Plain Guide To Find My iPhone Via iCloud 

Your iPhone is probably one of your most precious possessions.

Aside from the fact that it is expensive, it also contains your most precious photos, apps, documents, and videos.

But there are instances when you can’t prevent it from getting lost, stolen, or misplaced. So, many people wonder if and how they can find their iPhone online.

People often panic when they lost their phone, especially if it contains compromising photos and videos. Well, this may be surprising but it’s actually easy to find your iPhone online.

So, if your phone goes MIA, you may be able to get it back. If you’re looking for the answer to the question, “how to find my iPhone online”, then, you’ve stumbled upon the right article.

This article contains easy to follow steps that will help you locate your lost, misplaced, or stolen iPhone. It also contains specific actions that you can take once you’ve located your phone.

To find an iPhone and track iPhone location, you need a desktop computer (or a laptop) and an internet connection. Then, simply follow these steps:

 

Set up an iCloud Account and use Find My iPhone from PC

The iPhone has this amazing Find My iPhone service. This helps you find an iPhone. If you’re wondering how can you find your iPhone, then you should use this app. However, before you can use this service, you need to set up an iCloud account. To do this, you need to follow these steps:

Go to settings> iCloud. Apple will automatically use the email address that you use to buy items in the Apple store. If you plan to use this as your Apple ID then just sign in. If not, then click on “Get a Free Apple ID”.
Complete the sign up process by entering your email add, first name, last name, and preferred password.

Set synching preferences and download apps then you’re good to go.
If you already have an iCloud account then proceed to step 2.

 

Make sure that the “Find My iPhone” and Location Service are enabled

Log in to your PC. Go to your iCloud account. Scroll down and make sure that the Find My iPhone service is toggled as on. To enable the location service, go to settings, privacy, then location service. Turn on the service by clicking the “on” button.

It is also helpful to enable the “send last location” option as this will help you store the last known location of your phone before the battery runs low. Make sure that the “find my iPhone” and the “send last location” services are enabled at all times. So, if it gets stolen or lost, you can easily find it.

 

Locate your iPhone

Now, click on the “find my iPhone” icon and it automatically begins to locate all the devices registered to your account. Click on the device that you want to track. A map will appear on your screen indicating the exact location of your phone. This can help you find your lost iPhone.

 

Take the appropriate action

Now, that you have the location of your phone, there are three different actions that you can take using this app:

1. Get Location Updates

If your phone is on the move, click on the green dot representing your device. Click on the arrow in the pop-up window. This allows you to get updates on your phone’s location using the latest GPS data.

2. Play Sound

The “play sound” option plays the “sonar” tone at full volume even if the device is set to silent mode. The sonar style is hard to miss because of its distinct and edgy sound so it’s hard to miss. This option is useful if the phone is just lying around your house and you can’t find it. If you simply misplace your phone, this is the perfect course of action for you.

3. Lost Mode

If you suspect that your phone is stolen and you’re positive that you can still get it back then click on the “lost mode” button. Enter a 4-digit number as a lock code. Avoid using your birthday or house number, as well as repeated numbers. Choose a lock code, which is hard to guess.
After entering the lock code, you will see a pop-up window asking you to enter a phone number where you can be reached. It can be another cellphone number, your home phone number, or office number.

4. Erase iPhone

This is definitely the last option. Only press the “erase” button if you are certain that you cannot recover your phone. The erase button, as the name suggests, erases all the data from your phone, so it would look like a brand new iPhone straight from the factory.

If your phone was stolen and you have compromising texts, photos, and videos on your phone, then this is a good option. This will keep the thief from accessing your phone data but avoid doing this unless you’re sure. If you choose this option, the thieves will not be able to use your phone.

However, you will also no longer be able to lock, message, or track your phone. So, do not choose this option unless you are sure that you can no longer recover your phone.

What to do if your phone ss off

Now, what do you do if your phone is out of battery, turned off, or if it’s not connected to the internet? If that’s the case, here’s what you have to do:

1. Log in to your iCloud account and click on Find My iPhone.

2. Check the “notify me when found” box so the app will notify you once the device connects to the internet.

3. The three Find My iPhone options are all available – Lost Mode, Erase iPhone, and Play Sound. So, choose the one that’s perfect for you.

If you want to let people know that you’ve lost your phone, choose the “lost mode”. Choose the “erase iPhone” option if you feel that it’s impossible to find your phone. Choose the play sound option, if you suspect that your phone is just in your area.

4. Remove the account, if you already erased the contents of the iPhone and you do not want the device to show up in your Find My iPhone app anymore.

Remember that the Find My iPhone app only works when it’s on so enable this in your device the moment you start using your iPhone. Also, make sure that the date and time are correct.

Conclusion

When you lose your phone, it’s best to put in on Lost Mode then follow your phone via GPS signal to find it. This is the best way to recover the phone, but it may potentially put you in danger so it’s best to check the location of your phone regularly. Once it settles in a residential place, call the police so they can help you recover your phone.

However, just in case the police are not willing to help, what you have to do is to report your device as stolen then get the incident and report number. This is useful in filing insurance claims for your phone.
If your device is stolen, then the thief will most likely try to enter the one hundred thousand password six digit lock code combinations just to unlock your phone. So, your data is at risk.

If you’re quite sure that you will not be able to record it, protect yourself and do the remote data swap. This is a good option, especially if the phone contains text messages, photos, or video that can potentially put you in trouble.
Also, make sure to call your mobile phone provider and lock the SIM card. This will prevent the thief from making calls and texts at your expense.

Find My iPhone is a great service but it has limitations. It doesn’t work when:
- The sim card was removed
- The device date is wrong
- It is not available in your country
- The device is using iOS 4 or earlier versions

So, it’s best to take proactive actions. When you get your new iPhone, make sure to enable the Find My iPhone App. It should have a correct date and ensure you’re using an updated version of iOS. So, there it is, folks – the answer to the question “how to find my iPhone online”.