To many of us Apple fans and gadget enthusiasts in general, an iPhone is among our most prized possessions. We devour the latest rumors ad news about the upcoming new iPhone models at the fastest rate they appear publicly, and we can’t get enough of admiring and comparing them. That’s why one of the saddest and most panic-inducing unfortunate events in the life of a gadget enthusiast is losing one’s iPhone or, even worse, having it stolen. To solve this kind of situations as fast as possible, should they occur, Apple has a very popular app, called Find My iPhone, released since 2010.

Since not all iPhone or Mac users know exactly how this app works, even though they heard about it or even have it installed on their own device, here is a detailed look into how Find My iPhone works and how you can efficiently protect your Apple products with it. Initially launched just for MobileMe users (back in 2010), the app was built into the iOS system starting with its 4.2 version of November 2010. Initially available for a fee, since 2011, with the release of iCloud, the Find My iPhone app became free of charge for all iCloud users (which is virtually the same with saying it’s now free for all iPhone owners, and can be directly downloaded from the Apple App Store).

How does the Find My iPhone app work?

Better yet, the application was subsequently released in versions for Mac, iPod and iPad (dubbed Find My Mac, Find My iPod and Find my iPad). Thus, if you happen to misplace any of these devices (or have them stolen), the app uses the iOS system which the computer and the mobile gadgets all use to track them down. Although it might seem obvious to some, we should state that Find My iPhone functions even if the device it is trying to track down is currently shut down. By logging into a computer with the iCloud application, any Apple device owner can use its remote location tracking to find out where their device is.

Besides its locating service, the app can provide the user to 3 extra features, adapted to each particular case of misplacement. Before taking any action, the owner of the lost device will need to log into iCloud with a valid Apple ID password, and then chose from the following options:

• Play sound : If you’re pretty sure you have misplaced your iPhone or other device somewhere nearby, this feature will make it play a loud sound to make it easier for you to find it. This function will take place even if the device has been previously muted.
• Lost Mode: The activation of this feature locks the device, flagging it as lost or stolen, and requiring the user to enter a key code in order to unlock it back, if they manage to find it. This is done in order to make sure no one has access to your device and the data stored on it in case it was truly lost or stolen.
• Erase iPhone: This third option is also the most drastic, and it orders the complete deletion of all data on the device. This feature should only be activated on the Find My iPhone website if the user is by now extremely sure that they will never manage to find their device.

In order to successfully connect your Apple devices to the Find My iPhone app, there are some minimal technical requirements. First of all, obviously, the users need a compatible Apple device with iOS 10.7.5 “Lion” or newer installed on it, and second of all, there also has to be a free iCloud account made. Other than that, the app is quite friendly to use, and hopefully it can save you a lot of trouble.