How to Locate Your iPhone or iPad If It’s Lost or Stolen

This tutorial will guide you though the steps to set up and use the Find My iPhone (or iPad) App to locate your lost or stolen iPhone or iPad.

Note: this tutorial has been updated (on Nov 6th, 2012) to reflect the changes in the latest version of the Find My iPhone service.

1. First, make sure you’ve created an iCloud Account with Apple, as you’ll need your username and password to complete this procedure (and to recover your device). If you haven’t created and set up an iCloud Account on your iPhone or iPad, see this tutorial by Apple.

   From your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, install the free App Find My iPhone. Even though the name is slightly misleading, it does work perfectly on the iPad and iPod Touch, not just the iPhone.

2. Now open the Settings on your iPhone and select iCloud from the Settings column. Toggle the Find My iPhone (or iPad…) ON/OFF switch to ON.


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3. Tap the Allow button when prompted.
4. Now you’ve completed the installation part of this tutorial. To locate your iDevice, continue with the next step.
5. Visit the iCloud Home Page in a web browser. Sign in to the site when prompted, then click the Find My iPhone “button”.
6. If you’re prompted to enter your password again, do so.
7. If your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch is connected to the Internet, it will appear as a ‘green dot’ on a map of the world. That’s where your iDevice is right now.


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8. Click the “green dot”. If you’ve misplaced your iDevice and think it’s within earshot (as I do, daily) – click the Play Sound button. This will trigger your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to start “beeping”.


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9. The device itself will also have a message pop up displaying a Find My iPhone Alert message.


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10. In addition, an email will be sent to the address associated with your iCloud account letting you know that the alert was triggered.
11. If using the Play Sound feature doesn’t help you find your device, tap the Lost Mode button. This will allow you to lock your device and display a message on its screen.


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12. If you haven’t set up a passcode yet, you’ll be prompted to do so now.
13. Enter your phone number in the space provided, and tap the Next button.
14. Enter a message in the space provided, and that message will also be displayed on your devices screen. Click Done to finish.
15. The “status” of your iPhone/iPad will now be set to Lost Mode.
16. Now a message will be displayed on your iPhone/iPad – the message and phone number that you entered in the previous steps. If you’re lucky, at this point someone will give you a call :)
17. If you don’t get the phone call, or you’re worried about the contents of your device being accessed, it’s probably a good idea to wipe your device completely. This will delete all of the information on your iPhone/iPad, which means the Find My iPhone feature will also be disabled (you’ll no longer be able to track its location).

    Click the Erase iPhone/iPad button.

18. Enter your password again, and finally, click Erase. This will remotely wipe your iDevice.
19. If you have any questions, by all means please leave a comment below!