According to statistics, the most attractive mobile device among pluckers (pickpockets) is the iPhone. They are not alone in their sympathy - for me it is also the best smartphone. Today I will tell you what to do if you become a victim of an intruder and your iPhone was stolen.
I will be frank: if trouble happened to you and your iPhone was “taken away”, the chances of returning it are not great, but still there. The chances increase if your iPhone is running iOS 5.0 and higher, your iPhone is connected in its settings in the "iCloud" menu and the "" function is turned on (the corresponding switch is turned on).
Do not be surprised if Find My iPhone is already enabled on your device, but the location of your device is not displayed in the app of the same name - for this, several conditions must be met:
If the location of your device is not displayed, then the conditions are not met.
After connecting iPhone to the Internet, for example, for activation, Lost Mode will be enabled: the device will be locked with a password, your message will appear on the lock screen, and an attacker will be able to call the contact phone number you specified. Call or not is another question.
What should I do if Find My iPhone is not enabled on a stolen iPhone?
Then there is only one option - file a complaint about the theft of the iPhone to the police. How will this help, you ask? Whenever your mobile phone connects to a cellular carrier's network, it broadcasts its IMEI. This code is used to identify the mobile device on the network: it can be blocked at the operator level and determine the location. Information about the location of your device will not be provided to you even for money - this is confidential information that is provided only to law enforcement agencies.
Technically, finding an iPhone by IMEI is easy, but in practice, requests from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to operators take more than one week, and during this time it is not difficult to sell a stolen iPhone on the black market somewhere in Africa, especially if the case is on stream. Unfortunately, if the Find My iPhone function is not enabled on your iPhone and, as a result, it is not active, there is little chance of returning it.
What not to do if your iPhone is stolen?
Let's imagine: your iPhone was stolen with Find My iPhone turned on and Activation Lock active, you turned on Lost Mode in iCloud, while locking the device with a password, entered a contact phone number and a message asking you to return it for a fee, and then turned to law enforcement authorities with a statement about the theft of your property by providing IMEI. Further events can develop as follows:
- The police officer will ask that the attackers be able to connect the iPhone to the cellular network and it can be found by IMEI. If the device is locked with a lock password, then feel free to turn off lost mode - even after that, an attacker will not be able to bypass the password, and you can only reset it.
- The police officer will offer or completely erase it for searching by IMEI (so that the device can also be connected to the cellular network). This is something you should never do! If you remove your iPhone from iCloud or request to erase it, Find My iPhone and Activation Lock will be disabled. Such a device can activate(without password to Apple ID) and use as intended. It is not a fact that even if an expensive device is found and it is not blocked on your Apple ID, the police officer will not appropriate it for himself - miracles happen, but rarely!
- A person will call you on the contact phone number that you indicated when activating the lost mode, posing as a support employee, service center or secret benefactor and asking you to delete it or so that he can connect it to the Internet and you will find out where your iPhone is. History knows and. Don't be naive: never remove your iPhone from iCloud, much less erase it.
Only the person who sees your message and holds a locked device in their hands can call the contact phone number that you specified when turning on Lost Mode. A sane person will not buy a stolen iPhone, which means that it is not a support or service center employee who calls you, but the attacker who stole your device (also not a fact, but the probability is high) and who certainly will not return the stolen phone to you.
The stolen iPhone is offline in iCloud, what should I do?
If your phone appears offline in iCloud in the Find My iPhone app, it's not connected to the internet. In this mode, you cannot remotely block (lost mode) and send a message to the device until someone connects it to the Internet. You have no choice but to wait for notification of the activation of the Lost Mode. The letter will be sent to the email address to which the Apple ID is registered.
How much to wait? If your device is password-locked—not for long—to reset the password, your iPhone needs to be flashed, connected to the internet, and activated. As soon as the device connects to the network, Lost Mode will be enabled (your message and contact phone number will appear on the lock screen).
If the iPhone was not enabled (Touch ID) in the settings and Lost Mode was not activated (the device is offline), the attacker will be able to use the smartphone, but will not be able to turn off the Find My iPhone function, will not be able to restore it in iTunes (), and also Reset settings and connect your Apple ID. The iPhone will still be permanently locked by Activation Lock.
!Advice
Under no circumstances should you delete a stolen iPhone from iCloud or erase it even offline. Sooner or later, the device will be connected to the Internet for activation, and you will be notified by e-mail. If you delete or erase, you will forever lose control and any opportunity to return the device (if the police do not perform a miracle).
Finally
If your iPhone, iPad or MacBook has been stolen, don't panic, there are ways to block, find and return the device, but this is unlikely to be done quickly. First of all, turn on the lost mode, lock the device with a password (if the lock password was not enabled in its settings), enter a contact phone number and a message asking you to return it. Then contact law enforcement agencies with a statement about the theft of property, provide evidence that the device is yours according to the law - a receipt, a box. If a police officer asks you to turn off the lost mode - turn it off, if you ask to delete it from iCloud - in no case do this. Then it remains only to wait: either the police will find it, or the iPhone will be connected to the Internet for activation and you will receive a notification by mail, and you will be able to determine the location of the device.
Do you have a story about your iPhone, iPad or MacBook being stolen? Share with our readers in the comments.
Smartphones have firmly entered the daily life of a person. Almost everyone has one device or another. Gadgets from the American corporation Apple have gained great popularity. Smartphone (iPhone) Apple has become a long-awaited purchase for many.
But the situation is such that the user lost his iPhone or it was stolen, then it is urgent to take the necessary steps to find the phone. Apple has become a shining example of someone who truly cares about their users.
The company has developed and implemented in devices (iPhone, iPad and others) the necessary software that will help users find their gadget.
Search methods
To date, there are several ways to find a lost iPhone smartphone:
- using the "Find My iPhone" application;
- using IMEI/MEID number of iPhone;
- using third-party applications to find a smartphone.
Find My iPhone app
Find My iPhone is one of the most popular applications for finding a missing iPhone. Using this program, you can find a lost device, make a call to it or block your smartphone, thereby preventing unauthorized access to personal data.
Find My iPhone features:
Important! To use the "Find My iPhone" function, you need to activate the "iCloud" service in the settings of the device.
We launch
To use Find My iPhone, you must first download it from the App Store. After the application has been downloaded to the device, it is necessary to authorize on the iCloud service.
In order to use the "Find My iPhone" function, you must first activate it in the settings.
Important! As a rule, the function is activated on the phone when the user sets up the iCloud service for the first time, but there are cases when activation did not occur, so you need to do it manually.
In order to activate Find My iPhone manually, follow these steps:
After activating the function, you can find the missing device through a computer at cloud.com.
To search for a device through a computer, you must:
Important! For users whose smartphone is running the iOS 8 operating system, you need to run a function that allows you to send information about the last location of the device.
Send Last Location allows you to send your location to Apple when your device's battery runs out.
Selecting "lost iPhone" from the menu
After activation and launch, you can start working in the program:
Important! If the device is turned off or is out of network coverage, which makes it difficult to determine the location, then in this case, you must activate "Notify me when found" in advance. If the phone is turned on or is in the network coverage area, the user will be notified about this through the mailbox associated with the personal Apple ID.
Remember where it is
If the device is turned on and is within a network coverage area, the location of the smartphone will be displayed on the map according to the latest data. The location of the gadget will be marked on the map as a small circle with information about its location.
Using the map, you can almost accurately determine the location of the device and thereby find it.
Further actions
After the location of the phone is determined, you can proceed to further actions.
When a user selects their device from the list, they are offered three different options to choose from:
- play sound- play a sound;
- last mode— blocking the phone using a special security code;
- erase iPhone- Erases all stored personal information on the device.
Details for each option:
- play sound- if the phone was lost somewhere in the apartment, and you cannot find it, then by activating this mode, the smartphone will play a sound signal. The sound signal will be played at maximum volume even if the phone is set to silent mode;
- last mode- Protect your phone with a special code to prevent unauthorized access to confidential information. "last mode" will prompt the user to enter a number for feedback, the person who found the smartphone will be able to contact the owner directly from the lock screen;
- erase iPhone- allows you to erase all stored information from the phone. It is relevant to use this option when there is practically no chance of finding a phone, or the user is simply afraid that information may fall into unreliable hands.
Important! If the “erase iPhone” function was activated and the information was deleted, then it can be restored (if the phone was found) using a backup.
Video: phone search program
How to find a lost iPhone if it is turned off
There are chances to find a lost iPhone if it is turned off, although they are not so great.
iCloud Service:
- first you need to use the standard service and go to the site through a computer https://www.icloud.com/;
- after switching to the service, you must log in by entering your personal Apple ID and password;
- after the account has been logged in, a map will appear in front of the user;
- then the synchronization process with the device will begin. The map should show a green or gray dot.
A green dot means the device is on and online.
A gray dot means that the phone is turned off or out of network coverage, in which case the coordinates of the possible location of the device will be displayed according to the last data when the phone was turned on;
IMEI/MEID number:
In order not to lose and find faster, we will install
In order not to lose your smartphone and find it faster, you need to install applications on your phone that help you find your lost device.
Apps to help you find your lost or stolen iPhone:
- "If Found";
- ihound;
- iLocalis;
- Find My iPhone.
if found
Using the "If Found" program, iPhone users can place contact information on the phone splash screen. The following information can be specified in the contact details: an alternative phone number for contacting the owner of the device, an e-mail address.
Photo: If Found program interface
iHound
Using the program "iHound" you can find the missing iPhone. The program, using GPS and Wi-Fi, will help determine the current location of the missing device and transfer them to the server of the iHound program.
In order to use the iHound program, you must:
iLocalis
Using the iLocalis program, you can remotely control the gadget directly from a personal computer. If the phone has been stolen, the owner can make a remote call to the device or send an SMS message.
The program has the following features:
Important! Due to restrictions in the "iTunes App Store", this program will be available after the "Jailbreak" operation.
"Jailbreak" is a procedure that allows you to significantly expand the capabilities of the iPhone.“Jailbreak allows you to support themes, install applications from third-party sources.
Important! "Jailbreak" gives users full access to the file system of their gadgets, and thus the owners violate the license agreement and lose technical support.
Find My iPhone
A program developed by Apple for devices based on the iOS operating system. With the help of the program, you can determine the current location of the iPhone, perform a remote lock and erase all information from the device’s memory.
In this article, it was considered with the help of what ways you can find a lost iPhone.
Letters come in with all sorts of questions. From simple problems with the application Music to complex situations with broken networks and protocols.
We wrote Andrey Maksimovich. His letter describes a situation that every iPhone owner can face - device theft.
How to be and what to do read firsthand.
My iPhone was stolen. What to do?
It was in August. My girlfriend and I went to another city for a walk, to go shopping. We visited several sights and went to a huge shopping center.
During the trip, calls, SMS messages and the Internet were used mainly from my phone; it was in the bag at the bottom. We were shopping and suddenly she notices the loss.
Naturally immediately into tears, hysteria. I, as an experienced user of Apple products, immediately begin operational activities.
Called - the phone is already switched off. I went into Find iPhone and blocked him. The phone was offline, and the last geolocation was not.
It is important to write a statement about the theft because they have to initiate criminal proceedings. If you write vaguely, saying “could lose”, “fell out”, then the application, of course, will be accepted, but will soon be refused.
We wrote a statement and specifically indicated that there was a theft. They emphasized that the damage to us is significant(this is also important). Indicate your IMEI in the application. After that, the application was accepted from us, registered and told to wait for a call.
How the police act when the iPhone is lost
As my acquaintances explained to me, the actions of the police should have been as follows:
- The phone is put on the wanted list
- The IMEI-norm is transmitted to a special department and put on the search until a SIM card is inserted into it and turned on.
- As soon as the smartphone is turned on, the SIM card is detected. The authorities immediately get access to the owner of the SIM card, go to him and take away our phone.
In the end, the device found is later solemnly handed over to the owner.
Letter of happiness
But all this is only in theory. In practice, a month and a half passed, and no notifications about our case were received from the police. There are no comments like: it was refused to initiate a criminal case, or events are underway.
And then a letter comes to the iCloud mail: “iPhone **** was found at 19.55 on such and such a street. Lost mode activated, phone has been locked."
Of course, I was very happy, because the thieves now had only a few options: either ask us for a ransom in a good way, or carry the iPhone for spare parts.
The next day, we began to call the police department in order to give this information to the executor of our case. Hope she can help him. It turned out that the operational officer refused to initiate a criminal case, and it was necessary to address all questions to him. That's just before this employee can not get through, do not get through.
Never rush
A day after that letter from the iCloud service, I receive four SMS messages in a row. Under all, the sender is signed as "iCloud".
So and so, they say the iPhone 6 16 Gb Silver was discovered. Follow the link where you can see the exact location of the device.
Thus, the attacker in a very beautiful manner received the login and password from the iCloud-locked iPhone. I've been caught emotionally. I wanted to get information about the location of the discovery as soon as possible, and I myself fell for the hook.
In the SMS-message did not confuse anything. Thought it was a function Find iPhone could send me an SMS because I posted it in a message on the lock screen.
The domain of the site I went to in a hurry and entered my Apple ID details looked like this: iCloud.ru.com. For some reason, at that moment I decided that this is our official Russian mirror of the iCloud service.
I hope this scheme will help others not to fall for this trick.
Editorial
Andrew, thanks for reaching out. The situation you are facing is a very common type of scam called phishing.
Translated from English fishing means "fishing". The SMS message and the supposedly official iCloud mirror are bait, and the owner of the lost/stolen device acts as a fish.
Remember, the address of the official iCloud service looks like this:
Services like icloud.ru, icloud.com.ru, icloud.ru.com and the like are scam sites. They have nothing to do with the only official iCloud.com site.
Be careful and if you lose your smartphone, be especially vigilant for such messages.
P.S. For any questions related to Apple products and their operation, go to. The authors of the technical support site will try to resolve any issues and fix problems related to your device.
Apple developers have provided the ability to track both your own iPhone and the device of a friend, relative or any other owner of an "apple" smartphone. There are two efficient ways to carry out this operation. First, you can use the Find My Friends mobile app, which allows you to track your iPhone's position on a map. In this case, we are talking about the device of friends, relatives, and so on. Secondly, you can track your own iPhone if it is stolen or lost. To do this, you need to use the Find My iPhone application. This option is available in Apple devices and, in addition, there is an online version of it.
How to track someone else's iPhone?
It should be noted that situations when it is necessary to find out the exact location of a friend, acquaintance or relative are quite common. In these cases, you can use the useful feature of tracking someone else's iPhone. For example, a person has an appointment in an unfamiliar place. Instead of listening to explanations from the interlocutor for a long time on how to drive or get to a certain point, you can use the free Find My Friends application. This program will indicate the location of the iPhone user. You can install the app on both your phone and iPad.
Tracking an iPhone with this program is subject to several requirements. First, the application must be installed on both devices - the one from which tracking is performed, and the one whose geographical position is determined. Secondly, the mobile phone number of the device to be tracked must be in the contact list of another user.
If the conditions are met, then you need to launch the Find My Friends application, and then click the "Add" button in the upper right corner of the program interface. Thus, you can send an invitation to another person, after accepting which the user will be able to track the geolocation of the other subscriber on the map.
How to track your own iPhone?
To track your own iPhone, you will need such a convenient option as "Find My iPhone" or as it is also called Find My iPhone. Many people ask whether it is necessary to have access to the network for this functionality to work. The answer is yes. Find My iPhone cannot work without an internet connection. To transmit data about the coordinates of the geographical position of a mobile device, access to the web is simply necessary. In addition, to activate all the commands that are transmitted through Find My iPhone, you also need the Internet. These include turning on Lost Mode, playing audio files, or destroying personal information.
Find My iPhone
Of course, such measures will not protect the owner of the phone from theft or loss, but they will greatly simplify the task of finding such a device. Simply put, Find My iPhone will get you ahead of your iPhone's location. True, some attackers, in addition to basic skills, have good abilities in working with Apple devices. In order to prevent the thief from turning off the Find My iPhone option on your iPhone, you must set a password to unlock your smartphone. To do this, enter the settings section, "General", then go to "Password protection" and select the "Enable password" menu item.
How to find iPhone location?
There are several ways to track the location of your own phone using Find My iPhone. The first option involves using the functionality of the iCould.com website.
On this page, you need to launch the Find My iPhone application and use it to find your own device.
The second way is to launch the Find My iPhone mobile application on any device with the iOS operating system.
Provided that the iPhone was previously registered in the iCould system, and is currently connected to the Internet, Find My iPhone will show the location of the device on the map. In addition, if the device does not have access to the World Wide Web, you can enable notification when the phone appears on the network. This informational message will be sent by e-mail.
At present, the pace of life of a modern person is quite high. There are so many thoughts in my head, so many things that need to be implemented, that sometimes a person does not focus on any small details. At such moments, the loss of a mobile phone can just happen. In this article, we will analyze how to protect your gadget from loss / theft, namely, we will consider the development of Apple: the Find My iPhone function, how it works and the secrets of its use.
Many people neglect protective functions, not believing in their effectiveness and not even understanding how these protective programs work, how Find My iPhone works, in particular. However, it is no secret to anyone that we will be extremely upset by the loss of an expensive gadget, it is possible that reproaches of conscience will also follow about the lack of even attempts to protect your apple gadget from intruders. As a last resort, the function of deleting data and activating the lost mode will always be available to us.
How does Find My iPhone work? A special Apple feature that allows you to protect your apple gadget from intruders will help you find your device, as well as remotely uninstall or protect data on your phone. There is also an equivalent for iPod, iPad and Mac that works the same as Find My iPhone. The main features of the Find My iPhone function
- turning on the alarm;
- turning on the lost mode, with which you can convey to the person who found the phone some contact information;
- remotely erase all data from the phone;
- and the most basic function: determining the location of the device.
Setting up Find My iPhone
In order to activate the Find My iPhone feature on your gadget, you must follow the steps below:
- In the settings menu, select the iCloud application;
- Use your Apple ID details to sign in or register your device if this procedure has not been done before;
- When you were able to sign into iCloud, scroll down the menu until you find Find My iPhone. Activate it.
Also, if you have several apple gadgets, we strongly advise you to set them up in this way. Enabling Find My iPhone involves enabling geolocation, which should always work. Of course, this can greatly affect battery life, but if you correctly configure geolocation, the difference in power consumption will be less noticeable.
How does Find My iPhone work with iCloud?
Now we will analyze how Find My iPhone works using the iCloud.com website, which has repeatedly helped the "lost" to return to their owners. So:
- Go to iCloud.com using a browser;
- Sign in using your Apple ID;
- When the login is successful, you will need to press the button for the iPhone search function;
- If the Find My iPhone function was previously configured correctly, and also if the lost device is not disabled, a map will open in front of you with the exact position of the mobile phone;
- If you click on the green circle, additional information will be available, such as, for example, the battery charge at the moment. You will also have access to a number of functions such as deleting data, turning on the alarm, and activating the lost mode.
How does Find My iPhone work when using Find My iPhone from another Apple device?
- Using another Apple mobile device, install the Find My iPhone app;
- After opening the application, enter your Apple ID details and authorize;
- The application will scan, after which a map will be opened displaying all your apple gadgets;
- By selecting a lost device, you, like in iCloud, will be able to send commands to the phone and find out the remaining charge at the moment.
The highlight of this application is the function of building a route to the location of the lost iPhone. You can activate it by clicking on the car icon. The “Find iPhone” function how it works - we have considered, and you will surely agree that this is an absolute “must have” for all Apple users. The most important thing is to set up this function in advance, in order to avoid trouble.
