It is a tragedy for the owner, not only because this smartphone is quite expensive, but also for another reason: according to surveys, 70% of owners of “apple” gadgets store important information on mobile devices, both personal and necessary for work and business. If the manager loses his iPhone (along with notes, emails and spreadsheets), this can "stall" his organization’s work for several days.
Fortunately, there is a chance to find a gadget. People who have lost their iPhone or iPad should put off self-flagellation and self-pity “for later” and take the measures described in this article first. Even if it is not possible to detect a lost iPhone due to these measures, it will be possible to delete the data stored in the device’s memory to prevent it from falling into the hands of ordinary people or, much worse, business competitors.
There are several measures you need to take. right away after detecting loss of iPhone. If the smartphone was found by a respectable person, it is likely that these simple measures will yield the result:
Call your number. Use the phone of a friend or work colleague for this. If you left the device on the street, the call will attract the attention of a passerby who will be able to give you the find for a modest reward. In the absence of a telephone from which you can make a call, use the “omnipotent” Internet at hand — for example, you can make a call to any number from the website www.iCantFindMyPhone.com. If the call does not give a result, proceed with further actions.
Temporarily block the SIM card. For this, it’s not even necessary personally to come to the mobile operator’s service office - just call the hotline number and name the passport data. This measure will protect against an impressive minus in the account.
Change passwords via computer. The iPhone saves in its memory all the passwords that you specified. If you, say, regularly transfer money through the iPhone in your Sberbank-Online Account, then the loss of the device may well put your well-being at risk. An attacker gaining access to your social network page will threaten your reputation.
Take preventive measures so as not to be in a situation where all your passwords are in the hands of an attacker. Use a password manager with one master code that a person who accidentally finds a gadget will not be able to find out for sure. About password managers for iPhone (and not only) is described.
Think about where you’ve been recently and where you might have lost your device.. Say, if you used taxi services, you can dial an operator who will connect you personally with your driver. The driver can check to see if he found an iPhone.
Can I find iPhone by IMEI?
It’s easy to find the IMEI of the “apple” device: just dial * # 06 # and the number will appear on the screen.
What cannot be done if the Find iPhone feature is enabled?
Having reported the loss of the iPhone to the police, the user will probably be faced with the requirement to disable " Loss mode"So that law enforcement can track the location of the device by IMEI.
If a security password is set on the smartphone, you can disable the “Lost Mode” at the request of the police - the password is a fairly reliable protection.
Only the "apple" pro will be able to drop it - the probability that the finder is an advanced user is very small.
If the police ask to erase the iPhone and leave the iCloud account, in no case should they fulfill their request. The security password after erasing will be reset, which means that the person who discovered the iPhone, will be able to fully use the device. The owner can only hope for the agility of the police, which, alas, does not put cases on the loss of phones a priority.
Apps to help find iPhone
Not only the device’s built-in functions, but also third-party applications available in the AppStore for free or for a moderate fee can help you find the gadget. These programs include:
Contact If Found
The application makes it possible to create a desktop screen saver on which the owner’s contact information is present. This program is free, but installs only on smartphones with iOS 8th version and higher.
iHound.
The program " ihound"-" personal investigator "of the owner of the iPhone. As soon as the lost gadget is connected to the PC, a letter will be sent to the owner’s mailbox indicating the exact address where the device is located. Thus, the owner may not allow the software of his smartphone to be changed by “computer craftsmen”. Also " ihound"Periodically fixes the location of the gadget for preventive purposes - this means that the owner will be able to find out not only where the device is staying now, but also as it got there (for this you have to use Facebook or Twitter).
Reward if found
The program will create a colorful splash screen with the contact details of the owner. As soon as the person who found the iPhone turns on the device, he will see something like the following:
The program is paid, but its cost is low - only 75 rubles.
iLocalis
iLocalis is an application available only for iPhone with jailbreak (in Cydia) Its functionality is quite wide: for example, using iLocalis»You can find out a new number if you have changed the SIM card in your smartphone.
Conclusion
Improving the security of device owners is a growing trend. It is known that Apple engineers are developing a project of "zombie mode" iPhone - a gadget in this state will be able to transmit information about the location to the owner even when it is off. However, while users of "apple" gadgets have to be content with the function " Find iPhone", Which, alas, does not always bring results.
A service designed to search for lost / stolen iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and even Mac computers. However, in a situation where your favorite gadget is lost, many users simply start to panic and do not know where to start searching for a device or remotely erase data from it until they fall into the wrong hands.
In contact with
In this article, we will try to clearly describe the algorithm of actions in case of loss of an iOS device.
First of all, you should think in advance about the security of your phone or tablet and activate the function on it. You can do this very simply: go to Settings -\u003e iCloud -\u003e Turn on Find iPhone.
If the iOS device is lost, run the program on any other iOS device (download Find iPhone for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch) or go to iCloud.com and select this program from the list of available ones. When you start the program or go to the iCloud.com website, you will be required to enter the password that was used to configure iCloud and, accordingly, on the lost device.
After starting the program, in the My devices section you will see a list of devices associated with your Apple ID. If the device you need is connected to the network, then you can see its geo-location on the map and the remaining battery charge, an icon in the form of a car will be displayed next to the device name - it serves to build a route to the location of the iOS device.
For each device, you will be given three options to choose from:
Play sound - when you click on the icon, a sound signal is played on the device, even if it is in silent mode.
Loss mode - main mode for a lost device:
It is worth noting that thanks to the new iOS 7 - function, your message and phone number will even be displayed on the screen of the device.
Erase iPhone / iPad - an option that will completely delete data from your device and will reset all settings. After deleting the data, the device will no longer appear on the map in the Find iPhone program, however, and the thief will not be able to use it, because after erasing or when flashing the device will still require an Apple ID and password.
All these options, by the way, can be activated in the absence of an Internet connection on a lost device. They will take effect immediately after connecting to the Internet.
Recently, we began to receive more and more letters and messages from our readers and friends about a new misfortune that has overtaken users of Apple devices. At some point, the owner of the iPhone, iPad or Mac receives a letter stating that he was logged into his iCloud account from an unknown device, and after that the gadget is blocked due to the loss mode.
At the same time, the electronic address is displayed on the device’s screen, where it is necessary to write in order to get a password for unlocking. We studied this issue and found a discussion on the Apple Support Forum, the first post of which dates back to July of this year. 
The last message was written on October 17, and it also tells that the user has become a victim of scammers, and what to do is completely incomprehensible. Judging by the series of letters that device owners receive, first someone logs into their iCloud browser version with their password, then turns on the device’s loss mode, and then another message arrives informing you of the location of the “missing” gadget. 
After examining the correspondence in the support forum, we learned that even two-factor authentication does not save the problem: an attacker still somehow finds a way to log onto iCloud.com and do his dirty business. The Apple Press Service informed us that the company recently updated the instructions on returning “stolen” devices to their control, and if you have suffered from this problem, we advise you to try everything that is described.
Meanwhile, some users who contacted Apple support were told that in the near future the company will unblock gadgets that have entered the loss mode without the permission of the owner. However, when and how this will happen, no one speaks.
If you also encountered such a problem, we will be grateful for your comments. Please tell us about your device, what were the symptoms of the problem, and how did you manage (if at all) to solve it.
UPDATED: Based on the successful experience of regaining control of the device, we tell you how to solve this problem without having to pay a ransom or go to a service center. First you need to go to iCloud.com, log in to your account and go to the "Settings" section.
Here you find your device in the list and click on it, after which a cross icon will appear next to it. Press it and the gadget will be untied from your Apple ID. 
Then we connect the device to the computer, launch iTunes and, holding the screen lock button and the Home button for eight seconds, enter your gadget in DFU mode. After that, we simply restore the system from the last saved backup. After that, your iPhone or iPad should return to normal operation.
With the advent of the Find iPhone feature in iOS, theft of Apple devices has declined significantly. This is due to the fact that finding a lost iPhone, iPad or Mac has become easy, and the gadget itself, blocked by the user, turned into a brick for spare parts.
In this article I want to tell you what the Find iPhone feature is and how it helps protect your iOS device from theft.
What is "Find iPhone"
Find My iPhone or Find My iPhone is Apple's official service that helps protect your device from theft or loss. At the moment, you can use the service through the application and the iCloud web service.
If your iPhone was stolen. then using the "Find iPhone" you can do:
- play a sound signal that helps you find a smartphone or tablet if it is near you
- see the location of the device on the map
- enable the loss mode, which will block iPhone, iPad
- remotely delete all data from a stolen device
How to enable the Find iPhone feature
In order for the Find My iPhone feature to work. it must be enabled in the settings of your device.
Turns on “Find iPhone” in the settings of the iOS device. Go to “Settings” - “iCloud” - “Find iPhone” (or find “Find iPad”) and move the slider to the active position. Here you can enable / disable the automatic sending of the latest geo-location of your device to Apple every time the battery is almost at zero.
Simultaneously with the inclusion of the “Find iPhone” function, the activation lock starts to protect the mobile device from intruders.
IPhone Activation Lock
Activation lock or Activation Lock - a new feature that has appeared with the release of iOS 7 improves the data security of the iPhone or iPad. Activation lock is automatically activated when the “Find iPhone” function is turned on, securing the Apple ID for the iOS devices used. After that, without entering an Apple ID password, the following actions will become unavailable:
- disabling the Find iPhone feature on your device
- delete data from the device;
- re-activation and use of the device.
It is worth noting that even flashing and restoring in DFU mode will not solve the problem. If you do not remember the password from your Apple ID, then it can be restored using.
How to disable "Find iPhone"
Disabling the “Find iPhone” function is necessary if you are selling your device or when returning it to a service center for iPhone or iPad repair.
There are three ways to turn off the Find iPhone feature:
- Via iPhone or iPad settings
- Remotely Using iCloud
- Delete iCloud account from the device in the settings or erase the content and settings of iPhone, iPad.
The easiest and quickest way to disable the Find iPhone feature is through the settings. To do this, just go to "Settings" - "iCloud" - "Find iPhone" and there, put the slider in the inactive position. you’ll be asked to enter your Apple ID password.
How to find iPhone from computer via iCloud
You can find a missing iPhone through iCloud from any computer or mobile device through a browser. To do this, go to the site and enter your Apple ID and password.
The My Devices menu displays all your devices that are associated with this iCloud account.
To get information about the current location of the device you need, as well as access to the control panel, you just need to select it in the "My devices" menu.
Find iPhone app
You can use all the Find iPhone functionality, for example, tracking the device’s geolocation or blocking it when it is stolen, either through the iCloud service or using the Find My iPhone universal mobile application. Find iPhone is free to download at.
After installation, just run the application and log in to the system by specifying the Apple ID and password for it. Once authenticated, you can always track the location of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac on a map, provided that all of the devices listed have the same iCloud account enabled.
How to find a lost or stolen iPhone
If the “Find iPhone” function was enabled on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac, then immediately after you find the device is lost, you must turn on “Lost Mode” as soon as possible via iCloud or the “Find iPhone” mobile application.
This mode will block your iPhone and will require you to enter a password to continue working.
If the smartphone has previously been protected with a lock password, then when activating the loss mode, a combination of numbers familiar to the owner will be used as a password. Otherwise, you will need to come up with a new password.
I would also like to add that the missing device is not connected to the Internet, then all the sent commands using the Find iPhone or iCloud application will be executed only after the device is back online.
If you became a victim of the stolen brand new iPhone, then as soon as you notice this, you need to immediately act. You need to visit the iCloud website and block the stolen iPhone. Using the Apple ID that you have available, you need to log in to iCloud.com.
Your next step is to go to the Find iPhone branch. By clicking on the drop-down menu, the choice of iPhone or iPad is made (it depends on what was stolen from you). On the map that appears, the location of the switched on device should be displayed with a green dot. This means that you are lucky - the iPhone is turned on and has an online registration. If the dot is red, then it has been offline for at least a day.
After that, a window such as Lost Mode appears, and you must specify a password in it. If a password has not been set before, the system automatically installs it on the device.
When a stolen gadget has important or just personal information, it can be deleted from it. There is a special menu for this. But there is no need to rush to press it, since immediately after deleting the information, the device will not be possible to track on the map. There is already at your discretion.
What you need to do to be able to block a stolen iPhone
Before you first go out with an iPhone, you need to configure everything correctly. You need to start by activating an option such as "Find iPhone", located along the path: settings - iOS - iCloud. There is also a menu item such as “Last Geo Position”. You need to make sure that it is active. By activating this item, you can track the geolocation of the device in the off state.
You can’t ID and do not store it near the phone. If you suddenly forgot it, you need to immediately visit the Apple website, answer the questions and change this password.
Wonderful if you can take advantage of the ability to block using Touch ID. This will remove the lock using fingerprinting, which means using a fingerprint. Password activation can be done simply: Settings, Password, Password protection, transfer to Enable password mode. It is possible to activate the process of deleting information through 10 incorrect password entries.
Turn on iPhone Lost Mode
In order to activate the loss mode, you can use 2 methods:
- in iCloud from any computer, tablet or smartphone with an Internet connection;
- from another iOS device.
The loss mode can be enabled in a web or iOS application, it is available only for devices that directly run iOS 5.0 and above. But for older iPhone firmware, this feature is not available.
From any computer or tablet, or even smartphone in a web browser, you need to go to icloud.com and go to the Find iPhone application, log in with the Apple ID specified in the device settings "Settings -\u003e iCloud -\u003e Account".
Next, in the My devices menu (located in the upper center), select the model of the device. In the window with information about the device, click on "Lost Mode". Then enter the 4-digit lock password twice.
After that, you enter the phone number that you can call to return the phone and click "Next". The number will be displayed on the screen of the device locked with a password. If you have lost or stolen an iPhone from which you can make calls, it is possible to call the phone number specified by you from its locked screen.
- the phone is locked with a password;
- your message will be displayed on the lock screen;
- the specified phone number will be displayed on the lock screen, where you can call even from a locked iPhone;
- in the window with the image of this device you can see the inscription "Lost mode";
- an email will be sent to the email address used to register the Apple ID that the device’s loss mode has been activated;
- an activation lock is activated on an iPhone;
- when you connect iPhone to iTunes, a warning appears that the device has turned on the loss mode and actions with it are blocked.
If the iPhone is not connected to the Internet when activating the loss mode, then iCloud will ask you to activate this mode. When you connect your iPhone to the Internet, the request will be immediately executed.
The loss mode is turned on not only through iCloud, it can also be done from another device, the only requirement is that there must be an Internet connection.
In order to block the stolen device you need: on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad you need to run the “Find iPhone” application and log in with your Apple ID, password. You need to select the device you want to block and click on "Actions". Next, click on "Lost Mode" and turn it on.
Enter the password, phone number, message text and click on “Finish”. In the "All devices" menu, a lock image will appear. The consequences for the device will be the same as when the mode was activated from iCloud.
Disable loss mode
The loss mode is turned off much easier than it turns on, there are 3 ways to do this.:
- from the locked device;
- from iCloud in a web browser;
- from the Find iPhone in iOS menu.
The easiest and fastest way to turn off the mode is to disconnect from a locked device. You only need to enter the lock password correctly. After that, the device is unlocked and the loss mode is deactivated.
To disable the loss mode through iCloud, you need to do almost all the actions identical to the process of enabling this mode. In the "My devices" menu, select the device on which the loss mode is activated and click on "Lost mode". Next, click on “Exit Lost Mode”, confirm the request.
As a result, the loss mode will be disabled, and the message and phone number will disappear from the locked screen, but the password will not be reset, you need to enter the password to unlock the device. After that, this password will be set in the form of a device lock code. Disabling the loss mode is possible from the Find iPhone application on another iOS gadget. Moreover, the procedure is similar.
Lost mode - the “trick” is wonderful, it can only become an obstacle for attackers as well as for legitimate owners. It turns out that remotely it is impossible to change the lock password, i.e. if the lock password was specified in the device settings and accidentally forgotten, then disabling the emergency mode is possible, but it becomes impossible to get beyond the lock screen.
In this situation, recovering an iPhone from Recovery Mode or DFU mode comes to the rescue. It is possible to enter iPhone in any of these modes from any state, iTunes can recognize the device in recovery mode and offer to restore it. After the recovery process, set up your iPhone as new. But this is if you are the rightful owner and you have an Apple ID account, from where the loss mode was turned on.
Bluetooth
