Do you want to locate your lost iPhone? Are you anxiously trying to find the location of your stolen iPad? For these worse-case scenarios, Apple offers an excellent solution. The in-built Find My Device app helps users track the location of lost iPhone or iPad or any stolen Apple devices.
Apart from getting the device’s location, you can also wipe out its content. That way, even if the iPhone is not recovered, you do not have to worry about data privacy. However, it all depends on turning on the Find My Device feature on your iPhones and iPads.
In this article, we will discuss how to locate your lost iPhone or iPad. Knowing more about the limitations will help you understand its capability. Also, we will discuss how to set up the Find My app on Apple devices.
How To Find Your Lost iPhone or iPad?
Some of the ways that can let you find your lost iPhone or iPad are as follows:
- iCloud
- Another Apple Device
- Use Friend’s Phone to Find a Lost iPhone
Make sure you have access to your account before trying this. That means you will need to password and 2FA if enabled.
1. Use iCloud.com to Find Lost Phone
One of the simplest ways to find lost or missing iPhones is to use iCloud.com. For this, you will need to use a desktop or a laptop. Check out the steps listed here –
- Visit icloud.com.
- Log in with your Apple ID and password.
- You might need to press the Allow option to proceed with the two-factor authorization of the site on the device.
- Select the Find iPhone app on the screen.
- Go to All Devices present at the top and click on it.
- Here, you need to select your iPhone.
- A map will appear showing the location of the lost iPhone.
2. Use Other Apple Devices to Find Dead iPhone
You can indeed use other Apple devices to locate your dead iPhone. However, there is some critical consideration. For instance, you need to share the location of the device beforehand with the device you want to use. That way, you can use the device to find the missing iPhone, irrespective of its battery condition.
Take a look at the steps listed –
- Go to the Find My app on the Apple device you are currently using.
- Tap on the Devices option.
- Here you will see a map, along with a list of devices it can track.
- Choose your device (iPhone or iPad) from the list.
Use Friend’s Phone to Find a Lost iPhone
Another way to locate your lost iPhone is to use your friend’s iPhone. Here are the steps that will further help you –
- Go to the Find My app on the friend’s iPhone.
- Tap on the Me tab.
- Move down and press the Help a Friend option.
- Here, you will need to log in with your credentials to iCloud.
- Press the Use Different Apple ID option to move forward.
- After logging in, ensure you do not save your password on your friend’s device. For that, press the Not Now option when prompted.
- Click the list of devices on the screen’s bottom to see your iPhone.
- After that, select your iPhone.
- On the map, you will see a green circle showing the location of your iPhone.
Note: Keep in mind that you need to sign out of your friend’s device after the work is done. It would be best if you did not stay signed there. Another point to consider is that there is no need to log out your friend’s credentials when you use the device.
What are the Drawbacks of Find my iPhone?
Though the Find my iPhone is quite beneficial, there are some limitations too. Take a look –
- A pane on the left side of the app contains items, devices, or People. However, this pane cannot be resized to read more information.
- The items in the pane don’t show enough information.
- Even the text offering information in the pop-up window cannot be resized and is hard to read.
- There is no system dictionary associated with the app.
- Users cannot get the full address if it is more than 34 characters.
- The app must be enabled in iCloud to use for device location.
- In some cases, using another device and logging in to use the Find my iPhone app might not yield fruitful results. There is a chance you might receive the pop-up “No location available message on the screen.”
How to Set up Find My Device on an Apple Device?
Have you lost your iPhone? Has your iPad been stolen? While these scenarios warrant a nauseating bout of anxiety and nervousness, there are ways you can retrieve the lost iPhone and iPad.
One of the best ways is to use the Find My feature on Apple devices. It is an in-built feature that users can use the locate the device. If the iPhone or iPad is online, you can view the location and take active steps. Even if the device is offline, you can still know the last location of the device before it went offline.
However, for the feature to work, you need to set it up first. Here are the steps you need to follow –
- Go to the Settings app on the device.
- Click on your name.
- Select the Find My option from here.
- Press the Find My iPhone option.
- Here, it would help if you toggled on the Find My iPhone tab.
- You can also turn on the Share my Location Location toggle. It will send the device’s location to Apple automatically when there is a low battery.
- If you want to see the device’s location offline, you need to ensure that the Find My network toggle is on.
Note: Another thing you need to consider is that the Location Services tab must be turned on. For this, you must open Settings > Privacy > Location Services. After this, make sure that the Location Services is enabled.
Conclusion
Find My iPhone is an excellent app that can aid users in tracking lost or stolen Apple devices. However, for that, there is a need to turn on the Find My iPhone feature. Without that, there is no way to track the phone’s location in iCloud.
Another thing you must consider is that without the installation of the Find My iPhone, there is no Activation Lock. That means anyone can wipe your device and reset it again. Also, it would be best if you remembered that tracking your phone location and retrieving it are different things.
If you think the situation is precarious and might be out of your capacity, contact the authorities. They can offer reliable assistance in the matter.
How can I Find My lost iPhone If the location is off?
To locate your lost iPhone, even if the location is turned off, you can log into iCloud.com. Apart from that, you can also use the Find My app from your friend’s Apple device. However, for this, the Find My feature must be turned on.
How to Track an iPhone With an Android Browser?
You can track an iPhone with an Android browser by logging into iCloud.com. From there, go to the Find iPhone option. Then, select the device whose location you want. Now, you will get three options using which you can locate the missing iPhone. These include – play sound, erase iPhone/iPad, and Lost mode.