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find my phone

find my phone but that find my phone feature may not be properly set up on the device


I lost/misplaced the phone at a location outside the home

Posted on Jul 24, 2020 2:34 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 24, 2020 3:07 PM

If you go to www.icloud.com sign in with your Apple ID and Password and you don't see your phone in your list of devices, you didn't set up Find My. As such, the only way you can track a lost or stolen phone is if following is met:


  1. Find My had to be turned on
  2. The lost or stolen device must be powered on
  3. The lost or stolen device must be connected to a network.


See this link for guidance on what to do about a lost or stolen iPhone --> If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple Support


Note: If you did not set up Find My, it cannot be turned on after the phone is lost. Sorry.


At a minimum, contact your Cellular Provider and ask them to add your phone to their Blacklist of stolen devices. A final note, Apple does NOT get involved in lost or stolen devices at all.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 24, 2020 3:07 PM in response to searcherjoe

If you go to www.icloud.com sign in with your Apple ID and Password and you don't see your phone in your list of devices, you didn't set up Find My. As such, the only way you can track a lost or stolen phone is if following is met:


  1. Find My had to be turned on
  2. The lost or stolen device must be powered on
  3. The lost or stolen device must be connected to a network.


See this link for guidance on what to do about a lost or stolen iPhone --> If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple Support


Note: If you did not set up Find My, it cannot be turned on after the phone is lost. Sorry.


At a minimum, contact your Cellular Provider and ask them to add your phone to their Blacklist of stolen devices. A final note, Apple does NOT get involved in lost or stolen devices at all.

Jul 24, 2020 4:21 PM in response to searcherjoe

the phone was on the folded soft top of my Miata...and fell off about 3 miles away from the last time I had it in my hand. the Trooper was responding to an accident scene and the phone, minus the case, was spotted on the ground. then he found the case nearby. the front glas is INTACT...back glass is cracked, but the phone is fully functional and the camera works

Jul 24, 2020 4:32 PM in response to searcherjoe

That is fantastic news. What's not good news is there is no way to fix the back broken glass. It is actually fused on the phone is not replaceable. If you purchased AppleCare+ when you bought the phone, you can exercise one of your two replacements at a nominal price. If you didn't purchase AppleCare+ when you bought the phone a replacement phone will cost you about 60% of the original price of the phone.


Still, it's great the phone was found and returned to you. Make sure in addition to Find My, you are regularly backup p the phone so if something bad happens again, you won't lose any data.

Jul 25, 2020 7:08 AM in response to lobsterghost1

too bad about the back glass...oh well...I am extremely fortunate that ..A..I got the phone back..B..the back glass was the only thing damaged...C..Thats not bad considering the phone was found about 3 miles from where I last had it in my hand and it survived a fall from the back deck of my car, on a hiway, doing at LEAST 60mph...someone suggested I buy a lottery ticket...but I think I used up all my luck for the week

find my phone

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