The Find My iPhone App in the App Store will help you track down your lost or stolen iPhone even if it's already missing.
Have you lost your iPhone or are you worried it was stolen?
For most cell phone owners unless you were proactive and installed tracking software on the phone prior to it going MIA, you were pretty much SOL (apparently, it’s use as many acronyms as possible day – LOL – okay, I’m done, promise).
However, since you have an iPhone, you’re different and there is a solution available to you to track a stolen iPhone. Apple just added the “Find My iPhone” App to the App Store.
So let’s talk about how it works and what it costs.
The “Find my iPhone” App is a free app you install from another iOS device – a friend’s iPhone, your iPad or even an iPod Touch will do the trick (since obviously, you don’t have your iPhone to install it on).
Or if you have Mac OS X Lion on your computer, you can use this feature too – it won’t work with older version of OS X though.
If you’re without friends and don’t have any other iOS devices, go visit Starbucks or any upscale bar – you’ll find plenty of iPhones and iPads there and maybe you can beg and plead them to let you use their phone to find yours. Heck, these days you probably could just go to McDonalds and find someone.
***Update*** This feature is now integrated into all iOS 5 devices. In other words, if you have an up to date iPhone (or iPad), this feature is already installed on your iPhone.
iCloud requires you to be using an iPhone 3GS or later, any iPad (even the first generation), or a 3rd or 4th generation iPod touch. It also works on Macs running OS X Lion (or later) and even works on Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines.
It used to require a MobileMe membership, but as long as you use iCloud, you’re all set and don’t have to pay for anything – the app is free.
Once the app is installed, you can remotely login to you phone, track it to find out where it is, lock it down so no personal data can be accessed, and should it become clear you’re not likely to get it back, remotely wipe all the data. To be able to remotely wipe data is a big deal as far as I’m concerned since I have a ton of personal information on my phone and you probably do too.
It can also play a sound at full volume even if you’re ringer is set to silent. That’s tremendously helpful if you’ve simply misplaced your iPhone in your house or apt and just need it to make noise so you can find it. They need to make an app like this for my car keys too 
So there you have it, if you’ve lost your iPhone and don’t have any tracking software already installed, there’s still hope. Just install Find My iPhone and start tracking.
If the phone has been turned off, you can have it email you in the event someone turns it back on. (The software obviously can’t be installed on a phone that is dead or has been turned off). And lastly this app won’t work if the SIM card has been removed. A sophisticated thief will do this, but many times they don’t because they don’t know how.
Good Luck and Happy Finding!
Related posts:
- Never Lose Your Droid – Tracking A Stolen Android Phone
- Apple iPhone 4 Review – The Good The Bad The Ugly
About Gary Ruplinger
Hi Gary, my ipod 4 Gen was stolen out the locker room i have the tracker on but when I go to see if i can track it on icloud its says offline what does that mean? and do i have any hope of finding it?
James,
Unfortunately the “Find My iPhone” app isn’t nearly as helpful when applied to the iPod touch (or iPad for that matter) as it relies on the device being connected to a wireless network to get the command. Yes, it uses GPS for reporting its location but without a connection to the Internet it has no way of getting the “locate” command or reporting its location back to you.
When it says it’s offline, it means one of a couple things:
1) It has been turned off
2) It is on but not connected to a WiFi network
Unfortunately in both cases it can’t be tracked.
There is a chance your iPod will turn up – make sure to set it so that you receive an email if it does get turned on, but if it was taken by a sophisticated thief, your iPod is probably gone for good.
Okay mine was stolen and i couldnt track it because they took out the sim card and disabled gps, i filed a police report so im wondering since i filed a police report if someone activates it with my data deleted, can they find it if its activated by someone else?
Since you filed a police report there’s a chance you’ll get it back if the thief tries to sell it at a pawn shop or similar locally.
Other than that, it depends on your carrier – AT&T and T-Mobile both only deactivate the SIM when a phone has been reported stolen to them while Verizon and Sprint deactivate the entire phone.
However, the police won’t be able to find the phone if someone else activates it – they have any tracking ability of that nature that I’m aware of.
iPhone 4s was stolen yesterday. I went onto iCloud and i tried to trace it but the phone was off. Its a AT&T iPhone. If they took the sim card out, will it still be able to be traceable?
Help me PLS
Will,
On AT&T unfortunately if the SIM card has been removed, you’ll lose any and all ability to trace the phone through iCloud. Sorry.
I had my iphone stolen and i requested that icloud find my app email me with the last location of my phone once it came back online but i called my phone and it rang but i was never sent the email with my phones last GPS location. What can i do?
Hi Larry,
Hmm, have you tried logging back into iCloud and firing up the app again to try and track it? Let me know if you get a gray dot or a green dot – a green dot is good, gray not so much.
My iphone was stolen or lost out of a dressing room on Saturday. I did not set up icloud at all. Is there any other possible way to track the location of my iphone and hopefully recover it? Verizon tells me no.
Unfortunately Verizon is right. There’s really nothing you can do to track the phone. I’d report the phone as stolen with Verizon and have it deactivated.
Sorry about your phone.
well i lost my iphone 3gs and i dont have the icloud set up what so ever i dont no where it could possiblely be i think its in my house but not sure what way can i locate it?
Have you tried calling it? Even if you don’t have another phone in your house, you can use Skype or something similar from your computer to call it (Gmail can do this too).
HI Gary, just got my iPhone 4S (last iOs update) stolen yesterday. I’m trying to find it via iCloud, but it seems to be offline. Sent several messages and tried to locked it, but it’s apparently off. Besides, I reported the incident to my carrier so the phone line (sim card) was suspended.
I have some questions:
1. The thieves won’t be able to use the phone line, so the phone will lock or they will get my messages only if they connect through a wi-fi or put a sim card with a valid line, is that correct?
2. I had the photostream option checked, how can I get my photos back at least? Is there a way?
3. If the phone is erased or something, it becomes untraceable? Is that correct? Even if it’s “on” again? Is like “Find My iPhone” forgets about the existing link between my APPLE ID and that equipment?
Thanks again for you support on this matter.
Hi Matt,
Hopefully I can answer all your questions:
1) Correct, to use the phone again, they’d need to replace the now suspended SIM.
2) Did you have iCloud syncing enabled? If so, you may be able to recover your Photostream photos through iCloud.
3) If the phone is completely restored, then it will become untraceable from the perspective of remote tracking. The cell phone companies are working to create a stolen phone database to prevent people from being able to use and resell phones that have been reported as stolen, but that won’t be fully online until 2013.
Thanks Gary! It was a great device, a real pity to lose it.
My Iphone 4 was stolen today and i have icloud on is there anyway i can track it? i think they took the sim card out or my phones off. help please
If the phone is turned off or the SIM has been removed then you won’t be able to locate it with Find My iPhone. It only works when the phone is on. If you fire up iCloud and try using the app, what color dot do you get? (You’ll see what I mean when you try it)
If it’s gray, then the phone is offline and it’s likely the phone is off. If it’s green then it’s currently active and tracking and you should be able to find out where it is.
In the event you can’t recover your phone, call up your carrier and report the phone as stolen – then file a police report as well. The police report will help you in the event the thief tries to sell the phone in a pawn shop or similar.
you can’t find it sorry. just cancel the account and buy yourself a new one. Did you lose it somewhere, and if i may asks where did you lose it?
Gary, I’m trying to get a little clarification. When you say “Once the app is installed”, so we do have to proactively install the app on our iphone before it potentially is lost or stolen?
Or do you mean, as long as we have icloud active on our device then we install the app on the friends device we’re using to track our original device? I just purchased my first iPhone and want to make sure I am prepared.
Also wouldn’t it make sense for everyone to use a passcode? That would prevent a thief from wiping the device or restoring it before you could track it?
Hi Brandon,
The app is installed by default as long as you’re running iOS 5 or later (current version is 5.1.1), but I know not everyone has an up to date phone or so I do mention it for people who don’t have the app.
For example, last weekend, I updated my sister’s iDevices to the current OS because she never syncs them with a computer and was still on 4.2.1.
Since you just got your iPhone, it’s up to date and ready to go as long as your are using iCloud as long as you have allowed remote install of apps – the default is “yes” but you can go into settings and check to be sure it’s on.
Yes, it’d certainly make sense for everyone to use a passcode but many people don’t because they find it to be a hassle to enter it in every time they want to use the phone.
gary – my daughter’s iphone 4s was stolen today. I went to the at&t store and had it deactivated before I realized that i might be able to find it with icloud. Is it possible to go back and have it activated again, then try to track it on icloud?
Beth,
My recommendation would be to call up AT&T to find out – to be honest, I’m not sure.
My ipod (4th gen) was stolen today. I have “find my iphone” installed, and an active mobile me/i cloud account. Currently it shows that the ipod is “offline”. I am hoping for an internet connection to occur so that remote lock/message will be activated.
However, I have read that “find my phone” must be “on” in settings – which it was. What if the person who stole it switches it to “off” before and internet connection is made? Does that mean I’m screwed and will not be able to use this app?
If so, that seems like an extremely big security issue for this app that anyone with access to the “settings” can turn it off before connecting to the internet or you have a chance to send out a lock/wipe message.
Hi Jen,
Your assumptions are correct that Find My iPhone is fairly easy for a thief who knows their way around iPod settings to defeat.
My understanding is that the app was really developed for phones and iPods that were misplaced or lost… not necessarily stolen.
Maybe future versions of the app will have better defenses against theft but one thing you can do on all your Apple devices to make it harder for them is set a password on the unlock screen.
Hello,
I have lost my iphone 4 days ago, i have located it in icloud and it shows it’s inside of a house, i called the police and they said they can’t search the house without a warrant so i just left it alone and i am wondering can i still call the police again and go to the house and at least try to ask for it back or is it to late and I have another iphone but i dont know how to get my photostream back, will it automatically go back on my iphone when i sign in on my phone because when i sign in to icloud on my pc photostream is not on there.
Plzzzzzzz Help
I’m not a lawyer so I can’t really comment on the legality of using “Find My iPhone” as enough evidence to get a search warrant to go into a house.
However, call up your carrier and report the phone as stolen and file a police report as well.
Many iPhones and iPads are found when the thief tries to sell the device.
Hope you get your phone back.
MY AUNT HAD HER IPHONE STOLEN, THE PERSON THAT HAS THE PHONE HAS IT POWERED OFF. IS THERE ANY WAY THE PHONE CAN BE TRACKED WHILE IT IS POWERED OFF????
Hi Sariona,
Unfortunately if the phone is powered off, the phone is untrackable. Sorry.
Hi Gary,
I have read your article for June 18, however, can I still do this if without an apple id, sorry, I don’t have the phone with me anymore and I will do anything to get it back.
Money is not an issue, it’s what is in the phone.
Please advice,
Many thanks,
Hi David,
Unfortunately if you don’t have an Apple ID, I don’t think it’s going to work. The Apple ID is something you need for security purposes to make sure that 1) the phone you’re trying to track is yours and 2) to prevent other people from tracking your phone.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your reply, I have no intention to purchase anything and I was not aware of this App Id.
I am in Australia, state of Victoria, we just go to an outlet, pick a phone, stay on the contract for 24 months.
Can I still apply for an Apple Id without the actual handset.
What about an IMEA number.
Thanks,
I lost my iphone 4s a week ago. Can i can track it through “find my iphone” app or if the AT&T company can track it for me? For some reason i think it has been stolen, and i want to know if the person took out the SIM from the phone is there any hope to finding it? And if i had if it was turned off can i still use the app? If it cant be tracked once the sim is taken out i want to know if CDMA phones would be a better option since they dont have SIM cards.
Gabriel,
It’s possible that AT&T could track it for you – they have the capability anyway. However, it’ll likely require a police report and I’m not sure of the exact procedure with AT&T is, but I’d sure give them a call to find out – if you learn what they can and cannot do, please come back and post it.
All tracking requires the phone to be turned on – if a the phone has been turned off, it has all the tracking capabilities of a pet rock – i.e. none.
Getting a CDMA phone from Verizon or Sprint would in theory make sense since Verizon and Sprint will deactivate the entire handset if the phone is reported stolen while at the moment AT&T and T-Mobile only deactivate the SIM cards meaning that a new, clean SIM can be installed in the phone and the stolen device is as good as new.
However, that will soon be changing with the PROTECTS Initiative which is collaboration of all the major cell phone carriers in the U.S. to fight cell phone crime. They’re creating a stolen phone database and soon all carriers will deactivate the entire handset when the device is reported stolen.
The intention is to make smartphone theft much less appealing to criminals – if the phone is worthless on the black market (or on secondary markets like eBay and Craigslist) then thieves will likely turn their attention elsewhere.
Also, I just wanted to add that after a week, even if the phone hasn’t been stolen, your battery has likely died which is going to make tracking possible – if you ever lose your phone in the future, try to locate it as soon as you possibly can so that if it’s simply lost, it has battery power and can tell you where it is.
How can i track my iPhone 4 which has been stolen without ICLOUD!!!
Hi Bob, If you don’t have any tracking apps installed on your phone and don’t have an iCloud account, try this: report the phone as stolen with the police, then ask your cell phone provider if they can track the phone – its my understanding that a police report at a minimum is required for them to be able to do that and some may require a phone call from the police to track it on your behalf.
Keep in mind that this still requires the phone to be turned on – if it’s off, there’s nothing that can be done.
I need another way to find my iphone 4s. We have cloud, but because we never clicked on find my phone, when we had phone, icloud just says mine is offline. And they are supposed to email me when phone is ever tuned on. But it is killing me. I want to track it down. Is there an appt out there that will find it turned off?
Hi Jenny,
Sorry to hear about your phone. Unfortunately if the phone is turned off, there’s no app that can track it – it’d be the same as losing your keys or losing your purse – i.e. no tracking.
I hope it turns up and you’re able to track it down. Remember that if you don’t find it in the next couple days to report the phone as stolen so your carrier can flag the phone and prevent it from being activated.
I lost my sons ipod.
I don’t have find my iphone app installed on it and i dont know whether or not find my ipod is activated.
But when i tracked it using my iphone” find iphone app” it gives me red dots and its unable to locate.
Does that mean that find my ipod is activated on the lost ipod?
And would the iphone be able to locate it when it connects to wi fi?
Also i sent lock request to the ipod but still didnt receive any confirmation email. Would the ipod lock as soon as it connects to wi fi?
The dot sometimes turn grey, does that mean that its being connected and disconnected to wi fi quickly or what?
Sorry for too many questions pleeeeeease reply soon
The red dot means the device is offline which could mean the device has been turned off or that it simply doesn’t have a wifi connection.
A green dot would mean that the app is activated and working on your son’s iPod.
Should your son’s iPod be connected to a WiFi network, the dot would turn green and the lock request you sent would be carried out.
The dot turns gray when it’s trying to connect to the iPod, but since it hasn’t been able to, that’s why you keep getting the red dot.
Hope that helped and I hope you’re able to track down your son’s iPod.
Gary
Hi my phone was stolen Friday night while i was out. As soon as i had realized the phone was missing i called it using someone else’s phone it rang once, twice then it had been cut off. as it was quite late i couldn’t access icloud soon enough to track my phone, when i did get hold of an ipad with internet connection i signed in but the phone had been offline. as i had lost hope i deactivated my sim in order to decrease access but i do not know whether this was the right thing to do as i am no longer able to track the phone. i have had the phone for 5 months and have plenty of memorable pictures/ information stored but dont know if i have backed anything up. i couldnt find anything on icloud and am completely lost. i did not remote wipe the phone and am not sure whether i should as i still have hope in finding my phone with all my stuff on it….. Please helppp!!!!
((((
Unfortunately if you had your carrier deactivate the phone then any ability to track or remotely wipe the phone is going to be lost.
As far as photos, check in your Photo Stream album when logged into iCloud.
There’s a good chance that your computer will have most of the information you lost stored in iTunes and will be able to restore all of that information to your new iPhone even if you never find your old one.
I defiantly do not have any photos in the photo stream album so im hoping ill have it stored on iTunes. Its such a shame i deactivated the sim in a moment of panic as i didnt have i brighter idea this should teach me a lesson. is there any tips you can give as to what to do when i get my new phone. ???
and can i stick to my current icloud account or would i need a new one as i would have a new phone.. sorry for all the questions. :$
Shen,
You’ll be able to use your current Apple ID (which covers everything from Apple including iCloud) and put it all on your phone so you’ll be able to get all the apps you bought and such back on your phone just by restoring the phone from iTunes.
When you get your new phone, setup Find My iPhone in advance and make sure it’s working and it’ll also keep a last known location stored just in case you leave it somewhere. You might also consider putting a password on the unlock screen to prevent people from easily accessing your phone’s information. That way even if they steal the phone, they won’t get all your personal information and such.
My ipod touch 4g was taken Friday and I have checked ever place it might be and I do have the app installed. Is there a way to find its exact location without it being connected to a wifi connection?
If the iPod has been turned off or can’t connect to a wifi network, then unfortunately the app isn’t going to work as it needs an active internet connection to work – sorry. Have you tried going back to where it was lost to see if anyone turned it in – I know it’s a long shot but it’s worth a try.
Hello. So i had just got my iphone like 3 weeks ago, and I lost it last friday. It is sunday now. I do not have the “find my iphone app” on my phone, but my friend does and she has the i phone 3s I think. So once we download that, then what do we do? And how do you setup an I cloud prosess? Please help. Thank you
Hi Britney,
You don’t necessarily need to have the Find My iPhone setup in advance – that can be done after the fact. You do, however, need to have setup your iCloud account and connected your iPhone to it?
Were you using iCloud to do backups, manage music, and the like?
If you were using it, you just need to go in, remotely install the app, and activate it – even if you use your friend’s phone, you still need to login to your account for it to work.
You do would have to acitvate icloud on your phone. you don’t have to have find my phone set up in advance BUT, speaking as a person that just had new iphone 4s stolen this weekend. If I had done that in advance, I could get the last location my phone was turned on. so because I didn’t do that, all I get is an offline message. So girls you download you icloud, and go ahead a click find my phone even if you are just sitting in the living room. I think you have to have the lastest version of itunes too,
My IPhone4 was stolen today. I have installed the ‘Find my IPhone’ app on my IPad. I can see where my phone is, but it is at an apartment complex and the green dot keeps jumping back and forth between the building, lawn and parking lot. Is there anyway to pinpoint a more exact location. Cops are willing to go there, but they are looking for a more accurate location – down to a handful of apartments. Anything?
Scott,
That’s an unfortunate situation. I’m not aware of anything that will allow you to further pinpoint the accuracy of GPS. Typically, you’ll find that it’s accurate within about 9-15 ft. While you’d assume (and I used to as well) that would be enough to pick out exactly where your phone is, it isn’t quite enough to pick out an apartment on a map.
I used to live in an apt and when I’d test out apps like these I’d find that it was always close but sometimes it’d say my phone was located in a tree outside my window or in my neighbors unit. It was always in my apartment but since Google Maps isn’t perfect and GPS isn’t perfect, figuring out the exact apartment is going to be tough.
I’m sorry I can’t help you more but I really hope you do find your phone. If you do manage to get your phone back, please come back and post what you did as I know it will help a lot of others whose iPhones end up getting stolen.
my sister’s iphone got stolen but she didn’t install the app. is there any other way that she can track her iphone down?
Yes, as long as she has an iCloud account setup. Please tell her to do it as soon as possible as time is of the essence.
Hi
I have just got an iphone and git the Find my iphone app. I have downloaded the cloud panel for my PC –
I wondered if you could explain the following! If i lose my phone, how do i find it with the app as i can only use it on the actual phone! Am i missing something on the icloud control panel?
Thanks for your help
Hi Robin, I can understand your confusion.
In the event that your phone is ever lost you’ll need to login to iCloud using someone else’s device or your own computer. iCloud doesn’t work on anything and everything with an internet connection but it does work with the following devices and operating systems:
In the event your phone is ever stolen, you can use your own computer or borrow a friends device to do the tracking – if you borrow a friend’s iPhone, just remember that you need to login to your own iCloud account, not your friends or you’ll just end up tracking their phone and not yours.
Since you said you were using a PC, as long as it’s running Windows 7 or Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 installed, just follow these instructions from Apple: http://www.apple.com/icloud/setup/pc.html
Hope this all made sense.
Please let me know if run into any other issues.
hi i lost my iphone yesterday. the Find my iphone app was not enabled. is there any way i can find it???
Have you tried going back to the places you went yesterday to see if anyone turned one in? While I know plenty of people here report their phones have been stolen, the majority of people are still honest and simply give a phone that’s been lost to the owner or manager of the establishment their visiting.
However, if you’re unable to enable the Find My iPhone app through iCloud.com, then you won’t be able to track your phone with any apps.
The thing is that my iPhone was stolen so i am pretty sure i wont get it back by the person who stole it. Therefore i need a way to track it down and get it back.Is there any way to enable the Find my iPhone.If so please give me instructions..
Here are the instructions directly from Apple: http://www.apple.com/icloud/setup/
well i lost my ipod touch 4g will this work if i have not installed the program
It depends – do you have iCloud setup for the device?
My phone was stolen yesterday I’ve been tracking it since and the dot has turned grey now instead of green and says located 2 hours ago .. this happened yesterday aswell and after 3 hours of it being grey it turned green and was on the move … what does it mean when its grey ? it doesn’t say offline , and you can still call it ?
When it turns gray, it means the device isn’t currently active which may mean that it’s off or it just can’t get a GPS signal to report where it is. Have you reported the location to the police?
i never downloaded icloud and i cant find my phone and im not sure if someone stole it or not
I like to backtrack and think of the last place I’m certain I had my phone. Then I start thinking of the places I’ve gone since then. If there are stores or restaurants you’ve visited since you remember having it, go there and ask if anyone has turned in your phone.
If it might be in your house, apartment, or car; go through each carefully.
If you can’t find it after a thorough search, call up your carrier and get the phone disabled.
Hi,my friend lose iPhone,and what can we do?
Just follow the instructions above.
Short answer: login to iCloud (using your credentials) and enable the “Find my iPhone” app.
I lost my iPhone 4 around a week ago and has probably run out of battery by now. Is there anyway I could still install find my iPhone or is that not possible because its out of battery?
If the battery is dead, then there’s no way to enable that app. You can set it to email you in the event someone finds your phone and turns it back on – maybe you’ll get lucky. However, if you don’t find it soon, report it to your carrier as lost or stolen (depending on your situation) so they can disable the phone’s ESN.
i lost my iphone and its highly likely to be in my house…. so i went on icloud and clicked on” Find my iphone”
and it said my iphone is offline and it cannot locate it….WHAT DO I DO!!!!!!!
It’s likely the phone is off if it’s in your house then. I always start with couch cushions and then try to retrace my path and if that doesn’t work, I start systematically searching room by room… be sure to check your car too – look in between and under the seats.
I know my mom once found her phone sitting on the roof of her car – check everywhere.
Keep looking – I hope you find your phone.
Thank you!!! for the advice….. i remembered i left it in a shopping bag… next to my purse… and the next morning my mom said she threw away the shopping bag because it was empty… but i don’t remember if i ever took my iphone out…!!!! she said it was completely empty!!! because she checked before she threw it away and there was nothing in it…. i’m kinda panicking!!!!
but i will check everywhere in my house… and hope for the best!!! thanks!
Good luck! I hope it turns up soon.
I FOUND ITTTTT!!!! it turned out my little sister took it and hid it under her mattress!!!!!
So I don’t Need to Download The App From The App Store ?
I Have A 4S Iphone 5.1
?
Correct, it’s part of iCloud so you just need to login to iCloud and enable the app.
I lost my ipod and i didn’t turn on the find my iphone app before i lost it. Is it possible that I can still find it?
As long as your iPod is a 4th generation or later iPod touch, then yes, you can still install the Find My iPhone app. If it is an earlier model iPod Touch, then I’m afraid you won’t be use the app to track it down.
If you still can’t find it, report it as stolen.
my iphone got stolen, i have been trying to track it, but no luck.
would i still be able to track it if they turned icloud off?
also, along with what @sundar said, if they took the sim card out and restored it,
would i still be able to track it if they were using wifi?
i lost my i phone yesterday when i was cuming from karolbagh delhi and can u tell me the way to find my phone.
hi …. i lost my i phone 4s few days ago… i didn’t installed any apps like “FIND MY I PHONE “……can i track my mobile even if some one changed my sim or wiped. it …… is there any way to find my mobile using IMEI like tat
My iPhone 4S was stolen. I put the find my iPhone app on the device months ago and i could track it when I had it. Now that it is stolen it is not in my list of devices anymore. Can someone just slide the “off” button that easily on this app? No password protection on this? Can I remotely turn it back on?
One problem is that some of the people who steal iPhones these days are getting pretty savvy and know how to disable a phone from being tracked within minutes. It’s sad that there are people running around stealing phones, but unfortunately thieves have a history of stealing things that are valuable.
So i might of lost my phone but I can’t find it anywhere looked everywhere ten times nothing and I don’t know if someone stole it because it was int the car over night and I don’t have the tracker app so what elsa can I do?
Val, Just follow the instructions above. You don’t need to have installed the tracker app in advance.
***Question emailed to me from a reader***
Hi,
I have a few questions on this article. I have the newest iPhone, iPhone 4s. And I just lost it/got stolen a few days ago. And in this article it says that you can track your iPhone with someone else’s iPhone as long as that iPhone has the “find your iPhone” app, even if your lost one doesn’t. I tried to do this yesterday with a friends iPhone, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. Do I sign in to my iTunes or apple account in their iPhone and track my phones GPS location? I watched the video but still couldn’t figure out how to track mine. If you could email me back explaining the steps on how to track my phone from theirs, that would be very much appreciated.
Thank you very much,
[I removed her name]
Here are the steps you need to take to locate your phone. Go to icloud.com and sign in using your information. If you haven’t already done so you’ll need to enable the Find My Iphone app. Then you can activate the Find My iPhone app once logged into iCloud.
If you run into problems with the app locating your friend’s iPhone and not yours, then you’re probably logged in with their information and not yours. Make sense?
Note: If iCloud isn’t setup on your phone, then this process isn’t going to work.
If you still need help, Apple has a great page on this app that should be able to help you. http://www.apple.com/iphone/built-in-apps/find-my-iphone.html
Hope you find your phone soon!
Gary
Hi my iPhone 4s just got stolen and it has find my iPhone app on it when I go to the app on my iPad the phone is showing with a red dot, does that mean it is turned off and they haven’t put a new sim in it or is it too late. They turned the phone off as soon as they grabbed it, I have sent a lock password to it and a message offering a reward but have not heard from them.
Does the dot go to and stay grey if they change the sim card or drop off my iPhone app?
Here’s what the dots mean:
If you have a green dot, the device is online meaning the phone is still turned on. (It’s what we all hope for when we activate the app)
A red dot means the device is offline – i.e. the device has been turned off or the battery has died but it will display its last known location. I don’t think Apple uses the red dot anymore.
If you have a gray dot, then the app is still trying to locate the device. Yes, you’d get a gray dot if the SIM card had been removed or swapped but it could also mean the device had no known location when it was turned off.
I lost my iphone4, if the person that has it reset the settings and sold it cld I still find it even if they put a new sim card in it?
Once there is a new SIM card in the phone, there is no way to find it or track it down – sorry.
Not Lost have a question i dident have any of the apps installed when my iphone 4 got stolen and i belive the theif took the sim card out and wiped the phone. is there a way to track it or am i screwed ?
If that’s the case, then you’ll need to get your phone replaced as there’s no way to track it. Make sure you report the phone as stolen just in case.
my friend stole a iphone 4 back from his friend but his friend got it turned on too sprint how can he put the phone under his name even though it already has an account with sprint ???????
Please don’t steal phones – it’s illegal!
If it’s truly his phone, then your friend should have no problem getting the phone activated under his old account.
You see the other night I don’t know if I lost my phone or if it got stolen. It’s only the iphone 3, but I just go it updated and set up icloud. So will it still work to track my phone right? I know its kind of a stupid question, but would help a lot. I don’t want to download it for no reason.
Thx,
meiztinker
As long as your iPhone can run iOS 5, then yes the app will work.
This applications is so useful. Thanks Apple and the developer for this App.
My son’s Iphone 4 was stolen from his locker… I am trying to track the phone via “Find My Iphone”. It appears that the devise is off and has been since. Is there any way for the thief to have wiped it clean before tracking it even if he has a passlock? Also, will the ap locate the phone even if the sim card is removed?
Yes, it’s possible for the iPhone to be wiped even with a passlock and no, the phone can’t be located once the SIM card is removed – sorry.
how can you track the iphone 4 if you have lost it in the snow and it is powered off
In that case you won’t be able to track it down. Once a phone is powered down, there’s no way to track it. If someone finds it and turns it back on, the Find My iPhone app may contact you but there’s not much chance a phone that sits in the snow all winter will even work once its found… Sorry to say it, but it’s time to get a new phone or file an insurance claim to get a replacement.
Hi,
I installed it on my girlfriends iPhone 4, living in Belgium. It seemed to only work when there’s wifi connection. It doesn’t have 3g connection. She went out and i tried to follow where, but iCloud kept saying she was on the same location till an hour and went offline. I sent a message that she received as soon as she got home, connected to our wifi again.
So if my Iphone 3g got stolen but i did not have any of the security apps on there can i still track it?
Haha funny story with this app , I was at this party about 45 minutes from
Wear I was staying, completely blacked out so drunk so idk what happened, and then the next day I couldnt find it, I used my friends iPhone to use this app so I logged in and it showed me that my phone was at the house that I partied at so we drove the 45 min looking and it was right it was at that house so I love this app!! The only thing I wish they had was like exactly where like in the grass or in a drawer haha
Maybe someday you’ll be able to remotely activate the front and back cameras so you can try to get an idea of where the phone is.
My iphone 4s was stolen and i have been sending messages through icloud and locking it using “find my iphone” app. Now is there anyway to turn on my locations remotely in order to track my iphone?
NotLost I have a question and any advice you have would be amazing!
I lost my iPhone last night.. I have had it barred.. can my info still be accessed although its password prtected? I do have the software update although when I sign on to iCloud to find my iPhone it says no devices found?? I have notified my service provided and they have done what they can which wasn’t alot but anyway…
Do I have any hope of finding it?
Any help would be amazing and Thank You!
It’s unlikely they’ll be able to get your personal information. If your phone can’t be located, the phone likely has been turned off or the battery ran out. The Find My iPhone App can email you if the phone is turned back on again so there is a small possibility that it’ll be found yet.
YOU CANNOT TRACK YOUR IPHONE IF YOU DIDN’T SETUP A MOBILEME AND INSTALL THE APP *ON YOUR IPHONE BEFORE IT GOT STOLEN*
Have you ever noticed how it’s the ignorant people who yell the loudest and resort to calling everyone all sorts of names even though they’re wrong.
In the past what you were saying is true – however, Find my iPhone is built into iOS 5 and is dependent on iCloud, not MobileMe. As long as your iCloud account was setup, you’re good to go even if you didn’t deliberately take precautions or plan to have your phone stolen.
I lost my iPhone 4S and did not have the Lost iPhone App installed on it. I have an iPad 2 and installed the app on there. When I go into the app on my iPad 2 it will only find my iPad. How do I use the app to find my iPhone??? Thank you for your help!
My friend had a 4s and it got stolen. I have notice that thiefs are getting smarter. Lots now know to turn the phone off till they can restore software and of it has a lock code they just have to restore through DFU mode as if jailbreaking and that bypasses. Is there a way the phone can be tracked either by the imei, or esn, or any number that can’t be changed either when it connects to the tower or through iTunes when they try to restore or sync? I want to make my iphone 4 as useless as a paper weight to everyone but me.
Report the phone as stolen to your carrier. They’ll flag the ESN and they won’t be able to reactivate the phone.
It won’t quite turn it into a paperweight but at least the phone won’t be able to be used as a phone again.
wdf! what if i dont have my iPod to download the app!
it already got stolen!
can i still track it?:O
Yes you can. You can use your Mac or a friend’s device to do the tracking.
HEY MATE. I lost my iPhone 4 too a few days ago, but I’ve managed to find it using the “Find my Iphone” application:D. I’ve done a reasearch and I found out another interesing application that allows you to find your device even if it’s turned off. You could read this post for more informations http://deviceseeker.com/?p=848. I hope you will find your iPhone too.
I lost my ipod touch last night (it may have been stolen) i have the icloud app on it but like an idiot i turned location servises and icloud off in the settings. is there still a way to find it??
Okay I have an iPhone 4s and an iPod touch 4g. I cannot find my iPhone anywhere!! I tried to track it on my iPod but it only locates my iPod!!!! What do I do?!?! I used the same apple ID!
Can i locate my iphone 3gs using the above procedure or not. plz let me know..
Yes, as long as you’ve upgraded to iOS 5 it’ll work as I’ve described above.
I lost my iphone 4, I have sprint, is it still possible to track if they have airplane mode on or turned off? I havn’t canceled my plan yet
If it’s in airplane mode or turned off, you won’t be able to track it – sorry.
Just lost my phone yesterday.. cant find it, its been turn off i dont know how, it might be turn off because of the cold wheather maybe fell in the snow but i cant find it. i have icloud and find my iphone but every time i track it, it says location not aviable, please how to i track the last location it was or how to i track it if its turn off??
My Phone was stolen and the phone had a lock on it but If they completely restore the phone and wipe it clean will I still be able to track it?
HOW CAN FIND MY IPHONE 4 without any application like find my iphone or mobile me.??
hi ,yesterday my i phone 4s stolen early !!
How can i fine back the phone??
You’ll need to enable the Find My iPhone app in iCloud – here’s Apple’s official page with instructions on how it works and how to set it up. http://www.apple.com/iphone/built-in-apps/find-my-iphone.html
3 jan 2010 08.15 pm
iphone 4 stolen.
cellular data turned off.
but wifi turned on.
don’t know if thief turned the phone off.
it probably removed the sim card.
no mobile me or other tracking app installed.
can i do something through my mac book computer which is synchronized with my stolen iphone 4?
please help.
Once the SIM card is removed, there’s not much you can do. Sorry.
Does this apply to the iPod 4?
No, neither the iPod Nano, Classic, or Shuffle have a built in GPS chip so tracking them wouldn’t be possible. This will work on all version of the iPod Touch, however.
my apple i phone 4 is lost on 13 june 2011. please give me suggestion to find it.
so you dont have to set up a mobile me account beefore you lose it? you can set it up after and it will work? and if the phones dead…???????????
I ain’t that smart but I don’t understand y u need these apps to track a iPhone. They have a gps on them and if u have location services on it works of a satellite no different to a navigation system or epirb n u can get pin pointed. They can find out where your Phone is without all this shit but guessing the wouldn’t make as much money. Am I wrong. I want my funkn phone back.
Hello, I found a Iphone g4 , is not install the Mobile me aplication and also does not have Itunes account register.
I want to know if can be finding by serial number in some aplication the apple?
In case that not i would like to register in Itunes and install the aplication. will be possible to make if is not register in any system? because i dont know is i need some special code that was in the inicial manual o documents.
Thank you
You found and Iphone and you are asking how you can get it to work for you? Can’t you see that all the people in this forum are desperate because they lost something very important and you are asking this here? Why don’t you go to the ATT store and find out who the is owner and return it? The owner of that phone is our there sobbing so BE A BETTER PERSON AND RETURN IT
If you’re reading this proactively and you’re forgetful like me and actually plan on losing your phone at some point, install the PhoneFound app. It will display your contact information right on the unlock screen so even if you have your iPhone password protected, someone who actually wants to return your phone to you can do so easily. It’s a $.99 app. If you have an Android phone, the app you want is called Contact Owner.
Hello
I lost my Iphone 3GS 2 days ago. But I did not installa any security application on it.So It is impossible to find it,or..?
You can try using MobileMe – if the phone is still on, that might be able to help you find it.
i lost my iphone 4 and i forgot to download the app and im pretty sure who ever stole it turned it off what should i do im desperate and crying plz helppppp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sorry to hear about your phone. If the phone is off, then you’ll need to call up your cell phone carrier and report the phone as stolen. Before you do that, I’d login to iCloud and see if the phone can be tracked down.
iphone 4 stolen.
cellular data turned off.
but wifi turned on.
don’t know if thief turned the phone off.
it probably removed the sim card.
no mobile me or other tracking app installed.
can i do something through my mac book computer which is synchronized with my stolen iphone 4?
please help.
Lost iphone 4 wiith 4.2 software but did not activate mobleme on the phone. I activated the mobilme account but when I log on its says no devises set up. Can you activate a devise without having the devise? I have an Ipad but I am looking for my phone not ipad? Thanks
what if the lost iphone4 is switch off how can we track it?
If it’s off, there’s no way to track it. Sorry.
I lost my phone in Jan 4th (what a way to kickstart new years). anyways i didnt have any fancy apps installed. your post gave me a lil hope ( i still hope i’ll find my phone) but the post was a little vague. could you please please explain it further in a layman’s term. thank you
i lost my iphone can i find it or what a thief can do to make it hard
Can you please explain a little more thoroughly… how does it know to track my lost iPhone, not the borrowed one that I’ve logged in on??? Thanks so much for your help!
It will know to track your iPhone because you’ll login to your Apple account with your Apple ID – i.e. you’ll use the information you use when you login to iTunes. Since your phone is registered to your iTunes account, it knows to track the phone associated with that account and not your friends. Does that make sense?
Can you just explain more thoroughly-my sister lost her iPhone, and she never had MobileMe. I have an iPhone so I can download the software on my computer, and install a new MobileMe account, but will that help her in any way? Or was she required to have the MobileMe account before losing the iPhone?
Thanks,
Adiel
do I (the person that lost my phone) need to have a mobileme membership or does my friend (the person providing the iphone to install this app) need to have a mobileme membership? or both? thanks!!
you need to have the mobileme membership
If you dont have your phone set up to moblie me can you still track your phone?
what if the sim card is removed
I know this is an old comment but since this is a common question and one that people read often since it’s currently at the bottom of the page, here’s the answer:
If the SIM card on the iPhone has been removed, the phone can’t be tracked. Sorry.
Also, this app doesn’t work if the phone is turned off.