How to Track an iPhone Without Them Knowing For Free

The feeling is quite awful when you misplace or lost your iPhone, be it in a bus, restaurant, or wherever. The worst scenario is when someone actually stole it from you. Losing an iPhone is an ordeal no one wants to experience. But do you know you can secretly track an IPhone? Yes, you can, the thief or whoever that is in the custody of it won’t be aware. In this post, I will be talking about how to track an iPhone without them knowing for free.

You can also check out how to trace mobile number current location online by the use of Apps. The information in the post can come in handy too.

I guess you will agree that most of us keep soft copies of our important files on our smartphones. Not to talk about our personal information on social media accounts, conversations, and emails. Though most of that information is password-protected, no one wants to risk having such information fall into the hands of the wrong people. That is why in this post, I will be showing you how to find a lost iPhone, be it yours or that of a family member.

Before I show you how to track an iPhone, I hope you might have activated the “Find My iPhone” feature of your iPhone when you still have possession of it. Then also, if your iPhone does not have a service or internet connection, or if you have not set up iCloud, then I a sorry the solutions I am about to offer may not work for you.

Though phone technology is advanced, it is yet not magical. If your iPhone is not connected to the internet, or if you have turned it off on Find My Phone, then unfortunately the technological solution is probably not going to work.

Without wasting much of your time, let us proceed on how to track an iPhone.

How to Track an iPhone for Free

I am going to treat this method in two sub-headings:

1. Tracking your own iPhone
2. Tracking someone else’s iPhone

Finding and Tracking your own iPhone

The good news is that “Find My iPhone” comes pre-loaded on all iPhones with iOS 9 or the latest version. This feature is the gold standard when it comes to locating your lost iPhone. The service is integrated as part of iCloud. Below is the method on how to use the feature to find your missing iPhone, then track its exact location.

Step 1: Open up the “Find My iPhone” on a different device

• It doesn’t matter if you choose to use your iPad, laptop, or a friend’s iPhone. You can use the Find my Phone app from those devices.
• If you are using an Apple product like another phone or an iPad, you can simply click on the app.
• If you are using a computer (even a Windows PC will work), go to icloud.com then click on the “Find iPhone” icon. Once you have clicked on the “Find iPhone” icon the website process and “Find my iPhone” app process is the same.

Step 2: Input Your Apple ID Credentials (They are the same as your iCloud information)

• Since you are not using your phone, you won’t be logged in automatically.
• Once you log in to the app, select the “All Devices” drop-down option and then find the device that you want to locate.

Step 3: Once You Select Your Phone, Options Will Appear

As soon as you select your device on the page, iCloud will begin to search for it. If the search is successful, you will see your device on a map, pinpointing its exact location. Before you sprint out the door to get it, there are some other options you should take a look at.

Once you select your device you will have three additional options in addition to seeing your phone’s location. These options are playing a sound, activating “Lost Mode” and erase the phone.

Playing the sound is a great way to find your phone if you lost it somewhere around your house. If you click the option, an audio alert will go off on your phone which will hopefully help you find it. The alert will sound like a loud pinging noise alerting you that your phone is at home with you and not at the coffee shop you just visited. If you hear the pinging sound then you’ll quickly find your phone by just following the sound.

When enabled, Lost Mode will lock your phone with a passcode and will display a message of your choice. This can either ensure it will be safe until you can find it, or will alert the thief what you expect of them and that you know where they are. This mode can also enable location services on your phone too.

However, if things have gone too far and you think there is a very slim chance you will ever get your device back 9perhaps your phone has already crossed an international border) the best course of action is to simply erase it. Yes, this is giving up, but it also prevents your personal information from getting into the hands of someone who could abuse it.

If you follow these steps, you should have your phone back in your pocket in no time.

Also read: 10 Best Apps for Data Scientists (Data Analysts) to Improve Their Skills

Tracking Someone Else’s iPhone

What if you are trying to track someone else’s iPhone?

I am sorry to burst your bubble. You are not allowed to track someone else’s iPhone without his or her knowledge. But there are certain apps you can install on a target’s phone to track it and keep tabs on what they are doing on it, though it is completely illegal and immoral. The target might eventually find the app on his or her phone, which could lead to a very awkward situation, possibly a case involving the police.

However, there are situations you want to track and find a friend’s phone after having a legitimate reason, and permission from them.

Just like the case of tracking your own iPhone, there is an app that can help you find the iPhone of your friend and family with ease. The “Find My Friends” app used to be an extra download, but now it comes pre-loaded with iOS. So, if your friends have updated their iOS version, they should have it already installed.

 “Find My Friends” is an app that basically allows you to share your location with others and vice versa. It can be great for keeping track of where your children are, knowing what your significant other is doing, or just keeping tabs on your friends. It can also help them find a lost phone (as long as you have “Shared Locations” with them).

Here is how to set it up:

Step 1: Open the app on your phone and the phone of the person you want to be able to share locations with.

Step 2: Click your profile in the bottom left of the screen.

Step 3: Enable “Share My Location” and make sure AirDrop is enabled on your own phone.

Step 4: From there, your friends and family will be able to search/add you to share your location with them and vice versa. You each will need to accept the “Shared Location” request from the other. Now, you can just click on their profile in the app and keep track of them.

Conclusion

If you have read this post up to this point, you will realize it is much better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to tracking an iPhone. If you set up the “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Friends” features before your iPhone gets stolen or misplaced, it will save you a lot of hassles when trying to track it.

Though it might seem a bit worrisome to have someone being able to know your exact location all the time, it can also save you once your iPhone goes missing and you want to track it easily. It is important to pick someone who you trust not to take advantage of the information an app like “Find My Friends” can provide them.

No one deserves to have their phone stolen or go missing, but thankfully, there are some ways on how to track an iPhone, or at least have the information deleted. Hopefully, this guide on this page will be able to help you find your iPhone or that of your friends and family or at least get you prepared for when it may happen.