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What would you do if you found your stolen iPhone through Find My iPhone?

F

FutureStan

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 17, 2011
98
0
I just got my iPhone 4S, which makes it my first iPhone, and I'm absolutely loving it! :D

While setting up iCloud I obviously turned on "Find My iPhone" feature which I think is one of the most useful features in the iPhone. But then it made me wonder, what if my iPhone was stolen and I found it through Find My iPhone, what should I do? I mean, as badass as it sounds, following the thief is probably the worst thing you could do. (Being alive > finding iPhone lol) so can this be useful information to the police? Can they act upon it or not? and what would you do?! :rolleyes:
 
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FutureStan said:
I just got my iPhone 4S, which makes it my first iPhone, and I'm absolutely loving it! :D

While setting up iCloud I obviously turned on "Find My iPhone" feature which I think is one of the most useful features in the iPhone. But then it made me wonder, what if my iPhone was stolen and I found it through Find My iPhone, what should I do? I mean, as bad ass as it sounds, but following the thief is probably the worst thing you could do. (Being alive > finding iPhone lol) so can this be useful information to the police? Can they act upon it or not? and what would you do?! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I would indeed contact the police showing the location of my iDevice. I'd imagine they can use this information to locate the thief.
 
Lock the phone if it isn't already and contact the police.

It probably isn't very smart to be a hero and try to get it back yourself.
 
I would call the phone number and hope someone would answer. I would need to set up a meeting place where I could give them the original box and all accessories. They would probably need this if they ever decided to sell the phone.
 
Not sure where you guys live but it has been my experience that a cop would rather write a couple speeding tickets than chase down a lost cell phone. Has anyone actually had any luck getting the cops involved? (Aside from the guy who had is laptop stolen and brought media pressure to the PD.)

I think it's more useful if you forget which bar you left it at or finding it in your office if you leave it in a conference room on vibrate and can't hear it ringing (FMiP can have it make noise, regardless of sound settings).
 
If they stole it (and I didn't lose it/leave it somewhere) I'd find them, take my iPhone back, and then smash their right hand with a hammer.

Now if I left it somewhere and they just took it, I wouldn't smash their hand as the fault was my own.
 
I'd go looking for the thief and then start off with something like this...Well there's this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men."
 
morningsong said:
I'd go looking for the thief and then start off with something like this...Well there's this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men."
Click to expand...

Nice. I suppose if you're going to track the thief down, which I wouldn't, that would be the way to go...provided you have something to back that quote up with. :D
 
Track them down and take it back. If I feel getting the police involved would help then I will. But I am getting it back either way.
 
My friend did he left his phone in a taxi and the next morning rang the company they said they hadn't found it, so he found it with find my iPhone and drove to the location and rang the company again and told them that was outside a house with one of there cabs outside it took another half hour for the taxi driver to come out of his house with the phone.
 
police never do anything, my sister got beaten up by 4 guys!! 4 GUYS!! what happend nothing, they simply said, what do you want us to do....uhhh well arrest them, and then they said and then what, we need witnesses and all that crap, police are nothing but filthy scum and only do their job when it suits them, you best bet is to get a few friends together go find your iphone, when you find the person that has your phone you say this:

God this stuff isn't getting to me - the shootings, the knifings, the beatings. Old ladies being bashed in the head for their social security checks. Nah that doesn't bother me. But you know what does bother me? You know what makes me really sick to my stomach? It's watching you standing there when i know you have my iphone, MY IPHONE!! so thats got me thinking, whats the surest way to get it back....because in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig. bang bang bang, now I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum - the most powerful hand gun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question--Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk!

by this point if they havent handed your iphone over beat the **** outta em :)
 
Am I missing something? It doesn't actually give you a complete address right? I just signed up with icloud and turned on find my phone. I logged onto the icloud website and it gives me the name of my street (where the phone is located) but not the actual house number. How could you possibly track the phone to a particular house in order to get it back from someone who stole it?
 
Marilynfan said:
Am I missing something? It doesn't actually give you a complete address right? I just signed up with icloud and turned on find my phone. I logged onto the icloud website and it gives me the name of my street (where the phone is located) but not the actual house number. How could you possibly track the phone to a particular house in order to get it back from someone who stole it?
Click to expand...

You could make it beep and listen for it.
 
Marilynfan said:
Am I missing something? It doesn't actually give you a complete address right? I just signed up with icloud and turned on find my phone. I logged onto the icloud website and it gives me the name of my street (where the phone is located) but not the actual house number. How could you possibly track the phone to a particular house in order to get it back from someone who stole it?
Click to expand...

It will vector in pretty close over time, especially if the iPhone can receive a GPS signal. In the case of the previous poster that left in a cab, there was a yellow cab in front of a house in the general area the icon was indicating. In this case, it's exact location was probably pretty obvious...
 
The police aren't going to do anything for a freaking cell phone. Some will, but most won't. I'd lock it and then follow it. If I can't get it back, then I'd just remote wipe it.
 
Mob Mentality

r2shyyou said:
I would indeed contact the police showing the location of my iDevice. I'd imagine they can use this information to locate the thief.
Click to expand...

I've read news stories where this strategy has worked. Thief was caught, by the police, and device returned.

But, if you have friends in "criminal" places you could always send them after it ;)
 
I read that someone suggested wiping their phone but wouldn't that remove the find my phone feature?
 
The police arent interested in you having your phone back, but they are interested in catching thieves that have other stolen products with them as well. Whoever does steal iphones usually is stealing laptops and other electronics as well.
 
Bryan Bowler said:
If they stole it (and I didn't lose it/leave it somewhere) I'd find them, take my iPhone back, and then smash their right hand with a hammer.
Click to expand...


And you'd end up in jail......and the thief would probably file a civil suit against you. He'd legally end up with your iPhone!
 
Try to follow or find the location. If you feel unsure or unsafe call the police hoping they would assist you in getting it back.

All while trying to video record your adventure. Then post that story online, on youtube and be vocal of the thief. Hopefully they will become infamous if a national news show covers it or it becomes viral =] :p
 
Bryan Bowler said:
If they stole it (and I didn't lose it/leave it somewhere) I'd find them, take my iPhone back, and then smash their right hand with a hammer.

Now if I left it somewhere and they just took it, I wouldn't smash their hand as the fault was my own.
Click to expand...

I'd have to break both hands or find out which hand is dominant cause I'd hate to leave them able to properly pleasure themselves for several weeks!
 
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