Have you experienced that helpless feeling when your iPhone or iPad is stolen or lost? Have you been overcome by that awful sinking feeling of sheer dismay at the thought of all the information that you might have lost? Do you fear you might never recover your photos, documents, and other vital information?
When you lose a regular mobile phone or your laptop, the loss is usually just hardware. The finder simply removes the SIM card and replaces it with his/her own card. No one is the wiser. Today’s iPhones and iPads present an altogether different picture. There is a lot more at stake. You will be losing your data, including: apps, contacts, photos, music, and anything else that you had stored in the iPhone or the iPad.
Of course, you could always buy another phone, but this will entail recollecting all that personal data. Of greater concern is the fact that the person who has found your iPhone or iPad will have access to all your contacts and social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and your emails. If you are prone to doing online banking, the thief will also have access to your accounts.
The first thing to do in this case is to make changes to your passwords. Your smartphone is a complete key to your identity.
How the Apps Work
As the iPhone and iPad have become the smartest devices in the world, apps have been created for locating the gadget remotely by using the GPS ability of the smartphone. The service is free on some apps. For some, there is an online subscription. The exact location of the phone can be pinpointed using Google maps.
The owner of the phone can also send a message to the phone. This will be displayed on the screen of the phone. It is possible to send such a message even if you have locked the phone. In some apps, it is also possible to make the phone create some sound that will assist you in locating the phone, if it is hidden somewhere like behind some cushions or in a cupboard.
The user can simply logon and check out the smartphone’s current location. In some cases, even if the person who has stolen your iPhone has changed the SIM card, you can still get the number. Above-average accuracy is provided by these apps.
Dropping or misplacing your iPhone is a headache. But, some apps can help you retrieve your phone:
Find My iPhone
This is a free app that allows the person to make use of an iOS device enabling him to locate the missing device on a map. This can help you protect any data you have stored in the phone. You can even display a message on the phone or make it play at full sound volume. This is possible with the app even if you had set your phone on silent.
You can, additionally, lock the device remotely from wherever you are. However, if you wish to use this app to locate your iPhone, you will need to first upgrade the iPhone to an iOS of 5 or above. It is also essential to register your phone with the iCloud account with your Apple ID. Finally, you must install the Find my iPhone app.
Next, go to Settings, iCloud and then go to Find my iPhone. Tap on Allow in order to confirm the option selected. If your app is turned on and if you are connected with the Internet, you can find the current location of your stolen or lost iPhone.
This app was first introduced by Apple in 2009. Initially, it allowed users to trace their phone through the GPS in the device. This service became free after the iOS 4.2 was introduced. Those having iPhones of an earlier version can make use of the service available on a friend’s phone and create their free MobileMe account. They can then access even their older version phones, provided it is running on iOS4.
GadgetTrak
GadgetTrak is another app that increases the odds of finding your lost or stolen iPhone or iPad. The app is able to generate reports about the location. GadgetTrak sends discreet messages to the phone. It is also able to send snapshots of the person who is currently in possession of the iPhone using the built-in camera. The GadgetTrak app cannot be deleted from the iPhone; hence the person stealing the iPhone will not be able to delete the app.
You need to install the app before you lose the device. Buy GadgetTrak and tap the icon of the application on the phone to launch it. Next, you need to create an account and sign in to the account. Create a pass code so that others will not be able to change the settings in GadgetTrak. They will also not be able to see the tracking status of the app.
There are extensive versions offered for Android devices and iOS. The snap photos are an awesome feature for Apple devices. The owner of the device is thus able to gather evidence helping to locate the phone and to catch the thief.
Device Locator
Device Locator is another app allowing you to keep track of your lost iPhone or iPad. It does this by remotely sounding an alarm on the phone and also taking a snapshot of the person currently in possession of it. Device Locator also sends a message along with the sound. There is a monthly or yearly fee for the use of this app.
You must install Device Locator before the device is lost and launch it by tapping on the icon. Next, create your account in the website and customize your settings in the phone. When trying to locate the phone, you need to login to your account after visiting the website and set the account to an emergency mode. You must lock the app from the web site and then track its location and its recent position on the map.
iHound
The iHound app also helps you locate your iPhone or iPad by means of remotely locking it. This app is also able to remove and erase data remotely. It tracks the location as well as playing siren alerts. You can download iHound for free. But, you must take a three-month subscription.
The iHound app is able to find the lost or stolen iPhone or iPad by utilizing geo location to track the whereabouts of the phone. An Android version helps you lock the mobile device so that your personal information cannot be accessed by the thief. If the device falls into the wrong hands your data is safe. The remote messaging feature offered in this app is also very useful. It allows you to communicate with the person who presently has the phone.
The iHound app alerts the user if the thief connects your device to a computer or any other gadget. When the missing device is connected with a computer, the app will immediately send a message by email to inform you that the phone is being actively located. You can log onto the site of iHound and read details about the phone and where it is being connected to a computer. This is a very useful feature when the person who stole your device switches it off and then uses the computer for formatting the memory card.
If Found Lock Screen
This app replaces the background of your iPhone with a message. Thus, even if you have locked your iPhone, if someone has found it and wants to return it to you, he can find you and contact you in case. If Found+ offers a valuable service when it replaces the wallpaper background of the device with your message. A Good Samaritan can return the phone to you even if you have locked it.
It is important to personalize your phone by using this app. You can adjust the color and fade as well as the wallpaper image and add any other information that can make it easier for you to find the phone in case it gets lost.
Mobile Spy
This app allows the device owner to spy or monitor the iPhone or iPad he has lost. This monitoring can be done in real time. The app is able to provide all reports of incoming and outgoing calls from the phone. The app also provides details of any SMS that is sent and the contact list, emails and website URLs being browsed along with the photos and videos being uploaded by the person on the phone. Mobile Spy also gives the GPS location of the device.
There are several versions for iPhone 4 and 5. You need to follow the three basic steps of registering the account and creating your username and password. You have to install the app directly on to the monitored phone and launch the program. After an hour, you can login to the account and view the logs at any time to check them.
Phone Trace 4
The Phone Trace 4 app also allows real-time tracking of the stolen or misplaced device. The app also offers the new number that is being used by the person holding the phone. The app is able to send emails and commands as well as SMS remotely. It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and also with iPad. Phone Trace 4 requires an iOS of 3.2 or later.
The app allows you to locate users of your iPhone and view their movements during the past forty-eight hours. There is also a permission-based system that can be used for allowing or denying other iPhone users and preventing them from following you. Some of the versions allow the tracking of two iPhones at a time and the authorization of two phones to follow your location.
Motion Alarm
This app offers an alarm that can be customized to alert you. This alarm can be set so that, when the set level of movement is reached, the alarm goes off. There is also a GPS tracking system available in the app. You can discover the present location of the phone, which will be sent to your email inbox.
The Motion and Sound Alarm is for Android users and the Motion Alarm is for iOS users. This technology uses deterrence that is triggered by motion. Thus, unwelcome hands cannot touch your phone. The stealth mode or the darkened screen mode is used by the application for the purpose of creating confusion. This helps disguise the activity of the app. The device can also be controlled remotely by sending text messages as well as any other instructions to the phone.
Navizon
Navizon is a free app that enables the tracking of the stolen device in real time including an accurate location of the device by marking the position accurately. It is designed to provide information about the accurate position of a smartphone wherever it is located anywhere in the world, whether indoors or outdoors. Users can locate their phones through buildings and malls and even in airports. All major smartphones are supported by this app including: BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Symbian.
The app works by triangulating signals that are broadcasted from the cellular towers around the phone in order to estimate the location of your phone in most of the metropolitan areas around the world. It uses the GPS signals to create an accurate map containing the Wi-Fi access points of the person using the phone. Navizon comes with a trial period including all the premium features.
Find My Friends
This free app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be used very successfully to track the missing device. You will need to first add your family members’ and friends’ contacts on the phone. By using the numbers which have been previously accepted by the device, you can find the location of the phone on a map.
You need to install the free app on your device, which is running iOS 5. You must then sign in with theApple ID you use with iCloud. Adding a friend or family member is easy. Simply send a request and see their location. If the friend accepts the use of the Find my Friends app on his/her device, you can see the location. Similarly, friends can see your location by means of triangulation data.
You can share the location for a limited time in order to keep track of friends or family members. All you need is an iCloud account and iOS 5 or later. You can also create an iCloud account for free on the device. The notification regarding your or the phone’s location appears under Me> Followers. You need to lock the phone with a pass code.
The app is free for iPhone and Android users. You are offered three free locations. After that you must pay a fee each month.
Conclusion
Today, many of us carry expensive gadgets such as iPhones and iPads. On a flight, we listen to music or we read a Kindle eBook or watch movies on an iPad. If your iPhone or iPad gets lost or stolen, what recourse do you have? Losing your smartphone means losing all your contacts and precious, sensitive data. Accidents happen.
There’s no guarantee that you will not lose your iPhone or iPad. You could take some security measures, so that, in the worst case scenario, you will be able to remove the sensitive data from your device and even, perhaps, locate the set.
The good news is that there are apps to help you to tackle such unpleasant scenarios. These apps can help retrieve the lost or accidentally taken smart device.
Some devices and apps are able to trace the lost iPhone or iPad. You need to install and activate them before you lose or misplace your device.
