Have you just purchased an iPhone? Before using your precious with a light heart, it is strongly advised to adopt some good practices. Some iOS features require special attention. Properly configured, they could be of very valuable help to you and, above all, increase your chances of finding your iPhone in the event of loss (or, unfortunately, theft).
By adopting certain reflexes at the same time, you will increase your chances of locating your iPhone and, perhaps, recovering it. Here’s everything you need to know to increase your chances of recovering your iPhone before it’s lost.
1. Configure Locate
If you haven’t already done so when you first set up your iPhone, it is highly recommended to activate Find My. Launched in 2010 with iOS 4.2, it allows, as its name suggests, to locate your iPhone on a map when it is lost (or stolen). To verify Find My is enabled on your device, open the Settings from iOS, enter your settings iCloudthen in the menu Locateenter Find My iPhone and activate the function if it is not already activated.
Then take the opportunity to activate the option Network Locate. This will allow you to locate your device even if it is offline, turned off, or in standby mode. At the same time, your iPhone will become part of the Find My network, which other iPhone owners can rely on to locate their device in the event of loss.
Finally, make sure the option Send last position is activated so that the position of your iPhone is sent to Apple in the event that the battery of your device is close to extinction.
2. Adopt an eSIM
If you haven’t already done so, it’s also best to ditch your physical SIM card in favor of a eSIM. This, in digital format, is integrated directly into the iPhone. It cannot therefore be removed from the iPhone to be used fraudulently in another device. Also, your iPhone will remain connected to the mobile network, giving you a chance to call your own number in the hope, perhaps, that a good Samaritan picks up and can return your property.
3. Complete your medical form
If your iPhone is lost (and you realize it a little late), the well-meaning soul who gets their hands on it will probably be looking for a way to find you. Rather than waiting for a hypothetical call that would allow him to have your identity, you can simplify the task for him by filling out your medical form. This is indeed accessible directly from the locked screen of the iPhone, after pressing the Emergency button, then selecting the Medical card option. The person who found your iPhone will certainly know your blood group and your measurements, but above all, they will be able to identify you and will have access to the contact details of the person to contact in the event of an emergency.
To complete your medical file on iOS, open the Settings and enter the menu Health. Then access the menu Medical form and press Create a medial sheet. Finally, make sure that the option Show in locked mode is properly activated.
To prevent your iPhone from going into airplane mode and being totally disconnected from the network, it is also best to prevent access to the iOS Control Center from the locked screen of the device. To do this, open the Settingsenter the menu Face ID and passcode, and type your lock code to access the options. Scroll through all the proposals until you reach the section Allow access in locked mode and disable it Control center.
If you’re lucky enough to own an Apple Watch (running WatchOS 8 at least), you can set up the app Locate to receive a notification on your watch when you leave a place without taking your iPhone with you.
To do this, open the app Locate on the iPhone, select your device in the list, and expand the settings pane to its full height. Enter the menu Notify me if you forgetactivate the option, and add the places for which you want to be alerted when you leave them by forgetting your iPhone.
If despite your best efforts you end up misplacing your iPhone, all is not lost. Unless it was stolen, you may still have a chance (even a slim one) of being able to locate it and perhaps recover it. Here are the good reflexes to adopt.
1. Locate your iPhone on a map
When you misplace your iPhone, time is your worst enemy. Therefore, it is imperative that you attempt to locate your iPhone as quickly as possible, at least before your device’s battery dies for good.
To do this, bring a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, or any other device capable of connecting to the Internet and having a web browser, go as quickly as possible to .
After logging in using your iCloud ID, you should be able to access a beautiful Apple Maps where you should see a small green dot of your lost iPhone. This is, in the best case, its real-time geographical position, and in the worst case, its last recorded location. If you are not too far from the location where your device is, you can try to get closer to it, then click on the button To ring. You might then be able to make out your iPhone’s ringtone ringing, which will help you navigate to where (or who) it is.
Once in place, this mode locks your iPhone and allows you to display a message on it in which you can explain that your device is misplaced. You can also include contact details to which a charitable soul can possibly reach you in order to return it to you.
If your iPhone has been stolen, chances are that in the days or even weeks following the theft, you will receive a text or an email explaining that your iPhone has been located. Generally, the message is accompanied by a link to a web page that looks very similar to Apple’s Find My, and on which you must connect your iCloud account or enter your unlock code.
HELP PLEASE 🙏🏻
My phone was stolen last 05/03. I put it in lost mode. I just received a call from a number from the United States telling me that my iPhone has been located in lost mode: is this a technique for thieves to recover my code? + SMS pic.twitter.com/g5ULOmnV1h
Above all, don’t go there, don’t click on anything at all, and don’t connect to it! This is most likely a phishing site set up by thieves to steal your iCloud ID and password. If you receive this kind of message, it is probably because your device has crossed the French border.
With the valuable information obtained through their scam, the hoodlums will be able to disable the activation lock in place on your iPhone. Therefore, deactivate the Find My device on your device, which will allow them to reset it to give it a new life, in other latitudes.
4. Erase your iPhone
Your iPhone seems permanently lost? Since you will probably never find it, it is probably best to empty it of all your personal data. You can do this remotely, by connecting, again, to where you will find an option for Erase iPhone. All device content and settings will be deleted.
The iPhone will still be able to be located (provided you have enabled the Find Network option) but will not be unusable, the activation lock also remaining in place. Thieves will be able to use it at worst as a paperweight or a door stopper, at best to disassemble it in order to extract the parts (with the exception of the motherboard which will remain unusable).
