If you own a smartphone, at some point in time, you have more than likely either misplaced your phone, or had it stolen. Luckily, smartphones have developed epic technology to help you find your device as well as protect your personal data, information and apps from thieves or the wrong hands. Mobile Store shows you how to activate and use Find My iPhone and Find My Mobile for both iPhone and Android users.

How to use “Find My iPhone” for an iPhone

Find My iPhone is Apple’s way of saying, “if your phone is stuck between the couch cushions or on top of a mountain, we’ll locate it for you.” Find My iPhone tracks your phone’s every move, even when you no longer have it in your possession .

Can find my device work when phone is off?

Unfortunately – no. Find My Device will only be able to track your phone as long as it is turned on. Remember, every iPhone comes with the useful tool, but it needs to be switched on to track your device.

Here’s how to find your iPhone:

Visit www.icloud.com/find
Sign into your Apple ID from a web browser or from a friend’s iPhone. This is the email address you used to create your Apple ID and your unique password.
If you are using a Mac laptop to sign in, you can also use your fingerprint to sign it, similarly to Face ID. (This is only available 2021 MacBooks and onwards).
Automatically, the page will start to search for your device that’s lost or stolen.
The exact address will be shown on your screen, showing your phones location with the model’s icon or with a green pinpoint, depending on if you are on an iPhone or PC.

Read here to see Apple’s in-depth guide on what steps to take when your phone is lost or stolen.

How to turn on “Find My Mobile” on your Android phone

If you’re an Android, Samsung and Huawei user, you can locate your misplaced or lost phone with ease. Here’s how to activate Find My Mobile:

Open your Settings app
Choose “Biometrics and Security”
Tap “Find My Mobile”
Toggle it on!
If you phone is lost or stolen, visit www.android.com/find on a PC or a friend’s phone
Sign into your Gmail account and your phone’s location should be on your screen

Google’s Find My Device

For all Android users (Samsung, Android, Huawei and the like) Google’s Find My Device is the easiest way to locate, lock and erase your device.

Take the time to set it up now, before you run into trouble.

Set up Google Find My Device.

Four things to do - before or after - your phone is lost or stolen

Lock your device. If you know you’ve lost it indefinitely or that it has been stolen — the first thing you’ll want to do is protect your information, data and important apps from a thief hacking in.

For iPhone users, you can turn on “Activation Lock” from another iPhone or PC if you have Find My iPhone on. This will stop anyone from accessing your iPhone altogether without your Apple ID, Face ID or pass code.

For Android users, Google’s Find My Device will assist you to protect your assets.

Contact your bank. If you have any banking apps on your phone, they should be safe from anyone accessing them without your login info or Face ID, however, it might still be a good idea to simply let your bank know in case of any suspicious activity on your banking app or in your accounts. They might also offer a temporary freeze on your accounts in case you are paranoid about your app being hacked.

If it has been stolen, report it to the police. We understand there might’ve been a collective eye roll when reading that sentence, but even if the police do not find your phone and arrest the thief, you’ll need a police report for your insurance claim. You can’t get your money (or at least a portion of it) back without that magical case number.

…And number 3 brings us to number 4. Insure your phone!

How to stop tracking your phone when selling your iPhone

When it comes to selling your phone, there are a couple of things you need to do so that your phone’s new owner won’t have any of your personal data, photos and more. One of these things is removing yourself from Find my iPhone so that the new owner can use their own Apple ID to track the phone. They won’t be able to if you’re still signed in.

How to sign out of Find My iPhone:

Open your Settings
Tap your Apple ID at the top of your screen
Scroll down and tap the phone model at the bottom
Toggle off “Find My iPhone”

Stay safe with Mobile Store’s top tips

We’ve all been there – a lost or stolen phone is frustrating and stressful. Give your phone that extra layer of protection by activating its “find my device” features.

Browse iPhone and Android phones on Mobile Store!

‍

Subscribe to our newsletter