All major tech companies and apps have some form of location tracking functionality. Everyone from Apple, Google, Facebook to Twitter is doing it. Every company uses data differently.
Apple, for example, only collects a list of important places you've visited in the past and says it doesn't share that data with anyone. Google, on the other hand, tracks all your activities in detail, especially if you use Google Maps.
If you open the Google Maps timeline view, you'll be able to see exactly where you were on a given day, even if you didn't use Google Maps to navigate, thanks to background location tracking.
Both of these services give you consent by default, but you can turn off location tracking if needed.
Contacting the police
When contacting local authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, have with you:
- passport;
- original packaging with readable IMEI;
- a document confirming the purchase of the wanted phone (receipt or warranty card).
At the police station, the owner of the lost device will be asked to write a special statement indicating the date, time, place and circumstances of the loss of the smartphone.
Important! It is better to indicate in the statement that the smartphone is lost and not stolen. This way, the case will be transferred much faster to a telecom operator, who will directly search for the smartphone by IMEI.
Find iPhone by IMEI
IMEI is the smartphone identification number, which is located on the device box and is therefore untouchable: it cannot be erased or changed.
IMEI is broadcast while the phone is connected to the cellular network. However, the mobile operator does not provide subscribers with information about the location of the gadget, even if there is evidence that the applicant is the legal owner of the iPhone. This fact may be affected by contacting law enforcement agencies. Until this point, the user can block the SIM card inserted into the lost smartphone.
Let's sum it up
The easiest and most reliable way to find an iPhone that the owner has lost or that may have been stolen is to go to the iCloud website from your computer and open the appropriate section. In the same way, you can track a device on another iPhone or iPad - in the mobile application, in addition, the user will be able to build a route to the location of the phone. It is not recommended to use third-party services and programs - they are either completely ineffective or allow you to find an iPhone only if it is first installed on the device.
Information with visual cues
One of the most common ways to let you know that an app is accessing your location data is through visual cues. iOS always "cheats" when an app accesses the device's location or camera. For example, if you are working in an application that actively and constantly uses the terminal location, a box will appear in the upper left corner. The time on the device will be highlighted in blue. If you click on this field, an application will automatically appear that accesses all your location data. This is very useful, especially when recording is done in the background, such as in browsers like Apple Maps.
Another visual clue that an app you've recently used has accessed your location is in the iPhone's control center. You expanded it, a triangular sign appears in the upper right corner, which can be completely filled or just an outline. If it is full, it will mean that the location is being used at that moment, and if it is only a schema, it will mean that a recently used application has accessed this information.
How to see frequently visited places on iPhone
Click on "System Services"
Discover important geolocations
iOS even shows the approximate period of time when you were in a particular place. Why does Apple need all this? The company explains its behavior by the desire to customize the device for a specific user. For example, to create memories based on geolocation using the Photos application. But to be honest, such close attention from a smartphone confuses even me. The iPhone knows how long I spent driving before arriving at my destination (thanks to being connected to the car), calculates all the addresses where I visit most often, and keeps track of time. It’s good that only the owner of the device can access this section (you will need to enter a password or authenticate using Touch ID or Face ID), but it’s still somehow uncomfortable.
iPhone knows everything about your movements
Interestingly, the Frequently Visited Places is enabled by default. It costs Apple nothing to ask its users when collecting sensitive information. On the other hand, I don’t think customers would be happy to allow a third party company to track their movements. That’s why, most likely, this section was hidden so far in the settings. Most iPhone owners I talked to in our Telegram chat don’t even know about its existence.
All this looks even more scary if you remember the US NSA's recent advice on preventing device tracking.
How to find an iPhone from a computer?
But first, a few warnings. An owner who has had the misfortune of losing an iPhone or iPad, or is confident that the device has been stolen, will be able to find the device on their own only if the following conditions are met:
- you are logged into your Apple ID;
- geolocation enabled (location tracking using mobile networks);
- The “Find iPhone” option is activated - how to launch it will be described below.
In other cases, you will have to rely on the help of outsiders; in particular, the user can:
- File a theft report (even if he himself lost his phone) to the police. The text will need to provide as many unique characteristics of the device as possible: its serial number, IMEI identifier, external features, etc. You can’t count on the promptness of the Ministry of Internal Affairs officers, but the iPhone owner will definitely hear a few encouraging words - and that’s always nice.
- Fill out an electronic form on the website - sndeep.info/ru or a similar online resource, indicating the serial number or IMEI of the iPhone you want to find, your contact information and the amount of the reward - all this will take less time than trying to figure out what it is The difference between an iPhone and a smartphone. The chances of finding the device using this method are also not very high, and in addition, the user may stumble upon scammers who want to receive the promised money - but it is certainly worth a try.
- Submit missing persons notices to all kinds of print and electronic media - of course, without neglecting the promise of reward.
But instead of wasting time on the above manipulations, the owner of an iPhone who has lost it himself or thinks that the device has been stolen can find the device from his computer by logging into iCloud.
As already mentioned, this is only possible if the corresponding functions are activated on the device. If so, you can skip the next short instruction and immediately start searching; if not, but you still have your phone with you, don’t hesitate to turn them on:
- Go to “Settings” of your iPhone and tap on your account avatar located at the top. If you have not logged in yet, log in first; it's no more difficult than putting your iPhone into DFU mode.
- Go to your profile page and open the iCloud section.
- Activate the “Find iPhone” option.
- Move the slider to the “On” position.
- Returning to “Settings”, go to “Privacy”.
- And move the slider to the active position.
- On the same page - allow access to data about the device’s location to the Find iPhone application.
To find an iPhone with an activated search function from a computer, the owner must:
- Go to the website icloud.com in any convenient browser and log in to the same Apple ID account to which the device is linked, entering your login in the appropriate fields.
- In the menu that opens, you can not only find out the iPhone model, but also find a device that the user has lost or that was stolen. To do this, you need to click on the corresponding box.
- The iPhone should be located where the green dot is on the Apple map.
- By clicking on it, the user will be able to see when the device last synchronized data with the network.
- If viewing in flat map mode does not allow you to clearly understand where exactly your iPhone is located and track it, we recommend opening the drop-down list at the bottom right of the screen.
- And turn on the “Satellite” or “Hybrid” mode - then finding an iPhone based on a photo of the area from above will be easier than installing the best games for iPhone.
Description of ways to track an iPhone through another iPhone and the Find Friends program
Loss, theft or simple curiosity force users of Apple products to look for an answer to the question of how to track an iPhone from another iPhone. There are several legal methods that allow you to do this, but all of them are performed with the knowledge of the second owner of the prestigious gadget.
How to track an iPhone from another iPhone
Tracking can be done in several ways.
Via iMessage on iPhone
To enable functions from the main menu, go to the “Privacy” subsection, then to “Geolocation Services”. You can share a position from the same menu through “System Services”. Next, you will have to open a correspondence with the object in iMessage, select the subscriber’s name and in the “Information” item, click on the “Specify geolocation” subsection.
How to track the location of a second phone
You can program the device for an hour, until the end of the day, for a day, or indefinitely - until the functionality is disabled. A link to a map showing the location of the object will be automatically created in the correspondence. To remove an option, disable it manually or erase the message from the correspondence.
Via mobile operators
How can you track an iPhone by phone number? This service is legal and is provided for a fee. If you have constant access to the Internet, the Internet is not necessary - the search mechanism works by phone number in cells. The subscriber who has activated the service sees the location of the person he needs through messages or on a map of the area.
Important! If your device has tracking enabled, it will be easier to detect a stolen gadget. If the user is worried about the safety of his things, then he should think about turning on the mode and constant use.
To activate tracking using a mobile operator, just send a request and indicate the number of the subscriber who needs to be constantly monitored. An SMS will be sent to the second number with a proposal to accept or reject the program through which the entire process will go. If the user agrees, his location will be determined with an accuracy of 100 m.
The city gives high indicators of determining the place where the right person is located. In rural areas or in bad weather conditions, the quality of location detection will be reduced.
Location via telecom operators
How to check where a person has been on an iPhone
How to transfer Notes from iPhone to Android
How can you check where a person has been on an iPhone? To obtain information, simply follow these steps:
- Enter the main menu and move to the “Confidentiality” block.
- Select the “Location Services” subsection, then “System Services”.
- Go to the sub-item “Frequently visited places”.
To determine the localization zone of an object, the system uses geolocation services: GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. Occasionally, detection can be made through cell towers. Having the “Significant Places” option constantly activated significantly reduces the battery life of your mobile device.
If desired, information about movement around the area can be deleted. To do this, you need to go through the above path and click on the “Clear history” subsection. After confirming the operation, all information will be erased.
Tracking via Significant Places
How else can you find another iPhone from your iPhone? Apple's application store contains a variety of alternative options for searching for a subscriber's location. The most popular navigation programs include:
- "FindMyKids-Footprints."
- "X-GPS Tracker".
- "Where I am";
- “Mom knows”;
- “Where are the children”, etc.
The tracking program for iPhone helps you find out the address of the point where a person is sitting or walking/driving through GPS coordinates or a cell phone number. The calculation accuracy increases several times compared to other services. The functionality works great even in areas of poor mobile operator coverage.
The programs allow you to monitor both one person and an entire group. But when using them, consent must be obtained from the intended subject.
Note! Group observation is more often used for tourist groups, when hiking in the mountains, deep in the forests or kayaking.
How to view a person's geoposition from an iPhone
How to view a person's geolocation on an iPhone? The check is carried out using two methods.
Find iPhone program
How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone
You need to download the utility of the same name, install it and open it. When prompted by the system, enter the login and password for the Apple ID of the gadget you are looking for. The program will automatically detect its location and display it on the map. Using the utility, you can create a message and display it on the display, after turning on the lost mode, block the smartphone, erase all information from the device.
Important! A special feature of the Find iPhone program is the ability to sound a sound signal on the device; it will sound until it turns off.
iCloud.com website
The user must log in to the page and enter the Apple ID details of the wanted device. After authorization, you need to select the “Find Cell Phone” utility and obtain information about its localization. It allows you to do all the additional actions, like the Find iPhone program.
Locator utility
Used on 13 operating systems and replaces older services. Its first subsection is specifically designed for searching people. It shows the location of all family members, provided they have previously agreed to the option of being monitored.
To interact with people from the specified list, you must choose one of three options:
- “Contact” allows you to contact a person via email, messages or communication.
- “Route” automatically opens “Maps” and builds a path to the desired person (using a car, public transport, taxi or walking).
- “Notification” - the system displays a message when a person moves.
Important! From the same subsection you can stop sending the exact location or remove a person from the list of favorites.
Geolocation on iPhone
Setting up Find My Friends on iPhone
How can you find out where someone is using your iPhone? There is a special utility written by the developers of the Apple company. It also helps you search for people through your smartphone.
How to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone - Quick Start feature
How to find a turned off iPhone: the battery is dead
Apple has integrated several functions into its famous smartphones that can help the user find a lost iPhone, even if it is turned off. However, you cannot use these features without prior configuration. We are talking about the “ Find iPhone ” function, which is the main tool for finding a lost gadget.
How to turn off frequently visited places on iPhone
In the “Important geolocations” section at the very top there is an item of the same name that can be disabled. If you wish, you can not disable the “Important Locations” function, but only erase all or some of the information about visited places. To do this, you need to go to each location and delete information about it from the device.
Do not assume that frequently visited places are needed to constantly monitor you. For example, the same geolocation tips rely on data received from the Important Locations service. Geolocation hints in iOS serve to provide the user with various types of useful information related to his location. For example, they display the approximate time it will take you to travel to work at the moment and much more.
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