The iPhone has several features that make it one of the most desired devices by the population. Apple has developed its own amazing technologies that make the device complete and desirable, one of these resources is the iPhone Find. With it, even if you lose or even have your device stolen you can recover it.
Having your device stolen can cause a lot of inconveniences. Besides the financial loss, your privacy is also at risk, since your iPhone may contain bank information, photos and personal data. This technology allows you to locate your iPhone using iCloud.com. By activating it, you can find its approximate location on a map. In case you can’t retrieve it, you can lock your phone. Find out more:
How does Find My iPhone work?
Find My iPhone locates your lost or stolen device by showing the ID on a map. You can then try to get your smartphone back by going to the identified address, but if that’s not possible, you can block the device.
This feature makes it possible to find an approximate location of your iOS, Apple Watch, AirPods or Mac. However, the feature only works if you activate it before losing. If you don’t, it will be impossible to find the device using Find iPhone. Therefore, it is recommended to activate this feature as soon as you purchase your iPhone.
Each Apple device has its own way to activate the Find My iPhone feature. So please follow the instructions to do it correctly and avoid future headaches.
The same technology allows you to find devices belonging to family members through “Family Sharing,” which lets you know when and where your device has been. This helps you find them in case of theft or even kidnapping.
In cases of loss or theft, you can use one of the functions:
- Locate your device by iCloud on the map;
- Play a sound, to help you locate your device if it’s lost at home or at work, for example;
- Use lost mode to lock and trace;
- Remote wipe, erasing your data remotely;
- Protect the device with “Activation lock”.
Step by step how to locate lost or stolen device
The first step to finding your iPhone starts as soon as you purchase your device: you need to set up the feature. Check it out:
Set up the Find iPhone feature
Go to the Settings screen and then to your iCloud. Find the “Find My iPhone” option and slide the control – this will activate the device’s tracking mode.
Locate your iPhone
If you’ve lost or had your iPhone stolen, you can locate it through iCloud using the find my phone feature. To do so, go to https://www.icloud.com/#find. On the home screen, you’ll need to enter your Apple ID. If you don’t remember, click on “Forgot your ID or password?” and follow the steps to retrieve it.
Upon logging in, you will be able to see the location of all your registered devices, including those in “Family Sharing” mode.
Each item will have a dot indicating its status:
Green dot – indicates that the device is online. In this mode, you will see the time when it was last found;
Grey dot – indicates that the device is offline, i.e. it can be switched off or just without a network. If the device has been switched on in the last 24 hours, you will see the time and location. Otherwise, you will only see the grey dot.
Select the device you want to locate, to view it on the map. It is important to note that this is an approximate location and will only happen if the device is online. Otherwise (disconnected or without network), the last location will only be active for 24 hours.
You can select the “Notify when found” option, to receive an email as soon as your device comes online again. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can locate your device from another iPhone. To do so, go to the “Find iPhone” option, click “Help” and then “Find your device”. Enter your Apple ID and track your device.
If you can’t find or get your iPhone back, you can block it. With this, whoever is in possession of the device can not use it or access the information on it, such as photos, banking data, phone book and emails.
