with the older iOS on the iPads. If that's what you're experiencing that post is a great tool for figuring out what steps to take to get the commands to work again.

[timbmartens]

So looking through all of these responses that span over two years, if the iPad is in Lost Mode and will not connect to WiFi (as it has been restarted), there is no solution that will definitely work to get the disable lost mode command through to the device? I have also tried the adapters and the iPad will not connect to the network via ethernet. Is it really my only option to wipe the iPad and lose all the students work that is on it all because we put it in lost mode when it went missing for a few class periods?

[cody_anderson]

From what I've found, the Apple Ethernet adaptors need the iPad to be able to access the iPads home screen to be able to be install the driver so unless the iPad has used an Ethernet Adapter in the past it wont work.

I have heard rumblings amongst coworkers that if you put the iPad in recovery mode and update the iOS version it might put it back on the wifi but I have not tested this myself.

I have had to recovery mode -> restore the iPads in order to wipe them in order to get the iPad useable again.

We have also started adding a note in the message advising students not turn off the iPad when its in recover mode but it still happens from time to time.

[johnstone]

There have been some rare cases where I've ran into this. Recently I have been able to release from lost mode in almost all cases (Have been keeping JAMF Pro up to date the last year).

I sometimes have had luck doing :

1. Update device in Configurator 2 while connected to ethernet , after reboot its communicated.
2. Revive device in Configurator 2 while connected to ethernet , after reboot its communicated. Maybe run a blank push/update inventory after the device restarts on eth?

Good Luck.

[cdenesha]

Pro Tip: Always Clear Passcode when putting a device into Lost Mode

[prl]

ran into this, i used this to share my internet connection from a macOS machine to a iOS devices plugged in via USB. https://www.imore.com/how-turn-your-macs-internet-connection-wifi-hotspot-internet-sharing

[Robert_Giordano]

The camera adapter to ethernet adapter did the trick, required the iPad to reboot (installing the camera update) then I resent the command and BAM! Good to go, thanks for the idea.

[prl]

Someday soon we will not have to leverage the very heavy handed Lost Mode to find devices! :) https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/3/18647146/apple-find-my-app-tracker-friends-iphone-wwdc-2019

[Miya13]

Hi. friend. I have ever met the same issue as you. I have it repaired without losing data using a tool named Joyoshare UltFix. I got it from a tech post. If you don't mind using a third-party, give it a shot.

[Shirley233]

If you can't override the lost mode on your iPad, you can remove it via iCloud.com, Find My app or emergency call.  You may need this post: How to Turn off Lost Mode