NEW ORLEANS — There were hundreds and hundreds of iPhones stolen during Mardi Gras, and some of them are being tracked to other states.
So how do you make sure your iPhone is trackable in the event this happens to you?
If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you can track it and mark it as “lost” by logging into your iCloud account on a desktop computer. You can also do it by using the “Find My” app on another Apple device you own, like an iPad or Macbook.
According to Apple, when you mark an iPhone as “lost,” it locks the phone down remotely. That secures your information and prevents anyone from using or selling your device without your password.
After you’ve locked your phone remotely, you can also set a message on the home screen to tell the finder how to get it back to you.
But first, “Find My” has to be turned on in your phone’s settings.
Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your name at the top and click “Find My.”
- On the next page, you’ll click “Find My iPhone” at the top.
- The following page should give you three toggle options. Turning “Find My iPhone” on will allow your Apple account to track that device.
Turning on “Find My Network” will also allow you to find the phone even if it’s offline or powered off, by using other devices with Bluetooth nearby. Turning on “Send Last Location” on that same menu will send the location of your iPhone to your Apple account if the battery is going to die.
These tools are exactly how victims of iPhone theft during Mardi Gras weekend have been tracking their phones to Slidell, and eventually, Miami, even though they were stolen more than a week ago.
Many of those phones are now just fancy paperweights after being locked or erased by their owners. Sometimes, the stolen phones are re-sold to unsuspecting buyers who don’t realize that Activation Lock will prevent anyone else from using the phone.
Of course, all of this won’t preserve your photos, passwords, or other information if it’s not backed up before the phone goes missing. Make sure you double-check your iCloud backup settings.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.