Mobile phone locate on iPhone 8

Apple's Family Sharing service not only saves you money by letting your entire family install a paid app on multiple devices, but it also integrates with Find My iPhone.

With Family Sharing set up , you can view the location of all the devices linked to a family member's Apple ID. Meaning, you can ask a family member to immediately begin looking for your lost iPhone once you realize it's missing. The best way to keep your phone secure, especially when you're traveling or in unfamiliar areas, is to keep a close eye on it and never relax. Be cautious. Overly cautious, even.

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Don't keep your phone out in the open where someone can grab it and run off. In the event you do lose your phone, don't panic! Take a deep breath and remember to use Find My iPhone. Once you realize you've lost your phone, the first thing you should do is visit icloud. If you're not near a computer, you have a couple of options to access Find My iPhone.

Either borrow a friend or family member's iOS device and sign in to the Find My iPhone app, or if you have Family Sharing set up, a member of your family can view your lost device in the Find My iPhone app on their own iOS device. If accessing Find My iPhone via the website or on another device, it's important you sign in to the same iCloud account linked to the lost iPhone. After signing in, select your phone from the list of devices to view its current location. If the device has been turned off, the last known location will be shown.

When viewing the device's location, select Actions at the bottom of the screen followed by Lost Mode. You'll be asked to enter a phone number and a message that will be displayed on the lock screen asking whoever has your device to get it back to you. If a passcode was not set on a phone that's put into Lost Mode, you'll be asked to create one when enabling Lost Mode.

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When enabled, Lost Mode will lock the device, prevent notifications and messages from showing up in your lock screen, and continue tracking the phone's location. The phone will still ring for incoming phone and FaceTime calls. This should help you track down the phone if it's nearby. Or maybe you'll be lucky and the person who has the phone will answer it to help get it back to you.

Any credit and debit cards added to Apple Pay , along with student IDs and transit cards stored in the Wallet app, will be disabled until you regain access to the phone and log in to your iCloud account.

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Once the Apple Card is available, it will also be disabled in these circumstances. If the phone is turned off and Lost Mode is enabled, you'll receive an alert when the phone is turned back on, complete with its current location -- assuming it has some sort of data connection. When you recover your phone, you'll need to enter the passcode you created when enabling Lost Mode. Then sign in to your iCloud account. If you're able to track your phone to a house or apartment building, don't confront the potential thief on your own.

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Call the cops and ask for their help. Sure, you want to get your phone back, but getting into a confrontation and potentially getting hurt isn't ideal. If you're unable to get your phone back, contact your carrier and explain that your phone has been lost or stolen.

Use Find My on iCloud.com

The carrier will flag your device's International Mobile Equipment Identity IMEI number and, in most cases, will prevent that number from working on the network, rendering the device useless to whoever has it. Then use it to find friends, family, or another device. Easily locate friends and family members. Share your location with others, and let them share back, in the Find My app. If you turn on Find My [device] on each of your devices, you can use iCloud.

Find and improve your location’s accuracy

You can also share your location with friends and family, or find the location of your friends on iCloud. Use the Find My app to locate your missing device, even if it's gone offline. With Find My, you can locate and protect your Mac if it's ever lost or stolen. You need to set up Find My Mac before it goes missing. Can't find your AirPods? Use Find My to see them on a map.

If your Apple Watch is missing, the Find My app can help you find it and protect your information.