can a stolen macbook be found??

dpnwk Said:

"can a stolen macbook be found??: I reported my macbook stolen and the cops didnt help at all. Is there any way to find the macbook?"

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Locating Devices:

Perhaps is was lost? What makes you so certain this was stollen?

Two Things...



I. Use Find My: Use the Find My App to Locate a Missing Device or Item - Apple Support

If Find My was enabled with these, then you may be able to find them there. Note that this is based off of the last time the device they were connected to was itself connected to the internet. This is because they do not have their own IP Address. So, use a site like Mapquest to backtrack to this location.

II. If Find My is Not an Option:

A. Backtrack your Locations:

Do it the olde fashioned way and backtrack your locations. For instance, if you were at a retail store, then stop in, asking the store manger if it was placed aside.

B. Lost-&-Found:

Chick with the Lost & Found department of the facility you were in, seeing if it has been handed over.

C. Contact Local Authorities:

See if the community police, or local security guards at the front door, can across it.

D. Use Craigslist:

Put a post on Craigslist, seeing if they have been found.

While this seems to be the most likely case, there is a slight chance.

If the Mac meets all of these conditions, it could be found:

• Powered on (not dead)
• Find My Mac was enabled
• Connected to Wi-Fi, or running macOS Catalina or later and nearby another Apple device

If you assigned your phone number for Messages, you can send yourself a message alerting the thief something bad will happen to them if they don't return it to XYZ police department you reported it to.

Keep in mind there is Lojack of Lapcop which only work if installed before the Mac was stolen. Both offer a way for the Mac to be tracked like Find My Mac.

If you have any of your credit cards stored on the Mac, you can see if anyone attempted to use your cards on the Mac. This should help you possibly isolate it, by contacting the credit card company to put a trace on any transactions, as well as block them. You should change your passwords that were stored on it regardless.

a brody Said:

"Keep in mind there is Lojack of Lapcop which only work if installed before the Mac was stolen. Both offer a way for the Mac to be tracked like Find My Mac."

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Based on Personal Experience:

I've used LoJack for years --though I have never lost my Mac, nor had it stollen, it always shows like a charm where it was last connected to on the Web.

Unfortunately, probably not.

Encryptor5000 wrote:

• While this seems to be the most likely case, there is a slight chance.

Yup. That's why I said "probably".