How can I prove to an airline that the iPad mini they found is the one I left on the plane, without giving them the passcode?

I left an iPad mini on an Icelandair flight. They just sent me this message:

"We have an item matching your description. Can you please send us details about the item, preferably passcode, to identify you as the owner."

• This is a Wi-Fi only model.
• It's almost certainly in Airplane Mode with the Wi-Fi turned off.
• It’s at the lock screen.
• I'm in the US and the iPad presumably is in Iceland.

I would rather not share my passcode if I can find a way around it.

What reasonable ways can I respond to prove my ownership of this iPad?

Solution 1:

If you have your iPad's serial number it should be visible on the back of the device.

source: Apple

As mentioned in the comments below, you can get the serial number by either:

• Logging into the AppleID associated with the device at appleid.apple.com.
• In the Apple ID area in the Settings app on your iPhone logged into the same Apple ID. (The very first thing if you scroll to the top of Settings.)

Solution 2:

Tell them that you are uncomfortable providing your passcode to another person, but you would be happy to unlock it in front of their staff at the airport when you retrieve it.

This does require you to travel to the nearest airport, but it is a reasonable compromise that protects both interests.

Solution 3:

Describe the lock screen background picture, especially if you have a custom photo or image.

Solution 4:

If it still has some battery charge, or they plug it in somewhere, near some WiFi, you could set it to lost mode and include your email/phone number etc on the screen message.

They should be able to turn Airplane mode off from the lock screen without unlocking it.

Not much use this time, but for future reference - this old answer of mine is still worth considering - from Find my iPhone contact

Having a contact number actually embedded in the picture on your lockscreen makes getting in touch very simple, even to someone with little to no knowledge of how to operate the device.

Solution 5:

Medical ID

If you set up a Medical ID, then thy can access it by going to the Password Screen -> Emergency -> Medical ID

They can then compare your name and other details like Date Of Birth, if you set it up and provided them when booking the flight.

Apple Pay

Another way to prove it is if you set up Apple Pay.

If you are on iOS 12, and enabled the wallet icon on the control centre they can tap it to see what cards you have registered.

You can then tell them:

• The bank your cards are with

• The last 4 digits of the card

It would help a lot if the card you paid for the flight with was there as well.

If you don’t have the icon enabled, you might have the settings enabled that they can double-click on the lock screen and see the same information.

Lost Mode

If it still has some battery charge, or they plug it in somewhere, near some WiFi, you could set it to lost mode and include your email/phone number etc on the screen message. They should be able to turn Airplane mode off from the lock screen without unlocking it.

Thanks @Tetsujin

Lock Screen Photo

You can describe the lock screen photo especially if it is a custom image.

Thanks @Zach

Serial Number

You can tell them the Serial Number which will be at the back of the device. This can be found on the Apple ID page.

Thanks @dwightk