You can track the location of your Lost, Misplaced or Stolen iPhone using Apple’s “Find My” service, as long as “Find My iPhone” option has been enabled on your device.
When Find My iPhone is enabled on your device, the Location of your iPhone is continuously tracked by Apple’s “Find My” service using Wi-Fi, cellular and bluetooth networks.
In addition to finding the location of your lost, stolen or misplaced device, Apple’s “Find My” service can also be used to remotely erase the Data from your lost device, which prevents the possibility of your personal information being misused.
Find Lost iPhone Using Find My iPhone
Apple Find My iPhone service is not enabled by default on iPhone. Hence, the first step is to enable “Find My iPhone” service on your device, after which you will be able to track the location of your lost, misplaced or stolen device.
1. Enable “Find My iPhone” Service On iPhone
Follow the steps below to enable Apple’s Finf My iPhone service on your iPhone.
1. Open Settings > tap on your Apple ID Name > Find My.
2. From the next screen, go to Find My iPhone > move Find My iPhone Slider to ON position.
Note: You may also want to Enable Find My Network and Send Last Location options.
Enabling “Find My Network” on iPhone allows you to track the Location of your iPhone, even if gets disconnected from cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
2. Use Find My to Locate Your Lost iPhone
In case your iPhone gets misplaced, lost or stolen, you can follow the steps below to track the location of your Lost iPhone.
1. Using a computer (Mac or PC) visit icloud.com
2. Sign-in to your iCloud by entering your Apple ID and Password associated with the Lost iPhone.
3. Once you are in iCloud, tap on Apps Icon (top-right) and click on Find My Icon.
4. When prompted, enter your Apple ID Password to sign-in to Find My Service.
5. On the next screen, click on All Devices tab and select your lost iPhone in the drop-down.
6. Once you click on your iPhone, you will be able to see the last location of your iPhone on a Map.
On the same screen, you will see the options to Play Sound, Lost, Erase This Device and Remove This Device options.
Here is an explanation of what each of these options do:
Play Sound: This option allows you to play an Audible Tone on your lost iPhone, even if it is placed on vibrate or silent mode. Use this option if you believe that your iPhone has been misplaced somewhere within your own house or office.
Lost mode: When you select the Lost option, you will be prompted to enter a phone number where you can be reached at. This Phone number will be displayed on the screen of your lost iPhone, so that the finder can get in touch with you.
The Lost Mode also plays an audible tone, in order to draw the attention of the finder to your iPhone.
Erase This Device: This option allows you to remotely erase all the data from your iPhone. You can use this option to prevent your personal information and data from falling into wrong hands.