Lost iPhone – How to find lost iPhone in UK?
By : Danielle Aarons /
So, you’ve lost your phone? Most of us have been in the position where we’ve patted down our clothes, looked down the sides of our couch or maybe retraced our steps. But if you’re phone has for sure disappeared, this can leave you in a very difficult situation. We understand that you’ll want your iPhone back in your hands fast.
But thanks to clever technology, tracking down your device can be very simple so as long as your phone is connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or 4G) and linked with iCloud, using our below steps should have you reunited with your beloved device in no time!
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Activation Lock and Find my iPhone
Apple introduced a useful tool with iOS 7, this is called Activation Lock. This is a handy tool as when you lose your device, your phone will then become unusable if a third party doesn’t have the password for your iCloud account. Your phone can be completely wiped but if you use iCloud and have installed Activation Lock, the device is useless to anyone but you.
Activation Lock is linked with Find My iPhone, so if you have Find My iPhone switched on, you will also have Activation Lock enabled on your device.
If your device is still secured with you, follow our below steps to activate Find My iPhone as this is useful if indeed you lose your phone in future.
Firstly, go to Settings > Tap on your iCloud profile at the top of the page > Tap Find My iPhone > Tap Send My Last Location (if your battery is low and about to die, this will send a notification on the device’s whereabouts to Apple).
Find my iPhone is the most important feature to have activated in the event of losing your device, however, using a passcode and two-factor authentication is just as important in keeping your data safe.
How to find my iPhone using Find my iPhone
To track the whereabouts of your device using Find my iPhone:
- Go to iCloud.com in any web browser
- Log into your iCloud account
- Click on Find iPhone in the main menu
- Enter your Apple ID and Passcode, sign in when prompted
- Click “All Devices” at the top of the page
- Click on the device name that you want to track
- This will then show you a map in which you can zoom in and out to locate the device
When you have got to the Map page showing your device's location – there are three modes in the top right corner
- Play Sound – Your iPhone will sound a loud ping if you can't find your device but you know it is somewhere safe and you’re close by.
- Lost Mode – If your device is registered with “Find My iPhone” you will be able to use this mode to lock your device, this is important if your iPhone has been stolen. Firstly, Sign into Find My iPhone then choose the device you wish to lock, tap Lost Mode, you will then be asked to follow a set of instructions and create a passcode if your device does not have one already. Once Lost Mode is activated, you can then see your device’s location and any movement on a map.
- Erase – This will wipe all data from your iPhone, resetting the device to factory settings. If your device is either lost/stolen, this is the best way to ensure your data is protected.
How to Find my iPhone if it has been turned off or offline
If your device is either missing or stolen and you have suspected the battery has died or the iPhone has been turned off, thankfully there is a way to find its whereabouts using “Send Last Location”.
Still not working? Our expert technicians can help
iSmash fix all kinds of devices, tell us about yours and get a free QuoteTo turn on Send Last Location:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Find My iPhone
- Check if Find My iPhone is on
- Set Send Last Location to on
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