We know it’s a pain to lose one, but you can track your stolen or lost iPhone. After all, many of us save important data on our phones, thus it might become a security issue. Fortunately, iOS’s Find My iPhone function allows you to instantly locate a misplaced smartphone and remotely lock or erase it so that it cannot be readily accessed.
All you have to do to enjoy this added degree of protection is turn Find My iPhone on before you lose your iPhone.
See this detailed guide on how to enable Find My iPhone on your iPhone in the blog linked below.
Related: How to Check if an iPhone is “Activation Locked” by Apple
How to find a lost iPhone
If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you may immediately locate it using iCloud.com or the Find My iPhone app on another iOS device (yours or someone else’s). The technique is largely the same in both circumstances. However, it may appear somewhat different. Though we call it “Find My iPhone,” the feature also works on iPads and iPod Touches.
- Open iCloud.com through a Web browser or run the Find My iPhone app on another iOS device. Then sign in with your iCloud account. This should be the same one you used on your lost iPhone.
- If you’re using the Web interface, select the “Find My iPhone” menu.
- If you’re using the Web interface, go to the top and select the All Devices menu.
- Select the missing iOS device. Pan around and zoom in on the phone’s location using the map controls, just as you would in any mapping app.
- Tap Actions in the iOS app to bring up a menu of choices. Then tap the Play Sound button to have your iPhone sound an alarm (even if it’s currently muted) to ensure that you haven’t misplaced your phone within hearing distance.
- If the phone is actually missing, press the Lost Mode button to ensure it is locked down. Tap Turn On Lost Mode on the iOS app.
- Enter a phone number where anyone who finds the phone may reach you, then click Next. (Remember not to use the number from your iPhone!)
- Enter a brief message for whoever answers the phone and click “Done.“
- If you want to wipe the entire information on the iPhone, you can do so by pressing the Erase iPhone.
Conclusion
If the iPhone has a passcode, it will be locked to that code. Otherwise, you’ll be prompted to input a code to secure it. If you have Apple Pay enabled on your phone, it will be disabled. The message and phone number you specified will be shown on the iPhone’s lock screen, along with a button that allows others to contact that number. You may change the phone number and lock screen message at any time by visiting iCloud.com or using the iOS app. You may also choose to get email notifications whenever the device moves. (Find My iPhone will also track the device’s movements as long as Lost Mode is enabled.)
That is how to track a stolen or lost iPhone. We wish you all the best in finding your device.