thassaright

Q: A potential loss scenario

Hi everyone. Thank you in advanced for your time.

 

What I'm trying to understand is this hypothetical scenario.

 

I have an iPhone 6S with the most up to date iOS version.

I have Find My iPhone turned on.

I have a passcode set.

I have Location Services turned on.

I have the control center hidden when iPhone is locked.

 

I lose my device at the shopping mall. Someone finds it and quickly notices there is a) no identifyable info like my name anwhere. b) the phone is passcode locked. c) I'm nowhere in sight and probably don't know I've lost it or do and have no idea where.

 

At this point, the finder has either good intentions or bad ones.

 

Good... I have a chance. Bad intnentions, phone most likely gets powered off and chances got slimmer.

 

I'd like to focus on the good finder first.

 

They take my phone with them because, like a lot of good intentioned finders, they're scared to hand it over to any questionable staff that they think might keep it for themselves. So they take on the tasks themselves.

 

Battery dies on them and they do not have an Apple device and therefore no charger (yet). Or maybe it was actually left on the roof of my car and the screen shattered and can't be viewed.

 

They go to an Apple store, are told to turn it in to law enforcement (Finder thinks, "Yeah, they'll get right on it.)

 

Mean time, I'm trying to use Find My iPhone app and freaked out about what to do. Put it in Lost Mode, Send a Message, Track its location, and perhaps even considering remotely erasing it etc. But, my phone is off and nothing can really take place anyhow for this reason.

 

Time goes by. I need my phone for personal and business reasons.

 

How long should I wait before I take serious actions like calling my carrier and reporting it lost/stolen and then pulling out my pocket book or calling my insurance?

 

Let's say I give it a week which we all know is eternity. Meanwhile, the finder is posting on CL that they found my phone totally unbeknownst to me. They've gone to Apple and the police station and haven't given up on me yet.

 

But I cave in and suspend my service with Verizon and BAMMM, I kill my cellular/data connection!

 

NOW, based on everything I've read and understand, a "known" wifi network connection is my only hope if that phone is able to be charged and turned back on.... which activates the things I did with Find my iPhone right?

 

Here are the important questions:

 

- What exactly is the scope of "known" wifi networks? Are they not just networks I've physically joined but also any wifi networks the phone comes in contact with that are not locked and don't required me to agree to its use like Starbucks?

 

- How can this finder help get my device onto a known network when they can't get in it to do so?

 

- Is there some part of what Apple talks about here (About privacy and Location Services - Apple Support) that helps the situation, my iPhone, and the finder out?

 

- Are there apps that take advantage of an iPhone's hardware and software better than Apple does?

 

- Any other thoughts?

 

Thanks for making it through all these words!

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jun 29, 2016 9:54 PM

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Q: A potential loss scenario

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  • Helpful answers

  • by ChrisJ4203,Apple recommended

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Jun 30, 2016 2:14 PM in response to thassaright
    Level 9 (57,237 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 30, 2016 2:14 PM in response to thassaright

    thassaright wrote:

     

     

     

    Here are the important questions:

     

    - What exactly is the scope of "known" wifi networks? Are they not just networks I've physically joined but also any wifi networks the phone comes in contact with that are not locked and don't required me to agree to its use like Starbucks?

     

    - How can this finder help get my device onto a known network when they can't get in it to do so?

     

    - Is there some part of what Apple talks about here (About privacy and Location Services - Apple Support) that helps the situation, my iPhone, and the finder out?

     

    - Are there apps that take advantage of an iPhone's hardware and software better than Apple does?

     

    - Any other thoughts?

     

    Thanks for making it through all these words!

    First off, for Find My iPhone to properly work, the following must happen. The device needs to have Find My iPhone activated prior to the loss, the device needs to be turned on and have sufficient power, and the device needs to have an active connection to the internet, either cellular or wi-fi. If any of those things are not in place, then you cannot track the device.

     

    With that in mind, to address your questions:

     

    Known wi-fi networks are ones that you have connected to in the past. These can be ones you have the password saved for, or public wi-fi that you have agreed to connect to in the past. The iPhone will not connect, even to an unprotected wi-fi, if you have not agreed to join it in the past.

     

    There is no way for the person to agree for your device to connect to a wi-fi network if you have not agreed to it in the past, since they cannot access the device to agree to join.

     

    Your location services have to have been turned on prior to the loss, and that is automatic for Find My iPhone if you have it activated.

     

    There are no apps to assist you in locating your device, and other apps would not be accessible to you outside the iPhone and then be able to track the iPhone. While you can log into www.icloud.com on the computer, that is only if your device is still connected as in what I described at the beginning.

  • by sberman,Helpful

    sberman sberman Jun 30, 2016 2:21 PM in response to thassaright
    Level 8 (39,083 points)
    Jun 30, 2016 2:21 PM in response to thassaright

    Hats off (as always) to ChrisJ4203 for slogging though your entire scenario.  I failed to do that.

     

    But I did focus in on one point you made:

     

    thassaright wrote:

     

    I lose my device at the shopping mall. Someone finds it and quickly notices there is a) no identifyable info like my name anwhere.

    If this is a "good finder", they should proceed past a "quickly notice" and check to see whether you set up a Medical ID.  This would be retrievable even if your iPhone were locked.  Check "Set Up Your Medical ID" here:

     

    Use the Health app on your iPhone or iPod touch - Apple Support

  • by anonyme4321,

    anonyme4321 anonyme4321 Jun 30, 2016 2:25 AM in response to thassaright
    Level 1 (93 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 30, 2016 2:25 AM in response to thassaright

    You should be able to use Find my iPhone while it has battery through the mobile connection. Of course if the iPhone runs out of battery or is shut down, you're out of luck. You can also enable "Send Last Location" under Find my iPhone settings so it will send it's position before the battery dies.

  • by LACAllen,

    LACAllen LACAllen Jul 1, 2016 5:18 PM in response to thassaright
    Level 5 (4,567 points)
    iCloud
    Jul 1, 2016 5:18 PM in response to thassaright

    The reality is that anyone who finds your device and has intentions of finding you, probably can't. Not really the way FMIP (and activation lock) works in real life.

     

    It's main purpose is to reduce the (black market) value of your found/stolen device to effectively zero.

     

    A good samaritan's best choice is to turn it into local authorities, or an establishment where it was found, in the hopes you would make the connection with them. I would think most of us think to "go back to where you last knew you had it" when we lose something.

     

    I suppose an ad in a  local paper may work too, but most folks who lose a phone will make efforts to replace it faster than to go find it. Assuming of course they have properly backed it up and can get on with their life without finding the device.