If your iPhone has been stolen or lost then here is how you can remotely track using Find My iPhone.
Find My iPhone is a free service that’s part of iCould, that uses your phone’s GPS and internet connection to help you locate it on a map. It can also assist in remotely wiping your private information so your device data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
What You’ll Need
- An iCloud Account
- Find my iPhone setup on your iphone before it was stolen or lost. This is required.
- A web-connected computer or device
How to turn on Find My iPhone for your iPhone or iPad
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on your Apple ID at the top.
- Tap iCloud.
- Scroll down and tap Find My iPhone.
- Tap the switch to enable it.
How to use Find my iphone on the web
If you have a desktop or laptop handy, you can easily track your missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac on the web via iCloud.com. It’s as easy as following these steps:
- Open iCloud.com in any web browser.
- Log into your iCloud account.
- Click on Find iPhone in the main menu.
- Enter your Apple ID and password and sign in if prompted
- Click on All Devices at the top.
- Click the device name for the device you’d like to track.
- You can zoom in and out on the map to track it more closely, or you can choose from one of the modes listed in the upper right. Here is an explanation of what each does:
Play sound – Plays an audible tone, even if your device is on vibrate or silent. This is the option you’ll want to use if your iPhone or iPad has gone missing around the house or nearby.
Lost mode – If you use this option, you’ll be asked to enter a phone number that will display on the screen of your lost device. Someone can then use this number to call if they find the device. An audible tone will also be played to draw attention to the device.
Erase – If you don’t think you’re going to be able to retrieve the device, or you’re worried about someone accessing your private data, you can remotely delete everything on it in order to protect your information.
8. If you think your device is on the move, click the green dot representing your phone and then click the rounded arrow in the pop-up window. This updates the device’s location using the latest GPS data.
How to use Find my iphone app on iPhone and iPad
You can use the Find My iPhone app to locate your phone. You’ll find it on any iPhone. You can then track any device linked to your iCloud account by following these steps:
- Launch the Find My iPhone app from any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.
- Log in with your iCloud ID.
- Tap on the name of the device you’d like to track.
- Tap on Actions at the bottom to see your options. Here you have the same 3 options you have in the web view of iCloud.
Note: It’s also worth mentioning that if you were using Apple Pay on the device that was lost or stolen, it’s a good idea to remotely wipe your credit card information via iCloud on the web.
What to Do If Your iPhone Is Offline
Even if you have set up Find My iPhone, your device may not show up on the map. Reasons for why this may happen include that the device:
- is turned off or out of battery
- isn’t connected to the Internet
- has had its Location Services disabled.
If Find My iPhone isn’t working for whatever reason, you have a handful of options:
- Check the Notify Me When Found box. Find My iPhone will let you know when your device next connects to the Internet so you can find it.
- The three options – Play Sound, Lost Mode, and Erase – are available. Use whichever you want and the next time the device is connected to the Internet, the option you picked will happen.
- Choose Remove from Account if you’ve sold or given away the device and don’t want it to show up in Find My iPhone anymore.