How to stop thieves from using your iPhone

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Earlier this week, Geraldton Crime Reports on FB posted about a young local who had her iPhone stolen when approached by two young females. 

Post by Geraldton Crime Reports.

One of the reasons Apple products like iPhone's and iPad's are targeted by thieves is the high resale value. It is generally quite easy to turn a stolen iPhone or iPad into cash quite quickly. 

Unfortunately it seems this phone didn't have the "Find my iPhone" service activated, but if you spend a couple of minutes making sure your iPhone or iPad has this service switched on, you can make it much easier to track, lock, and erase your Apple device in the event of a theft. (FYI it's also a great way to find your phone when it's under a cushion somewhere in the house, as the "play sound" feature works even when the phone's on silent.) 

Be sure to let your friends know about this feature.  

Here's a simple step by step guide to show you how to set it up.

 

Part One - Activate the service on your device

Part Two - How to find your lost phone from another iPhone or iPad

To easily locate your lost iPhone or iPad from a friend or family member's device, all you need is the "Find my iPhone" app. Here's how to get it and use it. 

Part Three - How to find your device from a computer

If you don't have access to another iPhone or iPad to track your missing device, never fear. You can use any computer with an internet connection to track it down. 

All you need to do is visit icloud.com, login, and select the "Find My iPhone" icon. Follow the prompts to locate and lock your device.

Further security notes: 

The operating system that runs on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is called iOS. Recently, a new version was released called iOS 7. One new feature of iOS 7 is that in order to reset or wipe your device, the would-be thief must first enter your Apple ID and Password. Not being able to wipe the device means you or the Police can track it whenever it is switched on, a good deterrent for thieves. 

Hopefully as people learn that a stolen iPhone is useless, theft of people's phones will drop dramatically.  

Also be sure to test any device you purchase second hand before you hand over any money.