Losing your iPhone is one of those little nightmares that can happen to the best of us.
Your iPhone isn’t just a device; it’s your camera, your social lifeline, your work hub, your wallet, and a treasure trove of personal info.
So whether it slips between the sofa cushions, gets left on the train, or worse, stolen, the moment you realise it’s missing, a wave of panic hits.
Thankfully, Apple thought ahead and built in a clever, powerful tool designed to take that panic down a notch. But what exactly is Find My iPhone? And what can you actually do with it if the worst happens? Let’s break it down.
What is Find My iPhone?
Find My iPhone is Apple’s built-in security feature that helps you track, lock, or erase your iPhone if it goes missing. It’s part of the 'Find My' app, which comes pre-installed on all iPhones running iOS 13 or later.
The app brings together all your Apple devices — iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, even your Mac — onto one easy-to-use map.
If your iPhone goes missing, here’s what you can do:
See its location in real-time, even if it’s offline or the battery’s dead, by leveraging Bluetooth signals from nearby Apple devices that anonymously relay its position.
Play a loud sound on your iPhone to help find it nearby — super handy if it’s buried in cushions or hidden under a pile of stuff.
Lock your device remotely or mark it as lost, which disables Apple Pay and shows a custom message with your contact info on the screen.
Erase your iPhone completely from a distance if you believe it’s stolen or gone for good, wiping all your personal data to keep it safe.
Track friends and family members’ locations, with their permission of course, so you can easily check in or coordinate meetups.
No extra downloads needed — it’s built right into iOS and ready to protect your device from day one.
How to set up Find My iPhone.
If you’ve just got a shiny new iPhone or haven’t checked your settings in a while, here’s how to get Find My iPhone set up:
- Open 'Settings' on your iPhone
- Tap your name at the top to access Apple ID settings
- Select 'Find My'
- Tap 'Find My iPhone'
- Toggle 'Find My iPhone' to ON
Make sure these are enabled too:
- Find My network: helps find your device even offline.
- Send Last Location: automatically sends your device’s location when the battery is critically low.
You’re all set. You can test it by logging in to iCloud.com/find or the Find My app on another Apple device to see your iPhone’s location.
And hey, if you’re due an upgrade or fancy switching to Apple for the first time, we’ve got a range of iPhones at unbeatable prices. You’ll find all the latest models, on top UK networks like O2, Vodafone and Three.
