Technology
How to find a lost or stolen iPhone – four tips you need to know
FEW BLUNDERS are as stressful as losing your iPhone – but if your mobile goes walkies, there’s no need to panic.
There’s a host of easy ways to track your Apple gadget to ensure that it’s safe from the prying hands of thieves.
There are a few easy way to find your lost or stolen iPhone[/caption]
From activating an alarm to help you locate your handset, to making full use of the Find my Phone app, we’ve summed up some of the best techniques below.
Even if you haven’t lost your iPhone, the list is still well worth a read, as some of these handy features require you to set them up before you can use them.
Find My app
The Find My app is an Apple app built into all of its devices.
You can use it to locate lost gadgets on a map, which is great for tracking down lost or stolen handsets.
The Find My app icon[/caption]
It’s also possible to remotely wipe your iPhone – or another Apple gadget – to stop thieves nabbing your info or files.
If you’ve lost your iPhone, open Find My on another Apple device on which you’re signed in with your Apple ID.
If you don’t have a secondary device, access the feature on iCloud.com/find (you’ll need to log in with your Apple ID).
You’ll be presented with a map showing the locations of all your Apple gadgets.
Tap “All Devices” at the top of the page and select the gizmo you’re hunting for to view its whereabouts.
You can find information on how to set up Find My here.
Make sure you have Find My iPhone switched on in your settings[/caption]
Sound the alarm
Find My Phone is great if your gadget is some distance away, but what if you’ve lost it in your home or office?
If your mobile is nearby but you still can’t locate it, you can force your iPhone to make a loud noise – even if it’s on silent.
Apple’s cloud storage software iCloud has a little-known feature that lets you “ping” your handset, forcing it to emit a quick alarm.
It’s easiest for Apple Watch owners: simply swipe up on your watch screen, and then tap the button that looks like an iPhone with sound waves coming from it.
Alternatively, anyone with another Apple gadget – like another iPhone, an iPad, or an iPod Touch – can download the Find My Phone app.
Once you’ve got the app installed, tap on the iPhone you’re missing and then press the ‘Play Sound’ button.
This will force the iPhone to make a noise, even if it’s on silent.
If you have no other Apple devices then your next best option is to log onto iCloud.com.
From there, click the Find Phone button and select the device you’re looking for, then click “play sound”.
Find My shows the location of your Apple devices on a handy map[/caption]
Alternative apps
If for whatever reason you don’t fancy using Find My, there are a host of alternative apps at your disposal.
Some offer additional features to help you track down a thief or help instruct a Good Samaritan who’s found your precious device.
Few of the apps are free, however, so be prepared to pay a small fee.
Here are seven device finder apps similar to Find My:
- Device Locator
- FoneHome
- GadgetTrak
- Phone Trace
- iHound
- GPSTracker
- Lookout
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best…
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Tracking tool
If you’re a serial mobile loser, you may want to consider investing in a tracking device for your mobile.
Tags offered by tech firm Tile, for instance, let you locate objects using a smartphone app.
A Tile tracker can be attached to your bag, keychain or phone to help you avoid losing them.
Similar gadgets such as the TrackR Pixel, Cube Tracker SpotyPal are also available.
Apple is even rumoured to be working on its own version of the technology – a gizmo thought to be called AirTags.
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
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Got any good iPhone tips? If so, let us know in the comments!
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