With the latest versions of iOS, Find My can even find your iPhone when it's powered off, has no WiFi connection, or after it's been erased, but if it runs out of battery, Find My iPhone will show the last known location for 24 hours. Whether it's been lost or stolen, if it has power and is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, the approximate location of the iPhone will show up on a map. Logging into Find My through on any smartphone, computer, or tablet is the first step to take when you can't find your iPhone. Steps to Take When Your iPhone is Lost or Stolen This also works for all of other Find My devices and AirTags. With this feature enabled, you can get an alert if your iPhone is left somewhere when you leave.
#REMOTELY LOCK IPHONE VERIFICATION#
Two-factor authentication will require an extra verification code to be entered before your Apple ID and iCloud account can be accessed. With a passcode, no one can access personal data stored on your iPhone, and with two-factor authentication, your Apple ID will be safer from hacking attempts, something a thief or person with malicious intent might try to get access to a stolen device. Find My is the most important feature to have turned on in the event a device is lost, but there are other key security options - a passcode and two-factor authentication. In addition to inextricably linking your Apple ID to your iPhone, Find My iPhone also lets you locate your devices at any time, remotely erase them, and remotely put them into a "Lost Mode" to lock down your data.
#REMOTELY LOCK IPHONE OFFLINE#
It's also useful to turn on the Find My network, which allows your iPhone to be located even if it's offline or powered off by leveraging the devices of other people. If your iPhone is lost and your battery dies, this is a feature you'll want to have. If your battery is critically low, it'll send its last known location to Apple. At this screen, enable "Send Last Location" for extra security.Make sure Find My iPhone is toggled to the on position (in green).When setting up a new device, Find My iPhone is automatically enabled, but you can check to make sure it's turned on by following the below steps.
When Find My iPhone is turned on, Activation Lock is on. Your iPhone can even be wiped completely and it will still be locked down, making it almost useless to anyone but you.Īctivation Lock, available on devices running iOS 7 or later, is tied to Find My iPhone.
What that means is even when a thief or a third-party has your iPhone, it's still tied to your Apple ID and can't be used with any other account. To cut down on iPhone theft, Apple implemented a tool way back in iOS 7 called Activation Lock that renders an iPhone unusable without the owner's Apple ID or password.
#REMOTELY LOCK IPHONE HOW TO#
This guide covers the ins and outs of losing your iPhone (or iPad), including settings that should be enabled beforehand for security purposes, how to use Apple's tools to look for your device, and what happens when it's in someone else's hands. With Find My iPhone, you can locate lost devices, disable them, and even fully erase them, but unless you've been in a situation where you've needed these services, you may not know exactly how they work, what they do, or what information someone can access when they have your device. IPhones are lost and stolen every day, but luckily Apple has robust tools built into iOS that will keep your data safe and your device unusable if it's misplaced or snatched by a thief.