Best apps (Cydia included) to prevent losing iPhone (or the recover it fast)

[luisadastwin]

Hello all,

Just bought an iPhone 5. It's already JB. It was really expensive and I'm always terrified about losing it.

What are the best apps (Cydia included) to find my iPhone quickly? And what's the best app to make iPhone unusable to burglars, but still capable to find it?

There's was an old CYDIA app back in 2009 that had these both features but I don't recall it...

Can you please help? Thank you!

 

[eyoungren]

Hello all,

Just bought an iPhone 5. It's already JB. It was really expensive and I'm always terrified about losing it.

What are the best apps (Cydia included) to find my iPhone quickly? And what's the best app to make iPhone unusable to burglars, but still capable to find it?

There's was an old CYDIA app back in 2009 that had these both features but I don't recall it...

Can you please help? Thank you!

Make sure Find My iPhone is on in settings. Cydia has iCaughtU and iGotYa. I bought iCaughtU Pro (iCaughtU is free I think) which can allow you to control your device by sending SMS to it and allow you to prevent anyone from turning off the power or doing other things.

You'll all of these in the Cydia store. I don't know about anything available in the App store.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yes, either icaughtu or iGotYa.

 

[luisadastwin]

Thank you both for your answers!

It seems to me that iGotYa vs iCaughtU are very similar. The difference is that iCaughtU has a free version.

 

[Applejuiced]

Thank you both for your answers!

It seems to me that iGotYa vs iCaughtU are very similar. The difference is that iCaughtU has a free version.

iGotYa has a 10 day trial period. The reason I went with that instead of the free icaughtU is because bitesms doesnt play well with icaughtU. Its listed as incompatible on their site. And I love bitesms

 

[luisadastwin]

Wooooaaaa....

No one makes a scratch on my beloved BiteSMS!!!!

So iGotYa is the one I'll choose

Thank you

 

[luisadastwin]

... I've looked further and noticed that iCaughtU Pro has some nice features like sending commands to the iPhone through iMessage / SMS. Do you think I'll miss these?

 

[eyoungren]

iGotYa has a 10 day trial period. The reason I went with that instead of the free icaughtU is because bitesms doesnt play well with icaughtU. Its listed as incompatible on their site. And I love bitesms

Huh.

I have biteSMS and I bought iCaughtU Pro. It's working just fine with biteSMS. I looked at their site under both iCaughtU and iCaughtU Pro and I didn't see any warning about biteSMS, nor does it seem to be indicated in Cydia.

Can you point out where you saw that warning?

----------

... I've looked further and noticed that iCaughtU Pro has some nice features like sending commands to the iPhone through iMessage / SMS. Do you think I'll miss these?

You might. It's a way to control your device when someone else has it. You can lock them out from shutting off the radios so they can't prevent the phone from receiving the messages.

I set this up, but beware, it's literal. Any texts you get with that contain the words you have set these up with can trigger them.

For instance, I set one of these up to send me a text message with certain info and used the word "alert" to trigger it. I got a text from my bank that has the word "alert" in it (to notify me of a transaction) and iCaughtU Pro triggered and sent an SMS back to the bank! So, maybe try it with triggers that are unlikely to common in the texts you receive.

 

[Applejuiced]

Huh.

I have biteSMS and I bought iCaughtU Pro. It's working just fine with biteSMS. I looked at their site under both iCaughtU and iCaughtU Pro and I didn't see any warning about biteSMS, nor does it seem to be indicated in Cydia.

Can you point out where you saw that warning?

Its on the bitesms page. Not on the icaughtu.
Tweaks that have compatibility issues with biteSMS or cause crashes!


biteSMS would love to work hand in hand with all tweaks, but with regular up-dates to most apps, it's almost impossible to keep up.

Here's a list of apps with known compatibility issues.

iBlackList, autoProtect, Alert Artist, AnyRing, Badgeclear, Black Keyboard, BrowserChanger, Bulletin, CallTell, CleanStatus, Copic, FakeOperator, iconoclasm, Infiniboard, iTracker, ipsum, ICaughtU, LockInfo, Move2Unlock, PushTone, SBRotator 5, Unlockize, Sendany, Spire, Springtomize, StatusTweak.

Simply uninstall if you have one of these apps and see first if it solves your issue.

 

[eyoungren]

Its on the bitesms page. Not on the icaughtu.
Tweaks that have compatibility issues with biteSMS or cause crashes!


biteSMS would love to work hand in hand with all tweaks, but with regular up-dates to most apps, it's almost impossible to keep up.

Here's a list of apps with known compatibility issues.

iBlackList, autoProtect, Alert Artist, AnyRing, Badgeclear, Black Keyboard, BrowserChanger, Bulletin, CallTell, CleanStatus, Copic, FakeOperator, iconoclasm, Infiniboard, iTracker, ipsum, ICaughtU, LockInfo, Move2Unlock, PushTone, SBRotator 5, Unlockize, Sendany, Spire, Springtomize, StatusTweak.

Simply uninstall if you have one of these apps and see first if it solves your issue.

Thanks!

 

[luisadastwin]

Damn.... On one side, I have nice features... On the other side, full compatibility with BiteSMS ... Tough call :s

 

[eyoungren]

Damn.... On one side, I have nice features... On the other side, full compatibility with BiteSMS ... Tough call :s

Well, all I can tell you is that despite what BiteSMS's site says, I'm not experiencing any issues with my full copy of BiteSMS and iCaughtU Pro.

YMMV of course, but for me at least, the two tweaks are coexisting peacefully.

 

[Applejuiced]

Well, all I can tell you is that despite what BiteSMS's site says, I'm not experiencing any issues with my full copy of BiteSMS and iCaughtU Pro.

YMMV of course, but for me at least, the two tweaks are coexisting peacefully.

Good to hear.
How long have you been running them both installed together?
And any crashes or phone entering safe mode when receiving messages?

 

[eyoungren]

Good to hear.
How long have you been running them both installed together?
And any crashes or phone entering safe mode when receiving messages?

1 week. And no crashes or safe mode when receiving or sending. There has been crashes and safe mode but that was due to other tweaks and did not involve messaging.

 

[Applejuiced]

Thank you.
I might check back with you later to see how its holding up.
So far with iGotYa and bitesms I had one crash when receiving a text.
Had it installed only for a day so far though

 

[luisadastwin]

LOOL

This means that you installed it AFTER reading this post

Ok. Maybe I'll head to iCaughtU... If it is working fine and if it has those nice features of remote controlling....


But one question occurs to me: what if the burglar immediately removes the SIM CARD with a paper clip or something?

 

[Applejuiced]

But one question occurs to me: what if the burglar immediately removes the SIM CARD with a paper clip or something?

Then you are out of luck.
Unless you lock or solder the sim tray

 

[luisadastwin]

LOOOOOL

So solder the SIM I will!!

 

[eyoungren]

Then you are out of luck.
Unless you lock or solder the sim tray

Hmmm…well, I locked my SIM in the Settings. Sprint isn't used to SIM cards (it's a CDMA carrier) so they have a stupid default. After I found that I was able to change it. I suppose that only means though that using my SIM card requires the code, but still allows anyone else to put a different SIM card in.

Is that the way it works?

 

[Applejuiced]

Hmmm…well, I locked my SIM in the Settings. Sprint isn't used to SIM cards (it's a CDMA carrier) so they have a stupid default. After I found that I was able to change it. I suppose that only means though that using my SIM card requires the code, but still allows anyone else to put a different SIM card in.

Is that the way it works?

Yep, since yours is a cdma iphone your phone number is in and will get service and report back its location with find my iphone untill you call them up to disconect service to that device or till they plug it to itunes and restore it. Then once its restore you wont be able to track it.

 

[Obyboby]

This is how I protect my iPhone:

- With activator, I suppressed the power button function (if you press it for long, it won't do anything)
- I've restricted the access to location services so find my iPhone can't be deactivated
- I often change my passcode
- I always, and I mean always, know where my iPhone is, and I hardly give it to others

It's not much, but it helps a lot


Ps: well I can't find the "Suppress original action" option in activator anymore :\

 

[eyoungren]

This is how I protect my iPhone:

- With activator, I suppressed the power button function (if you press it for long, it won't do anything)
- I've restricted the access to location services so find my iPhone can't be deactivated
- I often change my passcode
- I always, and I mean always, know where my iPhone is, and I hardly give it to others

It's not much, but it helps a lot


Ps: well I can't find the "Suppress original action" option in activator anymore :\

Good tips. I took your advice on restricting access to location services. It means any new app I add that uses this I'll have to unlock location services and add it, but I'm at a point where that's rare now.

I have iCaughtYou Pro deactivating the Power button on lock (meaning it works, but won't let you shut the phone down). So, shutting down and a hard reset once locked isn't a possibility. I have a PIN on my SIM now and and a lock code. I don't really change my code, BUT I use other codes inside the phone. The one to access iCaughtU Pro settings is different than the lock code. The one to access the Starbucks app is different, etc.

You'd have to know A LOT of my personal history to guess the codes as I use numbers from different signifigant time periods in my life.

I always have my phone as well and I always lock it when not using it. I suppose if you guessed the unlock code you could shut the phone down or hard reset, but you'd need to find my code and I never write down codes or passwords (I've memorized them all).

The only flaw seems to be that if someone did get my phone they could remove my SIM and use theirs. Although, they might have a hard time of it. I'm on Sprint and the phone is locked to Sprint.

 

[Obyboby]

Good tips. I took your advice on restricting access to location services. It means any new app I add that uses this I'll have to unlock location services and add it, but I'm at a point where that's rare now.

Yep, that's the only "issue". It's kind of a pain in the ass to do it, but once you're used to it, you can allow any app's location usage in seconds. Also, there should be a shortcut on activator which takes you to the location menu straight away.