Losing a mobile phone can make few people happy. And if previously people, in most cases, put up with this fact, rarely turning anywhere to search, now there are several options that help correct the situation. Many Internet users are wondering how to find a lost iPhone, since this device is very expensive. And there are several ways that really help.
Why is it important
Besides the obvious fact of the cost of the device, there are a number of reasons why you should look for a lost smartphone. Firstly, today about 70% of iPhone owners store their important data on it. And it's not just about passwords or contacts. These include photographs, videos, notes, calendar dates, etc. Their loss is sometimes much more upsetting than the loss of the gadget itself. Secondly, payment information. This information, if it gets into the hands of unscrupulous people, can be used for the most unexpected purposes. Not only to steal funds from a bank account, but also to pay for various dubious transactions. Therefore, every owner of an Apple gadget should know how to find a lost iPhone.
Built-in function
Apple, despite the opinions of its competitors, is quite sensitive to its supporters. And this is expressed in particular in the fact that all devices have a built-in function that allows them to be found. Its use is absolutely free. The function is called "Find iPhone". If you set it up correctly from the first day of purchase, then there will be much less fear of loss.
How to adjust
First you need to go to the device settings. Since it is impossible to find a lost iPhone if it is lost using the built-in function, unless you adjust iCloud in advance. And you can do this in the corresponding settings item. To sign in to iCloud, you'll need to enter your AppleID, which is created the first time you turn on your device after purchase. After this, you need to select the “Find iPhone” function. To turn it on, you just need to drag the slider. It will change color to green from gray. A little lower is the sub-item “Geolocation”. It also needs to be activated.
Why is geolocation needed?
Those who are wondering how to find a lost iPhone 5, 4 or 6 (any configuration) should understand this point. Geolocation allows you to determine where the device is at the time of use or not, that is, always. It is noteworthy that the iOS 8 operating system allows you to track the last location before turning off the smartphone. The data will be sent to Apple automatically, without warning the user.
What does it give
Many of those who wonder whether it is possible to find an iPhone (lost or stolen) do not even think that if configured correctly, the process will not take much time. When a smartphone automatically reports its last location to Apple without notification, it is easier to locate it later. Even if the phone was stolen and is already being prepared for sale by dishonest people. Therefore, it is better to enable the geolocation function the first time you use it. Further, no intervention is required from the user.
Searches from the site
How to find an iPhone if you lost it, but it was configured correctly? You need to go to the iCloud website and log into your personal account. To do this, you need to enter your AppleID and password, which was created earlier during registration. Even if the smartphone is turned off, you can see where it was last online. This will significantly reduce the search radius. By the way, there is also an opportunity to notify the finder or the person who stole that the device is wanted by the owner.
How to do it
In your iCloud personal account there is a feature called “lost mode”. When activated, you can enter a message that will appear on the screen of the lost smartphone. For example, many people write their contact information so that the person who finds it can contact the owner. In 55% of cases, this helps, since a locked iPhone turns into a banal “brick” that is impossible to use.
Remote blocking
You can do this through the iCloud website. Especially if the user stores too much personal data on the device. For remote blocking, you will need to enable the same “lost mode” function. Thanks to the device PIN code, which consists of four digits, the smartphone is “closed” from strangers. By the way, a message can be sent to the screen at the same moment to increase the chances of a successful find.
Police
Oddly enough, if you have lost your iPhone 5 (how to find it differently is described above), then contacting law enforcement agencies can help. Each Apple product has its own personal, unique serial number, which can be used to locate the device in some cases. The police are required to accept a missing persons report; there are practically no grounds for refusal.
Where to find the serial number
First of all, in the box from the device. Usually the serial number is written inside and is quite easy to find. If for some reason the box has not been preserved, then you should not despair. Because there is also AppleID. This is a unique login with which you can control the device remotely. And determine the iPhone serial number too. You must contact the company's official support service, in the "My Support Profile" section. The answer to the question of what to do if you lost your iPhone 4, how to find it, will come quite quickly. If the device is active and located in the coverage area of any network, be it a mobile operator or wireless Internet Wi-Fi, the coordinates of its location will be displayed almost instantly.
Disconnected device
How to find a turned off iPhone? Many people ask this question, because most often those who find or steal it first turn off the smartphone in order to ultimately keep it or sell it. Oddly enough, the same tips described above will help. The changes will simply be activated when you turn on the phone. So, for example, when the iPhone is turned off in lost mode, nothing changes. But as soon as you turn on the device, you will receive a message from the owner. And the data will be blocked from prying eyes. This is the convenience of such a closed system as iOS.
If the phone is not configured
If for some reason the owner did not immediately enable the “Find iPhone” function on the device, then detecting it will be more problematic. But you can make life difficult for unscrupulous people who find the device but don’t want to return it right away. On the official Apple website you can change the password for your AppleID account. This will instantly block access to many functions. For example, to the AppStore, iTunes, iCloud and others. By changing the passwords on your social networking accounts, you can protect them from prying eyes. Doing this from a personal computer is quite simple. And the faster the user blocks all possible personal data remotely, the greater the chance that an unscrupulous person will still return the device, which he ultimately will not be able to use.
Contacting the operator
Since the iPhone is a smartphone that contains a SIM card, you can contact your cellular operator with a request to block it. This will instantly disable access to messages, calls, and the Internet. However, most often, thieves first get rid of SIM cards to make it more difficult to track the device. Therefore, this measure only helps to save money that can be spent by the newly made “owner” of the gadget.
Call your number
First of all, those who have lost their smartphone call it from another number. And it is right. The world is not without good people who will gladly return what was lost to the owner. Therefore, before blocking a SIM card, you should call it. It is possible that the finder will respond quickly.
Social Media Alert
At the moment, groups where people from the same city or region communicate are actively spreading on the Internet. On social networks, you can post a post about a lost smartphone, describing the approximate course of events. It is quite possible that the finder will quickly respond to the call for return. By the way, it’s not that uncommon for the newly-made “owners” of someone else’s iPhone to post messages saying that they have found the device and want to return it. It’s worth browsing through social media while searching.
There are no other ways to find a lost iPhone other than the ones described above. Apple is quite sensitive to its users, which is why it created such a closed system. However, this brings positive results. Thefts and irretrievable losses of apple products are only decreasing every year.
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