How do I locate a stolen MacBook?

See this article:

If your Mac is lost or stolen - Apple Support

As long as your Mac was locked and ptotected by a secure password (known only to you and not easily guessed) … AND … if FileVault (Apple’s Full-Disk Encryption System) was previously activated … your on-device data is quite well protected.

Unfortunately, even relatively unsophisticated thieves know how to inhibit tracking so don’t be too surprised if it doesn’t show up in FindMy.

Isaaczb Said:

"How do I locate a stolen MacBook?: Hi everyone.someone just stole my 2nd MacBook along with valuable items in my bag. I am so confused and don’t know how to locate before the police. CCTV footage shows the criminals but I need my items before it is sold. iCloud is still sign in but not showing offline location. Can anyone help?"

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Troubleshooting a Stollen Mac:



I. Secure your Info:

Being device access and account vulnerability have become of high-concern here, (A)verify your devices, and (B)secure your account:

A. Verify your Devices:

Verify that all devices are logged in to your account, by using this link: Check your Apple ID Device List to See where you're Signed in - Apple Support

then...

B. Modify your Credentials:

Having been stollen, someone lily has your credentials. So, by all means, modifying them.

• Modify: your login credentials (Using Both a New eMail and a New Password for each and all sites)
• Associate: a different method of payment to your account
• Enable: Two-Factor Authentication for Apple ID and for all other accounts that have such an applicable option

II. Locating This:

Note that the location seen in WiFi is the last place it had an IP Address. So, if at a library, contact it, asking them if it was handed in, and if the have it sitting aside. If using a third-party app (i.e. LoJack by Absolute Software), then log in to that site, seeing if you can locate it.

Isaaczb wrote:

Hi everyone.

someone just stole my 2nd MacBook along with valuable items in my bag. I am so confused and don’t know how to locate before the police. CCTV footage shows the criminals but I need my items before it is sold. iCloud is still sign in but not showing offline location. Can anyone help?

Macs don't have cellular data modems – and Wi-Fi is short-range. So even if that MacBook is turned on and the criminals have not placed it in a special bag to block radio signals, it probably isn't anywhere close to a Wi-Fi hot spot to which it would automatically connect.

You ask us "how to locate before the police" and say "I need my items before it is sold".

Sad to say, the chances are that you're never seeing that computer again. Even if you saw a location, it would be extremely unwise to go in person to where you think criminals have gathered, in an attempt to force them to give your stuff back. You might lose a lot more than just a computer.