No one wants our iPhone stolen. It’s the center of our digital life and it’s a very expensive device that has become indispensable for doing a lot of things. But sometimes, either through negligence or bad luck on the street, what happens happens. And then the first thing that happens to you is a feeling of panic that is hard to get rid of.
The good news (in the bad) is that Apple offers Steps we can take if your iPhone has been stolen. We will see them according to the seriousness of the situation.
How to Respond When Your iPhone Has Been Stolen
First, take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Your top priority right now is enter the Apple search service to see if you can locate the iPhone. If you’re not with anyone, find a public place where you can use a computer (Apple Store staff or authorized resellers can help). If you have a family member or friend nearby, ask them for any device they have on hand.
Suppose you already have a device at hand. If it is a PC with Windows or Linux, or if it is an Android, go directly to the search site. If it’s an Apple device, open the Find My app in macOS, iOS, or iPadOS. Sign in with your Apple ID: you’ll see a map and a list with all your devices (screenshots are from the search web, not the app to show a generic interface):
If you select the iPhone, you will see that it will locate it on the map in real time or mark the last known location of the phone:
From there, you have to act according to the situation. You have three options at your fingertips: play a sound, put iphone in lost mode oh wipe iPhone remotely:
If you have located the iPhone very close to your location, you can click ‘play sound‘ to make the phone beep so you can find it quickly. This can be useful when you are in a public place and you think your iPhone is missing.
If the iPhone’s location is a bit far and/or in a place you don’t recognise, it’s worth turning on the lost mode. You will create an additional unlock code and write a message that will constantly appear on the screen. The mobile will not be able to be used, it will be completely blocked until you enter this code that you have created remotely.
The option for erase iphone It should be left as a last resort, when you are completely sure that you have no options to retrieve it. And it describes itself: the iPhone is purged, without any trace of anything. In this way, you continue to protect access to your data.
If the iPhone is not connected (thieves usually turn it off), the Find My service It will remember the steps you took and apply them as soon as the iPhone restarts
Other subsequent measures to apply after iPhone theft
Of course, if you conclude that your iPhone has been stolen, you should also report it to the authorities. It is possible that at the police station, depending on where the terminal is, they can go and try to retrieve it (although it depends on the location and the specific situation).
You should also cancel any cards you have added to Wallet, as a precaution, and contact the operator so they can deactivate sim card you had on the iPhone at the time you request a duplicate.
Regarding the data, you can recover them as long as you have made an iPhone backup with iCloud. A last step that we recommend is to change all your passwords and inform all your contacts of the theft, to cover the case where the thief tries to access your data or use it for phishing. Everyone beware of SMS or WhatsApp messages they may receive from your number while you still don’t have an iPhone.
Imagen | Scott Rodgerson
