Are lost iPhones found? The real story of how to find a lost iPhone

Smartphones have become an integral part of people's daily lives. Almost every person has one device or another. Gadgets from the American corporation Apple have gained great popularity. The Apple smartphone (iPhone) has become a long-awaited purchase for many.

But the situation is such that the user has lost his iPhone or it has been 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 its users.

The company has developed and implemented the necessary software into devices (iPhone, iPad and others) that will help users find their gadget.

Search methods

Currently, there are several ways to find a lost iPhone:

using the Find My iPhone application;
using IMEI/MEID iPhone number;
using third-party applications to search for a smartphone.

Find My iPhone app

“Find 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 a 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 device settings.

Let's launch

To use the Find My iPhone feature, you must first download it from the App Store. After the application has been downloaded to the device, you must log in to the iCloud service.

In order to use the Find My iPhone feature, 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 does not occur, so you need to do it manually.

In order to activate “Find My iPhone” manually, you must follow these steps:

After activating the function, you can find the missing device through your computer on cloud.com.

To search for a device via a computer you must:

Important! For users whose smartphone runs the iOS 8 operating system, it is necessary to launch a function that allows you to send information about the last location of the device.

The Last Location feature allows you to send your location to Apple when your device's battery is running low.

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 outside the network coverage area, which makes it difficult to determine the location, then in this case you need to 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 a mailbox linked to a personal “Apple ID”.

Remember where it is

If the device is turned on and is in the 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 in the form of a small circle with information about its location.

Using a map, you can almost accurately determine the location of the device and thereby find it.

Further actions

Once the location of the phone is determined, you can proceed to further actions.

When a user selects his device from the list, he is offered three different options to choose from:

"play sound"— play sound;
"last mode"— blocking the phone using a special security code;
"erase iPhone"— erases all personal information stored on the device.

Details about each action 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"— will protect the phone using 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 finds the smartphone will be able to contact the owner directly from the lock screen;
"erase iPhone"— allows you to erase all stored information from your phone. It is important to use this option when there is practically no chance of finding the phone, or the user is simply afraid that the 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 copy.

Video: phone search program

How to find a lost iPhone if it's turned off

There are chances of finding a lost iPhone if it is turned off, although they are not so great.

iCloud service:

First, you should use the standard service and access the site via your computer https://www.icloud.com/;
after switching to the service, you must log in by entering your personal Apple ID and password;
after logging into the account, a map will appear in front of the user;
then the synchronization process with the device will begin. A green or gray dot should appear on the map.

A green dot means the device is turned 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 it 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.

Applications 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 their phone screensaver. In the contact information, you can specify the following information: an alternative telephone number to contact the owner of the device, an email address.

Photo: interface of the “If Found” program

iHound

Using the iHound program you can find your missing iPhone. The program, using GPS and Wi-Fi, will help determine the current location of the missing device and transfer it to the iHound program server.

In order to use the iHound program you must:

iLocalis

Using the iLocalis program, you can remotely control the gadget directly from your 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 functions:

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 your iPhone.“Jailbreak allows you to support themes and 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 are deprived of technical support.

Find My iPhone

A program developed by Apple for devices based on the iOS operating system. Using the program, you can determine the current location of the iPhone, perform a remote lock and erase all information from the device’s memory.

This article examined the ways in which you can find a lost iPhone.

Or a stolen smartphone is a serious nuisance. The first reason for frustration is the loss of the device itself, which costs a lot. Secondly, the iPhone’s memory stores information that is extremely necessary for the owner and is not intended for strangers. This can be either personal data (photos, videos, personal correspondence) or secret passwords from payment systems, mailboxes, and social network accounts. How are iPhones found if lost or stolen? The article provides ways to search for smartphones even if they are turned off.

Description of the Find My iPhone utility

The place where a phone is lost or stolen can be a street, public transport, a store, a cafe... How There is a method by which it is quite possible to determine the location of a cellular device. We are talking about the Find My iPhone program, which by default is built into the iOS operating system no older than the fifth version.

Using this utility is extremely simple. But there is one important nuance: all settings regarding the Find iPhone application must be made before the phone is lost. Otherwise, determining the location of the mobile device will be almost impossible.

The Find My iPhone service allows you to see the current coordinates of the smartphone’s location, block the device if necessary, or delete any information from it. All these actions are possible if the phone is connected to the Internet.

How to find an iPhone if it is turned off? This process will be described below, but now it is time to consider what settings must be set for the Find My iPhone utility in order for it to work correctly.

Setting up Find My iPhone

How to find the Find My iPhone feature? To do this, open the “Settings” section on your mobile device. Next you need to select iCloud. When prompted for an Apple ID and password, you must enter the required information. If everything is done correctly, the iCloud application menu will open. In order to enable the “Find iPhone” function, you should move the slider located opposite it to the right. Then click the “Allow” button in the request window that appears.

Then you need to activate the geolocation application. If this is not done, the mobile device will not be found even if the Find My iPhone utility is working correctly. You should go to the “Settings” section, select the “Privacy” item and by moving the slider to the right, make the “Geolocation” function active.

In the seventh version of iOS, the Find My iPhone utility has acquired a new Activation Lock feature, which is automatically turned on when you try to change these settings. Thanks to this innovation, an attacker will have much more problems when using or trying to sell a stolen phone.

Now you know how to find the “Find iPhone” function on your mobile device and configure it correctly. The next step will be to establish a ban on disabling the determination of the current geoposition.

Blocking disabling geolocation detection

How to find an iPhone if it is stolen? To do this, you need to make sure that attackers are not able to make certain changes to the settings of your mobile device. The first thing experienced thieves try to do is disable the Geolocation function, which allows you to determine the current location of your smartphone. To prevent them from doing this, you need to take care in advance to block access to this section. You should follow this route: “Settings” - “Basic” - “Restrictions” - “Privacy” - “Geolocation”. The system will require you to enter a four-digit password. You should come up with such a code and write it down on paper so that you don’t forget it later.

After this, the function of determining the current location can be disabled, either by knowing the access password, or after completely reflashing the device. While the thief is trying to carry out the last operation, the rightful owner of the phone will have more time to search for the mobile device.

How To do this you need to use the iCloud system. You can read more about this below.

Finding a smartphone using iCloud

How to find an iPhone 4 that was stolen? Regardless of the device model, the search process using iCloud will be the same. To detect your phone, you need to go to www.iCloud.com from your computer and enter the requested data. The system will require an Apple ID and password.

If the data is entered correctly, you will be logged into the site and the “Find iPhone” button will become available. After clicking on it, the “All devices” tab will appear. In the drop-down list, you need to select the device whose location you want to install.

Next to the name of the lost smartphone there will be an indicator in the form of a green or gray dot. In the first case, this signal indicates that the mobile device is connected to the Internet, and its coordinates will be determined. If the dot is gray, it means it is connected to the network. You shouldn't give up in this case. The article will describe the method if it is disabled.

After completing the above steps, a special map will show the approximate location of the missing mobile device. The smaller the radius of the green circle that appears, the more accurately the geolocation is determined.

After this, all that remains is to write down the treasured coordinates of the iPhone’s location and take them to the police so that their employees can help return the phone to its rightful owner.

Additional iCloud features

Now you know how iPhones are found using the iCloud system. But in addition to determining the location of a stolen device, this service has a number of other useful functions. For example, you can completely erase all information stored in the memory of a missing phone. It is also possible to send an SMS to a stolen cellular device. And the owner of the phone can turn on the iPhone’s emergency siren directly from the iCloud website, which will continue until it is turned off by the rightful owner of the device. This signal is very loud and sounds even when the phone is turned off.

Another handy feature is “Notify me when detected.” When activated, a notification will be sent to the smartphone owner’s email if the device appears on the network, even if the SIM card is changed.

How to find an iPhone if it is stolen? One way could be the new My Friends app, which is described in more detail below.

My Friends program

How to find an iPhone 5 that is stolen or lost? The My Friends application allows you to determine on a map the location of people who use Apple products, regardless of the model of these devices. If two people installed this program on their gadgets and activated it using their Apple IDs, then they can see each other’s geolocations. This can be used as a way to find your missing phone. A prerequisite for determining location is that the device must be turned on.

How are iPhones found using IMEI code?

You can find a smartphone using the iCloud service in 80 percent of cases if the owner hurried and tried to determine the location of the mobile device within a few hours after it was lost.

But how to find an iPhone if you have lost a device in which the iCloud service is not configured properly? In this case, the IMEI code can come to the rescue. This individual number consists of 14 digits. It is unique for each gadget and remains unchanged even when using a different SIM card.

How to use IMEI code to find a missing phone? Firstly, it will definitely be needed when the owner of the cell phone calls the police for help.

Secondly, you need to provide the IMEI number to your mobile operator so that they can assist in detecting the device using satellite equipment.

Also, the IMEI code can help when the owner of the device, for example, in another country has lost an iPhone. How to find if it is turned off? In this case, it is recommended to leave the unique number of the cellular device in a special database that is globally accessible. If someone finds a smartphone with the specified IMEI code, he will contact the owner of the device thanks to the coordinates left in the system.

How to find an iPhone by phone number?

If the owner probably knows that the device was stolen, then how to find the phone? The iPhone may be turned on, and the thieves did not have time to change the SIM card. You should call this number from another mobile phone. Perhaps the attacker will agree to return the stolen phone for a reward.

If there is no connection with the mobile number, you need to write to the police. You should indicate the estimated time and place of the crime, IMEI code and SIM card phone number.

Police officers, together with the mobile operator, will try to establish the geoposition of the device and, possibly, return the iPhone to its rightful owner.

How to find an iPhone if it is turned off?

If the missing phone is turned off, there is still a chance of it being returned to its owner. The development of Apple, which was already mentioned above, can again come to the rescue. How to find an iPhone if you have lost the device with the correct settings for iCloud? In order to try to determine the location of a mobile device, you need to log into the specified system from your computer and click the “Find iPhone” button. This process has already been described in detail above. The location of the gray dot on the map will indicate the coordinates where the phone was last located before it was turned off.

If the owner is familiar with a certain location, then he should remember where and under what conditions the cellular device could have been lost. If the specified geolocation does not tell the owner of the iPhone anything, it means that the gadget was stolen after all, and the obtained data should be reported to the police.

A prerequisite for determining the last location of the phone is the active “Last geoposition” mode. Below is a detailed description of how you can enable this useful feature.

“Last location” mode

The iOS 8 operating system pleasantly surprised mobile device users with the presence of a new mode in the Find My iPhone service, called “Last Location”. How are iPhones found using this application? “Last location” allows gadgets to send the coordinates of their location automatically shortly before the battery is completely discharged.

To enable this function, you need to follow the route: “Settings” - “iCloud” and there activate the “Last geolocation” mode by moving the corresponding slider to the right.

The data transferred by the iPhone will be stored in the iCloud system for 24 hours after the mobile device is turned off.

Conclusion

In order for the search for the missing phone to be completed successfully, the owner of the gadget should carry out preparatory work in advance. It is necessary to install and properly configure special applications for iPhones. This will help determine the location of a stolen or lost mobile device. It is also recommended to protect the device with a password and set the necessary locks. It is better to store important information not on a memory card, but in cloud storage. Once an iPhone has been stolen, its owner should act immediately. If you can determine the geolocation of a stolen device within a few hours after the crime has been committed, then the chances of success are high. Don’t hesitate, because this plays into the hands of criminals.

Apple product developers have provided the ability to search for missing or stolen devices remotely using special services and programs. In particular, using the Find iPad program, you can easily find a tablet in your home or at a party, at work, whether you are nearby or far away. If your iPad is stolen, you can lock the device from a distance and “clean” the information stored on it.

To easily find your missing tablet, you need to know the Apple ID number of your device and the password that you previously entered when registering an account on iCloud. If the ID has not been registered in the system, it will be difficult to find the tablet.

Another important condition for finding a device is the presence of the Internet. You can search for an iPad from an iPhone, computer, and other smartphones.

You can view your Apple ID on the packaging box of your iPad. If you have forgotten your password, try to recover it through your email. Typically, when registering an Apple account, you indicate your ID and mailbox, which is subsequently linked to the ID number and mail, so that subsequently recovering the password should not be difficult.

Another important condition is to connect the missing iPad to the Internet, no matter what state it is in: locked or sleep mode when the screen is off. In addition, the iPad you are looking for must be turned on.

How to find an iPad using Apple ID from a computer

To start searching for an iPad via a computer, first check if the iOS system is installed on the computer. If it is not there, then install or find a PC with iOS installed. Next, open the “iClod” program, and if it is missing, install it on your computer by downloading it from the official website. Then register in the service by going to the iCloud program Settings, and in the iCloud section, fill in the computer ID number and create a password.

Check if there is an Internet connection to your computer. In the iCloud program that opens, activate the Find My iPad function in the All Devices section.

If you are sure that the iPad is lost somewhere at home or left at work, with friends or relatives who will certainly give you the tablet, then you can activate the search through a sound signal. After logging in to iCloud.com, select the “All devices” section in the iCloud program Settings, where the desired tablet registered in the system will be displayed, and then activate the “Play sound” command. After which your Apple iPad will start beeping loudly for a couple of minutes, notifying others of its presence. If the iPad is nearby, you will easily find it, if somewhere else, you will be informed that the tablet is there.

It doesn’t matter whether the iPad’s sound is turned off at this time or not, the signal will sound loudly anyway. You can also select the “Send message” command without a sound signal or at the same time as one, so that whoever reads it will be notified that you are looking for the tablet and can call you back.

How to find an iPad if it's stolen

If your iPad is stolen, then sending a sound signal or a message to the thief is pointless; on the contrary, you need to take urgent measures to find the tablet and determine its location, block it and destroy the information on it.

First, locate your tablet using iCloud and the Find My iPad function. As a result, a stolen and turned on iPad will be identified on the Google map as a bright green dot. You can take a screenshot of the page for the police. Next, enable lost iPad mode on iCloud and provide Apple support with information about the missing iPad and its blocking.

In addition, you can remotely erase information on the tablet by selecting the “Wipe iPad” function in lost mode. All information will be erased from the iPad's memory. Also change your iCloud password, creating a more complex one to prevent it from being hacked. Next, report the loss of your iPad to the police, also providing them with the necessary information and the device ID number.

In addition, inform your telecom operator about the stolen SIM card installed on the iPad so that they block the card and the attacker will not be able to perform illegal actions.

Thus, the iCloud service is the only way to find a lost or stolen iPad, so do not forget to register your Apple ID for your iOS device in time.

Nowadays, a smartphone is an indispensable thing for almost any person. Having lost the phone, the user automatically loses all kinds of notes, recordings, personal photos, contacts, the ability to listen to music and access to the Internet at any time. Agree, it’s hard to imagine the life of a modern person without all this. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to find an iPhone if it is turned off, lost or stolen. Let's figure it out. Go!

First of all, if you can't find your iPhone, call it from another number, and if that doesn't help, contact law enforcement. Having taken all the necessary measures, you can begin searching for the device yourself.

Very often owners lose their phones

Even if your phone is turned off, you can still find it. The first way to do this is the iCloud service. This service is designed for cloud storage of files from your iPhone. Please note that in order to find your iPhone using iCloud, you need to activate the corresponding function.

If you lost your iPhone while not at home, the first thing you need to do is protect its contents. This can be done remotely. There in iCloud you can set a password or even delete all content (then you can restore it from a backup).

A very important iCloud app

The iPhone also has a so-called “lost mode”, which can be easily activated in iCloud. After enabling this function, a message with the phone number you specify will appear on the smartphone screen. This way, anyone who finds your smartphone can call you and report their find. This function works even on a locked iPhone. In this case, you can make and receive calls from your phone, but no more.

The next way to find even a turned off iPhone is to track the IMEI number. This is a unique code for a smartphone that is assigned to it by the manufacturer. The IMEI number can be found in several ways:

Enter the code *#06# on your phone. This is done in the same way as dialing a mobile number.
View the warranty card.
Disassemble the device and check for the number under the battery.
Look on the box (as a rule, IMEI is indicated on the back).

An operator can track a phone by IMEI upon a special request from you or law enforcement agencies.

Find My Phone for iPhone

In addition, you can use a special application called “Find iPhone”. It allows you to view the exact location of the device on a map, send a message to it, set a password, or delete all data. However, please note that this feature must first be enabled on the iPhone itself. This is done as follows. Go to the Settings menu and select iCloud. In the next window you will see the “Find iPhone” option. Move the slider to the active position. After this, activate the “SendLastLocation” item. Thus, before turning off, the smartphone will send you information about its location. By logging into iCloud, you can get all the necessary information. If the phone is somewhere nearby, you will hear a loud sound, which will appear even if the device is in silent mode.

You cannot start using the Find My iPhone app after it has been lost. Therefore, take appropriate measures in advance so that you can easily use this program when the opportunity arises.

You can also activate Find My iPhone from your computer. To do this, go to icloud.com and enter the appropriate login information. Then select your smartphone in the "My Devices" section. After this, the scan will start. Once completed, a map will appear on the screen detailing the location of your iPhone. Depending on where the device is located, take the appropriate steps. For example, lock the device, delete all content, turn on the sound, or send a message.

The main thing is to activate this function in advance, if possible. This will save you a lot of time and effort if you lose your device.

As you can see, finding a disabled, lost or stolen iPhone is quite possible. The developers have provided a special application designed just for such situations. The downside is that it needs to be activated in advance. So be sure to do this immediately after purchasing an iPhone to make your life easier in the future.

Not long ago, we published about how simple tricks of scammers can make it so that the victim will never be able to get his iPhone back. But this does not mean that it is almost impossible to get a stolen device back. And at the end of last week I was able to personally verify this.

Nothing foreshadowed trouble until a relative called me and said that her 11-year-old daughter had lost her iPhone 4s. If the smartphone was not stolen, then there should be no problems with its return - go to iCloud.com and set the approximate location of the iPhone (so you know where to look).

However, not everything was so simple. As it turned out, the smartphone was only used for calls and had limited access to the mobile Internet. Therefore, it was not possible to find the iPhone until it was in someone else's hands. It was necessary for the smartphone to either be connected to Wi-Fi or the mobile Internet to be activated.

Until then, there was only one way out - to leave a message on iCloud.com that the iPhone was lost (with a contact number), and the finder was guaranteed a reward. This message should have appeared on the device’s screen as soon as it connected to the network.

And what do you think? The very next day I received a call from the person who found this iPhone. He asked for three thousand rubles to return the smartphone - it seemed cheaper than buying a new iPhone, but he was outraged by such extortion. Usually the amount of remuneration is set by the victim himself, but here everything happened the other way around.

However, this problem was resolved quickly. It was enough to turn on sound playback on the iPhone to again receive a call from the owner of a valuable find:

Turn off that terrible sound and pick up your cell phone.

There was no need to say twice - an hour later the treasured iPhone was already in the hands of an 11-year-old girl. Our “extortionist” was left with a symbolic thousand rubles. But there could have been more if not for his greedy behavior and outright extortion.

Of course, there was another way out - go to the police, write a statement (the phone number of the finder was there) and start proceedings. Perhaps if he had not met us halfway, this is what we should have done.

The main advice when losing your iPhone is don’t panic. Soberly assess the situation, try to find the device yourself, leave a message, play the sound. With a high probability, the very next day the smartphone will be in your hands again.