How to Find Your Lost or Stolen iPhone via MobileMe

Posted by Sierra Monica B. in Apple & Mac on 06 18th, 2009 | no responses

Those who were anxiously waiting for the iPhone OS 3.0 download link to appear on Apple’s website can now get the software update and install it on the handset while connected to the computer.
Apple provides users with the installation instructions, consisting of 4 simple steps, that they need to follow in order to have the software ready to work.
While the update brings lots of new features and enhancements, you won’t be able to use some of them if you don’t have the latest handset version, the iPhone 3GS.

So, the first step is to download and install iTunes 8 on your computer. Next you need to open the program and select iPhone from the device list. Click Check for Update in iPhone Summary and then just download and install the software update while keeping the handset connected to the computer, until the update finishes to install. That’s it.
Now you’re ready to use all of the new features, one of which will be described in this article’s following lines.

Find My iPhone is a functionality that works similar to those complex services provided for laptops, which help you find your lost computer and erase all the stored data remotely.
Like the other similar software, Find My iPhone is a paid service with a yearly fee, but you still can test it for up to 60 days for free and then choose if you want to subscribe to it.

Once installed in the iPhone OS 3.0 software update, it becomes accessible via your MobileMe account. To get there you need to enter the Settings area via the Home screen, tap Mail, Contacts and Calendars, while having the Fetch New Data set to Push, and select your account on MobileMe. The last step is to turn on Find My iPhone.

Now, if the iPhone is lost or stolen you can simply log in me.com from any computer and go to Find My iPhone. It will show you the location of your handset on a map. At this point you have two options available. One is to write a message that will be displayed on the handset’s screen while a sound will play continuously even in the silent mode, helping you find the handset in the near proximity, or you may go for Remote Wipe and make all your data disappear. The second option would be used when the user is almost sure the handset was stolen.

There is also an additional feature you may use for extra protection, and this involves setting up a password for the iPhone, so that you’ll be the only user to get access to the data.

The MobileMe service is free to try for 60 days and available as a subscription service for $99 a year.