MostiPhoneusers, even if they own something like theiPhone 16 Pro, don’t doeverythingon their smartphone. One of the advantages of this, of course, is that if your iPhone is lost or stolen, you may track it down without resorting to tactics like sharing an IMEI number with your carrier – assuming you even have that number handy.
There are four different ways to track down a missing iPhone from another device. The easiest ones involve using another Apple product, but there are still options available for you if you’re using Android or Windows.
The iPhone 16 Pro is now my gold standard for phone photography
Apple Intelligence is still missing, but the Camera Control button and Photographic styles make for a worthy upgrade for photographers.
Apple Find My app to the rescue
Unless you intentionally disable it, every Apple device signed in to iCloud should also be signed intoFind My. That’s Apple’s first-party tracking network, which, apart from iPhones, can locate iPads, Macs, and some accessories, includingAirTags, AirPods, and Apple Watches. In fact, you might be familiar with Find My mostly because you bought an AirTag for something like your keys or luggage.
To track your iPhone from an iPad or Mac, follow these steps:
How to find your iPhone from an Apple Watch
A little more limited - unless you’re close by
If you’ve got anApple Watchrunning watchOS 8 or later, you may use the onboard Find Devices app. Essentially, this is just a stripped-down version of the Find My app for iPhones and iPads, but it can be more powerful in a specific scenario. We’ll explain that in a moment.
For most users:
If you’ve got an Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2, or later, and the iPhone is an iPhone 15 or better, you can take advantage ofPrecision Finding. This uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to pinpoint a device’s exact position, down to whether it’s under a couch cushion. Your iPhone has to be close by, however, usually within a few dozen feet. You may also need to move around a little before your Watch will display an arrow telling you where to go.
How to find your iPhone on the web
The best fallback for non-Apple devices
Apple is aware that an iPhone might be someone’s only device with the Find My app, so you can also access the Find My network through iCloud.com. The experience is relatively straightforward:
The main drawback to the web interface is that you can’t get directions. While Apple Maps exists on the web, it’s not very fleshed out, so you’ll need to pop an address intoGoogle MapsorWazeif you want to actually navigate to your iPhone.
How to find your iPhone using third-party services
Use these at your own risk
For a final alternative, there are third-party services that can track your iPhone, such asPrey. These may have advantages over Find My – like triggering custom messages – but more often they’re going to be limited. They require manually installing software on your iPhone, and you may also need to pay a subscription fee. If a thief gets hold of your phone, they may be able to halt tracking by deleting the software, assuming they recognize it as a threat. Find My is baked into iOS – you can’t turn it off without the correct Apple Account info.
You’re probably better off sticking with Find My.
For some people, the biggest concern will be security. While Find My technically broadcasts your location data to Apple servers, end-to-end encryption means that even police and Apple engineers can’t access it. Third-party services may offer similar encryption, but you’ll have to doublecheck that, as well as a service’s overall reputation. You’re probably better off sticking with Find My unless you’re managing an enterprise-level device fleet.
Q: What should I do once I’ve located my iPhone?
If you lost your iPhone and can’t easily retrieve it, use theMark As Lostoption in Find My. This will let you create a lockscreen message with contact info while temporarily restricting some features, such as Apple Pay.
If you know your device was stolen, it may be wise to chooseErase This Device. It’s a drastic step – you’ll need to set up your iPhone again if you ever recover it – but this will prevent thieves from accessing any sensitive data. You should also change the passwords for critical items like your Apple Account.
If your iPhone is gone for good, you’ll need to contact your carrier about disabling or transferring your phone number, and talk to police if theft was involved – collect as much info as possible, such as your device’s serial number (available throughaccount.apple.com). If you’ve got insurance or warranty coverage such as AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, now’s the time to file a claim, but you shouldn’t remove your device from Find My until a claim has been approved or rejected. It should be safe to erase it.
