For a modern person, a lost or stolen smartphone is a serious nuisance. The first reason for the disorder is the loss of the apparatus itself, which costs a lot. The second - the iPhone’s memory stores information that is extremely necessary for the owner and is not intended for outsiders. This can be either personal data (photos, videos, personal correspondence), or secret passwords from payment systems, mailboxes, social network accounts. How do iPhones find in case of loss or theft? The article provides ways to search for smartphones even if they are turned off.
Find My iPhone Utility Description
The place of loss or theft of the phone may be a street, public transport, shop, cafe ... How to find an iPhone from a computer? There is a method by which it is quite possible to establish the location of a cellular device. We are talking about the program Find My iPhone, by default, built into the iOS operating system no older than the fifth version.
Using this utility is extremely simple. But there is one important nuance: all settings regarding the Find iPhone application must be made before the phone is lost. Otherwise, the location of the mobile device will be almost impossible.
The Find My iPhone service allows you to see the current coordinates of the location of the smartphone, block the device if necessary, or delete any information from it. All these actions are possible if the phone is connected to the Internet.
How to find an iPhone if it is turned off? This process will be described below, and now it is time to consider what settings must be set for Find My iPhone to make it work properly.
Set up Find My iPhone
How to find the Find iPhone feature? To do this, open the "Settings" section on the mobile device. Next, select iCloud. At the request of Apple ID and password, enter the necessary data. If everything is done correctly, the iCloud application menu opens. In order to enable the “Find iPhone” function, move the slider located opposite it to the right. Then click the “Allow” button in the request window that appears.
Then you need to activate the geolocation definition application. If this is not done, the mobile device cannot be found even if the Find My iPhone utility works correctly. You should go to the "Settings" section, select the "Privacy" item and by moving the slider to the right, make the "Geolocation" function active.
In the seventh version of iOS, the Find iPhone utility has got a new Activation Lock feature, which automatically turns on when you try to change these settings. Thanks to this innovation, an attacker will have much more problems when using or trying to sell a stolen phone.
Now you know how to find the Find iPhone feature on your mobile device and configure it correctly. The next step is to establish a ban on disabling the definition of the current location.
Location Lock Disable Lock
How to find an iPhone if it is stolen? To do this, you need to make sure that attackers are not able to make certain changes to the settings of your mobile device. The first thing experienced thieves are trying to do is turn off the Geolocation feature, which allows you to determine the current location of your smartphone. In order for them not to be able to do this, you must first take care of blocking access to this section. You should go along this route: "Settings" - "Basic" - "Restrictions" - "Privacy" - "Geolocation". The system will require you to enter a four-digit password. You should come up with such a code and write it on paper so as not to forget later.
After that, the function of determining the current location can be disabled, either knowing the access password, or after a complete flashing of the device. While the thief will try to carry out the last operation, the rightful owner of the phone will have more time to search for a mobile device.
How to find an iPhone from a computer? To do this, use the iCloud system. Read more about this below.
Finding a smartphone using iCloud
How to find the iPhone 4 that was stolen? Regardless of the device model, the search process using the iCloud system will be unchanged. To find the phone, you need to go to www.iCloud.com from your computer and enter the requested data. The system will require an Apple ID and password.
If the data is entered correctly, the site will be logged in and the “Find iPhone” button will become available. After clicking on it, the “All devices” tab will appear. In the drop-down list, select the device whose location you want to install.
An indicator in the form of a green or gray dot will be present next to the name of the lost smartphone. In the first case, this signal indicates that the mobile device is connected to the Internet, and its coordinates will be determined. If the dot is colored in gray, then the iPhone is disconnected from the network. Do not give up in this case. The article will describe a way to find a lost iPhone if it is turned off.
After performing the above steps, the approximate location of the missing mobile device will be shown on a special map. The smaller the radius of the appearing green circle, the more accurately the geolocation is determined.
After that, it remains only to write down the coveted coordinates of the location of the iPhone and take them to the police so that its employees will help return the phone to its rightful owner.
Additional iCloud Features
Now you know how to find iPhones using iCloud. But in addition to determining the location of the stolen device, this service has a number of other useful functions. For example, you can completely erase all the information stored in the memory of a missing phone. It is also possible to send SMS to a stolen mobile device. And the owner of the phone can turn on the iPhone’s emergency siren directly from the iCloud website, which will continue until it is disabled by the legitimate owner of the device. This signal is very loud and sounds even when the phone is turned off.
Another convenient feature is “Notify me when detected.” When it is activated, a notification will be sent to the smartphone owner’s email if the device appears on the network, even when the SIM card is changed.
How to find an iPhone if it is stolen? One of the ways could be the new My Friends application, which is described in more detail below.
My friends program
How to find iPhone 5 that is stolen or lost? The My Friends application allows you to determine the location of people who use Apple products on the map, regardless of the models of these devices. If two people installed this program on their gadgets and activated it using their Apple ID, then they can see each other's geolocations. This can be used as a way to find a missing phone. A prerequisite for determining the location is that the device must be turned on.
How to find iPhones using the IMEI code?
You can find a smartphone using the iCloud service in 80 percent of cases if the owner hurried up and tried to determine the location of the mobile device within a few hours after the loss.
But how to find an iPhone if it has lost a device in which the iCloud service is not configured properly? In this case, an IMEI code may come to the rescue. This individual number consists of 14 digits. It is unique to each gadget and remains unchanged even when using a different SIM card.
How to use IMEI code to find a missing phone? Firstly, it will definitely be needed when the owner of the cell will contact the police for help.
Secondly, the IMEI number must be reported to your mobile operator in order for him to assist in the discovery of the device using satellite equipment.
Also, an IMEI code can help when the owner of the device, for example, in another country has lost an iPhone. How to find if it is turned off? In this case, it is recommended to leave the unique number of the cellular device in a special database that is globally accessible. If someone finds a smartphone with the specified IMEI code, he will contact the owner of the device thanks to the coordinates left in the system.
How to find an iPhone by phone number?
If the owner probably knows that the device was stolen, then in this case how to find the phone? The iPhone can be turned on, and the thieves did not have time to change the SIM card. Call this number from another mobile. Maybe the attacker agrees to return the stolen phone for a fee.
If there is no connection with a mobile number, you need to write a statement about the theft to the police. The estimated time and place of the crime, the IMEI code and the SIM card phone number should be indicated.
Police officers, together with the mobile operator, will try to establish the geolocation of the device and, possibly, return the iPhone to its rightful owner.
How to find an iPhone if it is turned off?
If the missing phone is turned off, then there is still a chance of its return to the owner. The development of Apple, which was already mentioned above, may come to the rescue. How to find an iPhone if you have lost a device with the correct settings for iCloud? In order to try to establish the location of the mobile device, you need to go to the specified system from the computer and click the "Find iPhone" button. This process has already been described in detail above. The location of the gray dot on the map will indicate the coordinates where the phone was for the last time before disconnecting.
If the owner is familiar with a certain location, then you should remember where and under what conditions a cellular device could be lost. If the specified geolocation does not say anything to the owner of the iPhone, then the gadget was still stolen, and the received data should be reported to the police.
A prerequisite for determining the last location of the phone is the active mode "Last location". The following is a detailed description of how you can enable this useful feature.
Last Geo Position Mode
The iOS 8 operating system pleasantly surprised mobile device users with the presence of a new mode in Find My iPhone, called “Last Geo Position”. How do you find iPhones using this app? "Last geo position" allows gadgets to send the coordinates of their location in automatic mode shortly before the battery is completely discharged.
To enable this function, you need to go along the route: “Settings” - “iCloud” and there activate the “Last Geolocation” mode by moving the corresponding slider to the right.
The data transferred by iPhone will be stored in iCloud for 24 hours after turning off the mobile device.
Conclusion
In order for the search for the missing phone to be completed successfully, the owner of the gadget should carry out preparatory work in advance. You need to install and properly configure special applications for iPhones. This will help locate a stolen or lost mobile device. It is also recommended to password protect the device and set the necessary locks. It is better to store important information not on a memory card, but in a cloud storage. After identifying the fact of theft of the iPhone, its owner should act immediately. If you can determine the geolocation of the stolen device within a few hours after the commission of the crime, then the chances of success are high. Do not hesitate, because it is in the hands of attackers.