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Do you have a PASSCODE?

EarthNeutron said:
I do but I wish I didn't cause it just causes me trouble. From errors while syncing with iTunes to wasting time unlocking it.
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Just an idea - since quite a few people do seem to be using a passcode lock on their phones, what about making this a poll with the different time intervals listed to see how long most people have their phone set to wait before requiring a passcode? For example, you could just list all of the options:

Immediately
After 1 min
After 5 min
After 15 min
After 1 hour
After 4 hours
I don't use a passcode

I'd be interested to see the results of that. Just a thought.
 
Last edited:
cynics said:
Let's just hope no one cloned it and is digging for cc numbers as we speak. I would at the very least change every password including iTunes that youve ever used on the phone ASAP.

I have a pass code and find my iPhone on. Just set the passcode lock to 15 minutes then it's not as annoying.
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Well unfortunately all her credit cards were stolen at the same time, but those have already been canceled, so nothing they find will be of use anymore. Besides, I don't think anyone smart enough to clone a phone would take it back to a phone store when they were finished w/ it, unless they are just really courteous criminals. Then again, I don't know why anyone would ever take a phone they had stolen back to a store. I guess they just really felt guilty.
 
Geez, compared to some people on this thread, I must be paranoid. Not only do I have a pass code in effect, but I'm also JB'n with iProtect installed protecting specific apps with another password. Also, my SSH default password is changed, so someone can't go that route.

So compared to some, I spend way too much time entering pass codes (and fashioning 'foil hats). ;-)
 
FaustArp151 said:
True Story:

This weekend my wife had her phone stolen from her purse (along w/ her wallet) while she was at a bar. There was no pass code on her phone, and find my iphone (and all location services) were turned off.

The next day before calling Verizon to deactivate the phone, we decided to call the phone to see what would happen. Of course, no one answered (but the phone was on). We called again immediately and the sent us to voice mail after one ring. Called again and the phone was turned off.

We waited a few hours and I decided to try a bluff. I sent them a text message that said "I know you have my phone and I know you have been to using my credit card at wal-mart, mcdonalds, etc, and we have used the GPS in the phone to track it your address. Do you want to give me my stuff back or do you want me to get the police involved?"

We waited 30 minutes for a reply, got none, then sent a final text that simply said, "Po-po's coming."

A couple of hours ago my mother-in-law texted the phone (not knowing it had been stolen). She received a reply that said "Hello, I'm a Verizon employee and this phone was turned in this morning by someone who said they found it. It has been completely wiped clean and you are the first person to contact the phone. Is there anyway you can contact the owner of the phone and have them call me?"

A couple of hours later and I contacted the verizon store and sure enough they have my wife's phone and I can go pick it up this afternoon.

So, moral of the story? Well, I'm not sure it makes a great case for not having a passcode, but if it did have one, the person who stole it couldn't have read the text I sent and gotten scared enough to return the phone to a store.

But it does show how dumb people are who steal phones.
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Interesting story. Though even with a passcode you can use findmyiphone to send a readable message to the phone.
 
Yes, 4 digit password to lock every hour.

And remember, never make your password anything dumb (0000,1111,1234) or your birthday!
 
Yes, every iPhone needs one since thieves love them. It's like the analogy of parking your car in your driveway right in front of your house. You can choose not to lock it, since it's near to you. However, there's the underlying risk of it getting stolen.
 
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dweezle3 said:
EarthNeutron said:
I do but I wish I didn't cause it just causes me trouble. From errors while syncing with iTunes to wasting time unlocking it.
Click to expand...

Just an idea - since quite a few people do seem to be using a passcode lock on their phones, what about making this a poll with the different time intervals listed to see how long most people have their phone set to wait before requiring a passcode? For example, you could just list all of the options:

Immediately
After 1 min
After 5 min
After 15 min
After 1 hour
After 4 hours
I don't use a passcode

I'd be interested to see the results of that. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

after reading others comments I decided to change my habbit. Youll have to read my earlier post to see my habbits. I still back my original post but now I set my passcode at home and safe places to one hour. I figure if it gets taken they will have to sleep at some point and the phone will lock and generarlly I dont leave my phone alone for an hour so unlocking is not a problem.

When I leave a safe area I change the lock to one minute. This is easier than turning it on and off beacuse it requires less password entries and I dont use the simple passcode aka numbers.

I also enabled restrictions so they cant turn off find my iphone or mess with my email accounts. Not sure how much they can do with my email and im not sure if leaving them frustrtaded would mean they went crazy deleting emails in anger. I think maybe it would be better to allow them to delete my accounts and enter their own so I may re-enable that.

best bet is to keep it safe in my pocket and not put it down. Not that I put it down as I have no use of saying oh look at me I have an iphone.

Better to be safe than sorry and an hour lock seems a good compromise. Still would like location/wifi based locks like I posted before. Now that would be cool!
 
I've tried it before but i just get sick of sliding my phone AND putting in a password.

I wouldn't have done anything elaborate anyways.

Plus my phone never leaves my side, so no need for it really.
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
I've tried it before but i just get sick of sliding my phone AND putting in a password.

I wouldn't have done anything elaborate anyways.

Plus my phone never leaves my side, so no need for it really.
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I am the same way. My phone never leaves my side.
 
15 minute here too.

Also, the email account I have active on my phone is NOT my primary email address for resetting passwords/logins on other services.
 
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yegon said:
15 minute here too.

Also, the email account I have active on my phone is NOT my primary email address for resetting passwords/logins on other services.
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How does that work? Can you explain please as Im having trouble understanding. Originally I thought your forwarding your mail to one account but then i realised that wouldn't work because id just look at all your emails and click on the info to see what adress it was sent to. Say it was gmail. I'd then have your email adress and ask for it to be reset via web and the reset would be forwarded to the phone then I'd just resett it online. Or just look at your contact info for all your email adresses.

Like I say im having trouble understanding what you've done.
 
Zxxv said:
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How does that work? Can you explain please as Im having trouble understanding. Originally I thought your forwarding your mail to one account but then i realised that wouldn't work because id just look at all your emails and click on the info to see what adress it was sent to. Say it was gmail. I'd then have your email adress and ask for it to be reset via web and the reset would be forwarded to the phone then I'd just resett it online. Or just look at your contact info for all your email adresses.

Like I say im having trouble understanding what you've done.
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Yeah sorry, I wasn't very specific.

Previously, all my more important logins (ie. Amazon,eBay,Facebook, Paypal, anything involving money or relatively important data) was tied to the one mail account I always had active on my iPhone, e.g. billybob@gmail.com. Although I do have a 15 minute password anyway, if someone were to have access to my email account that's permanently logged in on my iPhone, it'd be very easy for them to go to Amazon for example, reset password, receive the link (assuming there isn't a security question on the site), change it and get access to all my cc details etc. and start ordering blow up dolls and velcro wallpaper.

So I just set up an entirely new email address eg. angelina@gmail.com and made that the primary email address for all "important" stuff eg. Amazon. I don't keep that address permanently logged in anywhere, even on computers at home, and I never access it over my phone. I just use the billybob email for everything else that isn't vitally important, meaning if someone did get my phone and have access to my email all they'd see is loads of yawnsome emails about what I'm doing tonight and links to comedy own goals.

The one thing to remember here is not to setup your original email account (billybob in this example) as your recovery account for your new one. If you do that, you've achieved nothing as they could then reset your "secure" email address*.

*The bonus being that nobody irl even knows my "secure" email address apart from Paypal, eBay etc. so that's another small layer of security against malevolent humans in your midst.

I only actually did this myself a few months ago when someone pointed out to me how vulnerable you leave everything if you have one email address that's permanently logged in on a phone, or even a computer.

Hmm, not sure if I've explained this very well, heyho :)
 
EarthNeutron said:
I do but I wish I didn't cause it just causes me trouble. From errors while syncing with iTunes to wasting time unlocking it.
Click to expand...
I absolutely do. I have lots of business information in my phone. I have a passcode, and have it set to wipe it after 10 attempts. And my lockscreen shows my contact information (how to find me to give me back my phone).
And I use find my phone. And then I'm super careful.
 
Mine is jailbroken, and I keep my ssh disabled when not using it. Other than protecting any potential information, I also use iCaughtU Pro (jailbroken only). This takes a picture with the front camera and emails it to me whenever the wrong password is entered. This may or may not get my phone back but at least I will know what the person who has it looks like.
 
Too dangerous w/o a passcode... my 2 yr pld had sent various emails from my phone to my contacts ...:D

----------

Definitely needs a passcode... if not my 2 yr old would reply the emails for me
 
ARSkemp said:
Mine is jailbroken, and I keep my ssh disabled when not using it. Other than protecting any potential information, I also use iCaughtU Pro (jailbroken only). This takes a picture with the front camera and emails it to me whenever the wrong password is entered. This may or may not get my phone back but at least I will know what the person who has it looks like.
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Thanks for the tip on iCaughtU Pro, seems like a very useful app.
 
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Wow that feature alone is enough to push me towards jail breaking. Why is it not a standard feature?
 
If you guys were not aware of the default 4 digit passcode that can be changed on the iPad and may for the iPhone as well. Give it a try if you like.....

Go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock> Simple Passcode and disable it. Now you can use any desired keyboard password to secure the iPhone/iPad, so your increasing the password strength and a smart move.
 
I use a passcode. I'm not really sure why people are saying that "constantly having to put in your passcode when you want to look at X" is such a problem. It's complete muscle memory now, I don't even have to look at my phone to enter the passcode.
 
edk99 said:
ALWAYS have a passcode on my phone. I accidentally left my phone on top of my car when I got gas and it fell off when I left the gas station. I did not realize I lost it till 1/2 hr later when I needed to use it. Ended up using a friends phone to call my phone and someone answered it and was kind enough to return it to me. Luckily I got it back but knowing that I had a passcode on it makes it well worth the 2 seconds it takes to unlock it.
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2 seconds multiplied by the number of times you unlock your phone.

I would set a passcode in a heartbeat if the iPhone had an Android style lock screen where you could enter a pattern, or at least just slide your finger from number to number. Having to slide to unlock, and then tap every number changes the dynamic of unlocking it and just doesn't make it worth it for me.
 
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