Find My iPhone
 A screenshot of Find My iPhone. | |
| Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | June 15, 2010 |
| Stable release | 3.0[1] / October 22, 2013[1] |
| Development status | Active |
| Operating system | iOS 5 and later |
| Size | 17.0 MB |
| Type | Location aware mobile application |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-my-iphone/id376101648 |
Find My iPhone (also known as Find iPhone on the SpringBoard, and also known specifically for other devices as Find My iPad, Find My iPod, or Find My Mac) is an app and service provided by Apple Inc. that allows remote location-tracking of iOS devices and Mac computers. As of March 2013, the service is currently available for iOS 5 or later and OS X 10.7.5 "Lion" or later through iCloud. Although it is not bundled with the operating system itself, the app is available for download from the App Store free of charge for iOS devices running iOS 5.0 or later.[1]
History
Find My iPhone was first released as an app in June 2010 for users of MobileMe. In November 2010 with iOS 4.2, Find My iPhone was available for free for some devices.[2][3] With the release of iCloud in October 2011, the service became free for all iCloud users. Also, the service was made available as "Find My Mac"[4] for Mac computers running OS X 10.7.2 "Lion" or later using iCloud.
Version history
| Version Number | Date released | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 |
June 15, 2010 |
|
| 1.0.1 |
September 7, 2010 |
|
| 1.1 |
November 22, 2010 |
|
| 1.2 |
June 6, 2011 |
|
| 1.2.1 |
August 8, 2011 |
|
| 1.3 |
October 12, 2011 |
|
| 1.4 |
March 7, 2012 |
|
| 2.0 |
September 19, 2012 |
|
| 2.0.1 |
December 11, 2012 |
|
| 2.0.2 |
March 21, 2013 |
|
| 2.0.3 |
August 22, 2013 |
|
| 3.0 |
October 22, 2013 |
|
Features
Find My iPhone allows users to locate their iOS devices using either the iOS app or icloud.com on a computer. In addition to locating a device, the service provides three key features:
- Play sound – Makes the device play a sound at maximum volume, even if it is muted. This feature is useful if the device has been mislaid.[10]
- Lost Mode (iOS 6 or later) – Flags the device as lost or stolen, allowing the user to lock it with a passcode. If the device is an iPhone and someone finds the device, he/she can call the user directly on the device.[8][7][6]
- Erase iPhone – Completely erases all content and settings. This is useful if the device contains sensitive information, but the device cannot be located after this action is performed. Starting with iOS 7 or later, after the erase is complete, the message can still be displayed and the device will be activation locked. This makes it hard for someone to use or sell the device should the owner of the device misplace it. An Apple ID Password will be required before turning off Find My iPhone, signing out of iCloud, erasing the device or reactivating a device after a remote wipe.
The update with iOS 6 added the ability to check the device's battery level.[1]
Since the release of iOS 7 users have complained about the link between GPS, WiFi and the App itself. Some handset owners have noted the App enables and disables itself when passing between cellular protocol bandwidths.
Requirements
As of January 2013, the service is supported on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac computers running OS X 10.7.5 "Lion" or later.[11] In addition to a compatible device, a free iCloud account is required to use Find My iPhone.[10]
Incidents
- In November 2011, police in Los Angeles, California were able to find an armed robbery suspect by using Find My iPhone on the victim's stolen iPhone.[12]
- In September 2012, two suspects were arrested in Atlanta, Georgia for robbing five women at gunpoint. Police were able to locate the suspects by using Find My iPhone to find one of the stolen iPhones.[13]
- Since early 2011, some Sprint users who used the app to find their lost device were sent to a 59 year-old man's house in Las Vegas, Nevada. Multiple people insisted that he had their device and the police were called multiple times. The man eventually had to put up a sign by his door saying that he had no lost cell phones.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Find My iPhone – iOS App Store". Apple Inc. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Find My iPhone is now free... – 9to5Mac". Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ Aamoth, Doug (November 23, 2010). "Find My iPhone "App of the Week" – Techland – Time". Time. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Find My Mac Coming in OS X Lion – 9to5Mac". Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Find My iPhone gets email notifications and offline device removal – 9to5Mac". Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "iCloud – Find My iPhone". Apple Inc. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Mac World – Find My iPhone update". Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Benjamin, Jeff. "Find My iPhone Lost Mode". Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ Wong, Raymond (December 11, 2012). "Apple Updates ‘Find My iPhone’ App With Handy Driving Directions". BGR Media, LLC. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gilbert, Jason (October 13, 2011). "Find My iPhone – Huffington Post". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ↑ "iCloud: Find My iPhone". Apple Inc. January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ↑ Winton, Richard (November 22, 2011). "'Find My Phone' iPhone app leads police to armed robbery suspect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ↑ Etherington, Darrell (September 14, 2012). "Find My iPhone Leads To Arrest Of Suspects In Atlanta Armed Robbery Case". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ↑ Bishop, Rollin (January 15, 2013). "Find My iPhone Keeps Sending Sprint Customers to 59-Year-Old Retiree’s House". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
