If you have an iPhone or another new device that Apple makes, you can often locate it when you use a Mac computer, or another kind of computer. This comes in handy if you misplace your device, or if someone steals it. You can find your device’s approximate location, and this works with not just iPhones, but also Beats products, AirPods, an Apple Watch, a Mac, an iPad, or an iPod Touch.
We will talk about how to locate all of these Apple products using your computer in the following article.
iCloud and the Find Devices Feature
To track an iOS device from its last known location, Apple came up with a system that would allow you to do so easily. You use a combination of your iCloud account and Find Devices.
What is iCloud?
iCloud is a cloud service. Apple developed and launched it back in 2011. You can sync and store data from your iOS device there. That should give you some peace of mind whenever you purchase an iPhone or one of the other devices mentioned above.
What is the Find Devices Feature?
The Find Devices feature is also sometimes referred to as the Find My iPhone feature. You can use a Mac computer to access this feature, though other laptops, desktops, and tablets work as well.
This feature uses proprietary location services technology to locate your lost iPhone or other Apple technology. You can conveniently pull it up in a browser window and track your phone if it has been stolen or misplaced.
How Does Find My iPhone Work?
The Find My iPhone feature pulls up the device’s location on a map that’s easy for you to read. Assuming the phone is online, you will see its physical location. The device will also make a noticeable sound that helps you locate it if it’s nearby.
If your iOS device is offline, then you can still see its approximate location via the Find My iPhone feature. It just won’t make the sound that tells you where it is.
How Do You Use the Find My iPhone Feature?
Let’s say that you have misplaced your iPhone. Maybe you lost it while you were at a party, or perhaps you lost track of it while you were traveling from coast to coast. In a worst-case scenario, maybe your device is thousands of miles away. It could turn out that it’s just on the next street over and it dropped out of your pocket while you were walking home.
Either way, follow these steps to locate it.
Put Your Device in Lost Mode
First, it would be appropriate to report your phone as lost. You can do that by going to iCloud.com.
When you get there, do the following:
Go to Find Devices, and then hit All Devices. You should see the phone that you want to report as lost as part of a devices list. Select it by hitting either Lock or Lost Mode.
To complete the process, you might be asked to input your Apple ID as part the two-factor authentication for your device. iCloud will usually ask for a verification code that you can type in.
If you’re trying to activate Lost Mode for a family member’s device, and that individual does not have a passcode on their phone yet, you will need to input their Apple ID.
You may also be asked to enter an alternate contact number at this time. This is a number where someone can reach you if they find the iPhone and they’re trying to give it back to you.
What Does Activating this Mode Do?
If you put your iPhone in this mode or you remote lock your device, it does the following:
- Your payment cards you’ve attached to that phone are deactivated.
- You should see your iPhone’s location on a map, and you can also track it when it moves.
- Your device will not display any alerts or play sounds if you receive notifications or messages. It can still receive Facetime and regular phone calls, though.
- You have the option of creating a message for the phone that states it’s lost. You can also include information as part of the message that indicated the best way of contacting you.
- You will get a confirmation email that will be sent to your email address that you have attached to your Apple ID.
You should find all of this useful if you ever misplace your device. Now, let’s move on to using the Find My iPhone feature.
How to Utilize the Find My iPhone Feature
Once you have reported that your phone is lost, you can track it with Find My iPhone. At iCloud.com/find, once you’ve signed in, you can select the device’s name that you’re attempting to locate. You should see its name in the Find Devices toolbar.
At this point, one of two things will happen. If iCloud can locate the device, then it will appear on a map. You should see a blue dot if that is an exact location.
You may also see a green dot with a larger green circle around it. The green dot and circle mean it’s a slightly less accurate location. If the last known location of the iPhone matches up with a green or blue dot, then you can feel certain you’re on the right track.
One additional option is that you might see a gray dot. If you select Find iPhone and you see a gray dot when you try to track it, it means that your phone is not active and near Wi-Fi at that moment.
The other thing that might happen is that iCloud will not be able to locate your device, at least not at that moment. It will say “Offline” under that device’s name.
If that happens, then you will see the location where the iPhone was last detected for up to 24 hours. There is an option you can select that says, “Notify Me When Found.” This will send you an email when the device comes online again.
If you locate a lost device this way, there’s nothing stopping you from going to that location and seeing if you can retrieve the iPhone. Hopefully, if someone has found it, then they will turn it over with no problems.
Additional Considerations
There are a couple of additional factors worth discussing that are related to finding an iPhone using your computer, so let’s run through those right now.
What if You Want to Change the Contact Information for Your Lost Device?
Maybe you have reported your iPhone as lost, and you want to change the contact information you left on iCloud. To do that, you would go to Find Devices and tap All Devices. Then, tap the device you previously reported as lost.
Click the device’s name, and then Lost Mode. Change any of the contact information that you wish, and then hit Done.
What Should You Do Once You’ve Found Your iPhone from a Computer?
Once you have retrieved your iPhone using your computer, you can remove it from the list of lost devices. Go to iCloud and then Find Devices. Hit All Devices and choose the device you reported as lost.
After you hit Lost Mode, an option should come up that says Stop Lost Mode. Once you tap it, your iPhone will no longer be considered lost.
You can also remove your device from the lost list by entering your passcode once you have the device back in hand.
If you suspended any payment cards, such as debit or credit cards that are attached to your Apple Pay functionality, you should be able to use those again once your phone is no longer reported as lost.
Can I Find My iPhone By Using Other Devices Besides My Computer?
It is also possible to locate a lost iPhone by using another trusted device besides your computer. The location services feature that becomes available through Find My iPhone can be accessed through any device into which you can enter your Apple ID.
You Should Find the Find My iPhone Feature Useful
Your first impulse might be to panic when you lose your phone. It has so much of your personal information on it. You don’t need to erase iPhone data to protect yourself if you misplace your phone, though. The location services offered by the Find My iPhone feature can help you.
The combination of a computer and the iCloud website should allow you to report your phone as lost. You can see where it went from the last location where you had it, and this technology will often give you quick access to your smartphone.
