titsch
Level 1 (1 points)

Q: Find iphone even when GPS is turned off

Has anyone checked, if the search your iphone function (when it was stolen) is working, even if the thief was smart and turned off the GPS function. Is then the mobile tracking via the signal working (which is not very accurate). Or was Apple smart and always enables the GPS function in the background, when you are trying to track your stolen iphone?

 

What happens, when the SIM card is taken out of the phone? Can I thens still track my iphone?

 

Anyone has an idea?

iPhone 4, iOS 5

Posted on Feb 8, 2012 2:43 AM

by Allan Sampson,Solvedanswer
Allan Sampson Allan Sampson
Level 10 (123,464 points)
A:

If the SIM card is removed, Find My iPhone won't work. The same if the SIM card is deactivated by your carrier when reporting the iPhone as lost or stolen with your carrier.

 

If Location Services is off, Find My iPhone can't work.

 

Find My iPhone can't work with Airplane mode enabled which turns off all radios.

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4006

Posted on Feb 8, 2012 8:56 AM

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titsch

Q: Find iphone even when GPS is turned off

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  • by wjosten,Helpful

    wjosten wjosten Feb 8, 2012 2:49 AM in response to titsch
    Level 10 (94,634 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 8, 2012 2:49 AM in response to titsch

    Most thieves are smart & know to immediately turn an iPhone off & then restore it as a new device in iTunes. Doing this defeats Find My Phone. Find My Phone was never designed as theft protection or as a way to track stolen phones. While it can be used for such, its real function is to track lost iPhones. Of course, for it to work, Find My Phone must be turned on and activated, and the phone must have an Internet connection.

  • by titsch,

    titsch titsch Feb 8, 2012 8:44 AM in response to wjosten
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 8, 2012 8:44 AM in response to wjosten

    Great. Thanks for your answer. You got a good point, hopefully I will loose my phone and a nice guy /girl finds it. But even then, my questions are valid (at least the second one)

     

    Still. I would like to know, what happens, if someone takes out the SIM and does not restore the phone. Is it then still trackeable? Is it able to answer that?

     

    2nd question, even if no thief has stolen my phone. If I have turned off the the GPS (Location Service), am I still able to track my phone (since Apple was smart enough to activate the GPS as soon as someone is trying to track the phone?)


    You raised another question, I was not even aware off - the iphone I want to track must have internet connection? Is that correct? Means, in Airplane mode, the phone is not trackeable? (which would be the case, if Apple would not have included in the Find Service a automatic "Location Service Turn On" Logik, when I would like to track my iphone.)

     

    Thanks again for your great help!

     

    titsch

  • by Rudegar,Helpful

    Rudegar Rudegar Feb 8, 2012 8:48 AM in response to titsch
    Level 7 (29,002 points)
    Apple TV
    Feb 8, 2012 8:48 AM in response to titsch

    since I can track my ipad2 wifi 3g which currently dont have a sim  card I would say yes

     

    if gps is turned off or find my iphone app deleted or the thief restore the iphone to factory default

    you will not be able to track your iphone

     

    even if apple could turn gps on remotely or track it in secret they would be voilating the laws of most of the world and would suffer from persecution with extreme prejudice

  • by Allan Sampson,Solvedanswer

    Allan Sampson Allan Sampson Feb 8, 2012 8:56 AM in response to titsch
    Level 10 (123,464 points)
    Feb 8, 2012 8:56 AM in response to titsch

    If the SIM card is removed, Find My iPhone won't work. The same if the SIM card is deactivated by your carrier when reporting the iPhone as lost or stolen with your carrier.

     

    If Location Services is off, Find My iPhone can't work.

     

    Find My iPhone can't work with Airplane mode enabled which turns off all radios.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4006

  • by titsch,

    titsch titsch Feb 9, 2012 2:39 AM in response to Allan Sampson
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 9, 2012 2:39 AM in response to Allan Sampson

    Dear All

     

    Thanks a lot for your help! especially the link answers most of my concerns. I did not find the topic in the community. So thanks a lot, Allan. Still, I am now more convinced than before that "Find my iphone" is a nice game, but not helpful in case of real trouble :/. better never loose my phone

     

    Cheers

    titsch