How to Find Lost iPhone

This article shows you how to find your lost iPhone and some steps to make finding it easier.

Table of Contents

Use Find My iPhone (Find My iPhone)

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Open Find My iPhone on another device. You can open the app on your mobile device or access iCloud from a web browser.

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Sign in with Apple ID. Use the Apple ID and password you used to sign in to your iPhone.

If the app on the device is signed in with someone else’s name, you’ll tap Sign Out in the upper-right corner of the app screen to sign in with your Apple ID account.

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Tap iPhone in the list of devices displayed below the map. With this step, you will see the location of your phone on the map.

If your phone is powered off or out of battery, you’ll see its last location before losing signal.

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Tap Actions in the bottom center of the screen.

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Tap Play Sound in the bottom left corner of the screen. If your phone is nearby, the sound will help you find it.

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Tap Lost Mode in the bottom center of the screen. Use this option when your iPhone is lost where someone can find it or when you think it’s been stolen.

Enter the phone unlock code. Use random numbers that have nothing to do with ID numbers, birthdays, license plates, or any other personal information.
Send a message and contact number to the phone so the information is displayed on the screen.
If there is still an Internet connection, your phone will be locked immediately and cannot be reset without a passcode. You’ll see your phone’s current location and any location-related changes.
If there is no longer an Internet connection, the phone will be locked immediately but not powered off. You will receive an email notification and be able to find the location of your phone.
Regularly back up iPhone to iCloud or iTunes, in case you need to restore deleted data.

Use Google Timeline

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Visit the Google Timeline website at https://www.google.com/maps/timeline . Google Timelines keeps all the location data collected from your iPhone, so you can find out its location.

This method only works when location reporting and location history are enabled on iPhone. Find your iPhone using the other method in this article if those features aren’t already enabled.

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Click “Today” in the upper left corner of the Google Timeline. Your iPhone’s latest timeline will appear on the left side of the screen.

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Scroll to the bottom of the timeline to locate the last location updated from iPhone.

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View Google Timeline location data to determine if your iPhone is moving or stationary. This way helps you know if your iPhone is lost somewhere or taken somewhere else.

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Use the map displayed on the screen to locate your iPhone. Google Maps uses GPS positioning technology to determine the iPhone’s relative location. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Using Apple Watch

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Connect Apple Watch to the network being used on iPhone. Apple Watch and iPhone must be connected via Bluetooth or the same Wi-Fi network.

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Swipe up on the Apple Watch screen to open the Glances menu.

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Tap the “ping” button below the Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, and Silent Mode buttons. After tapping the ping button, your iPhone will play a sound to help you find it, even if it’s on silent mode.

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Keep tapping the ping button if necessary for finding iPhone somewhere near your location.

Touch and hold the ping button to get the iPhone to turn on the LED. This is a useful way to help you find your iPhone at night or in the dark. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Use a GPS tracking app

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Open an Internet browser and go to the official website of the GPS tracking application that you have installed on your iPhone.

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Sign in to the app’s web interface using the credentials created when you installed the app on your iPhone.

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Follow the onscreen instructions to find and locate your iPhone through the GPS tracking app. Most GPS tracking apps provide detailed information regarding iPhone activity, including previous location, sent messages, calls, and more.

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Contact the app developer for assistance and help in finding iPhone using that app. Third-party GPS tracking apps are only supported by the app’s developer, not Apple.

Try another method

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Call your phone. Use a landline or a friend’s phone to call your lost iPhone. If the phone is nearby, you will hear the ringing tone.

Move to other rooms during a call.
If you can’t use another phone, but you have a computer, try ICantFindMyPhone.com. Enter your phone number into this website and the call to your phone will be made.
Find your phone in hard-to-reach corners.

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Use social networks. Notify your friends on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and other social networks that your iPhone has been lost.

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Check with local authorities. The police station or lost item station where you lost your iPhone can give you a positive outcome.

You can also report it to the police when you believe your phone has been stolen.
If you have your iPhone’s IMEI/MEID number, you should provide this information when notifying local authorities that your phone has been lost or stolen. Here’s how to find your phone in case it’s sold to someone else.

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Try searching for information on the Missing Phones site. This is a website that allows you to enter your device’s IMEI number. You can find information at MissingPhones.org.

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Contact your carrier when your phone is lost. If you are sure that your phone has been stolen, or you think there is no chance of finding it again, contact your carrier as soon as possible. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Some carriers allow you to block service for a period of time when you think you’ll find your phone again soon.
Do not accept payment of any charges after iPhone is lost.

Turn on Find My iPhone (Find My iPhone)

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Open the Settings app with the gray gear icon (⚙️) usually displayed on the home screen.

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Tap Apple ID in the section at the top of the menu with your name and photo if uploaded.

If you’re not signed in, tap Sign in to (Your Device), then enter your Apple ID and password and select Sign In .
If you’re using an older version of iOS, you won’t see the Apple ID section in the Settings app.

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Tap iCloud in the second section of the menu.

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Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Find My iPhone near the “APPS USING ICLOUD” section of the menu.

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Push the “Find My iPhone” slider to the “On” position. Now the slider has turned green. This feature allows you to find your iPhone’s location using another device.

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Push the “Send Last Location” slider to the “On” position. As such, the iPhone will send its location to Apple when the battery is running low, right before powering off.

Advice

If your iPhone is in airplane mode, the “Find My iPhone” feature won’t be able to locate iPhone.
You can also find the location of your lost Apple Watch; See how to find a lost Apple Watch for more details.

Warning

If you believe your phone has been stolen and its location is being tracked, don’t reach out to get it back yourself. Instead, you should report it to the police. Finding your phone alone can put you in danger.

Steps