Many iPhone users know it: that anxious feeling that arises when you pat your pocket and no longer see the familiar contours of your phone.
Usually you can find it somewhere nearby, but a tech expert has revealed a foolproof way to find a lost iPhone if it’s taking longer than usual to locate it.
Kurt Knutsson, also known as Kurt the Cyberguy, is the founder of The Cyberguy Report warning viewers about potential cybersecurity fraud and whether you could be a target.
A tech expert has revealed foolproof ways to locate a lost iPhone and save yourself the fear of your personal data falling into the wrong hands
With the Apple Watch you can ping your iPhone when they are within 100 meters of each other
He has now explained that the tools users already have access to, such as Siri and the Apple smartwatch, are effective ways to find your lost phone.
According to Knutsson, iPhone users can use most Apple devices to locate their phone, but there are three other options you may not have thought of.
He has worked as a technology correspondent for over twenty years, providing advice on cybersecurity issues and securing your devices.
1. Apple Watch
Let’s start with the most obvious option: you can use your Apple Watch to send a ping to your iPhone when the devices are within 100 meters of each other.
iPhone owners can use this tool by pressing the side button of the watch to open the Control Center and tapping the “Find iPhone” button. Your device will then emit a ping sound so you can locate it.
Depending on your watch’s settings, you can also find the Find iPhone feature by going to your watch face and swiping up or left.
This will display four tools, including the option to ping your phone.
iCloud shows a map with the approximate location of your device and gives the user the option to select ‘Play Sound’ to locate the phone if it is within earshot.
2.iCloud
iCloud accounts come with a Find My iPhone feature, similar to the Apple Watch, but it requires some forethought and a few extra steps.
If users wanted to use this feature, they would have had to first turn on their Location Services and add their iPhone to Find My before they lost their device.
If you plan ahead, you can log into your iCloud account on a laptop or tablet and enter the email address you use for your Apple ID along with your password.
Once you’ve logged in, you’ll see a “Find My” icon at the bottom left of your screen. All paired Apple devices will be listed on the left side of the app.
Once you find and click on the iPhone device you want to locate, iCloud will show a map with the approximate location of your device. If you see that you are close enough to hear a sound coming from your phone, you can select “Play Sound.”
Saying “Hey Siri” is an easy way to hear how your iPhone responds to you
3. Siri
Siri can be more than just a digital assistant that tells you what the weather is. This advanced feature can also be used to find your phone.
If the Siri app is activated on your iPhone and you think it’s nearby, you can say “Hey Siri.” The app will light up and provide a spoken response, making it quick and easy to find.
Google Maps Timeline keeps track of your iPhone’s location services and history if it is enabled on the device
4. Google Maps Timeline
A possibly lesser-known option is to use Google Maps Timeline. This feature keeps track of your iPhone’s location services and history, if the feature is enabled on your device.
To access this feature, users can go to Google Maps Timeline in a web browser and sign in with the Google account they use on their phone.
This allows the user to see the location history of the iPhone so that he or she can quickly regain possession of it.