{"id":12575,"date":"2013-03-28T09:06:33","date_gmt":"2013-03-28T16:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=12575"},"modified":"2024-08-02T15:57:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T22:57:21","slug":"what-to-do-if-your-iphone-gets-stolen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/what-to-do-if-your-iphone-gets-stolen\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if your iPhone gets stolen\u2014and how to prevent iPhone theft"},"content":{"rendered":"

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See also our newer article on how to enable Stolen Device Protection for iPhone<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Theft is a lame and unfortunate risk of living in close proximity to other humans. In the case of iPhones, it’s a growing problem<\/a>. But there are things you can do to make the theft of your device a less terrible experience and to minimize the possibility of strangers accessing your accounts or your personal data. Some of these are actions you can (and should) take while your phone is still in your safe care, while the rest are things you should do to keep from singing the blues after your device has been taken from you.<\/p>\n

“I Will Not Let You Go<\/a>“<\/h3>\n

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While your iPhone is still safe and warm in your own two hands, you can do a few things to help keep your device with you always and forever (well, at least until it comes time to upgrade with the newest version!).<\/p>\n

Be Aware of Your Surroundings<\/strong>
\nWe have probably all had that awkward moment when we were texting while walking and then ran into a wall or tripped on a curb. This isn\u2019t just risky to our foreheads and our pride. Thieves can and do use this inattention as an opportunity to sneak up on you, especially in uncrowded areas.<\/p>\n

Keep Your Phone Somewhere Secure
\n<\/strong>Pick-pockets like an easy target. Keeping your phone in a pocket of your jeans or on the outside of your purse is not a great idea, especially if you\u2019re in a heavily crowded area. If you can keep your phone hidden and close to your body, it is much less likely to be nabbed.<\/p>\n

Enable the Passcode Lock<\/strong>
\nIt seems like there\u2019s always some new flaw<\/a> that will allow someone to get past the passcode lock if they steal your phone. But the odds are good the thief may not know the magic sequence that works on your particular phone (and they may lack the dexterity of a concert pianist that\u2019s required for some of the crazy iterations!).<\/p>\n

Install a <\/strong>Device-Finder App<\/strong>
\n<\/a>It\u2019s a good idea to turn on \u201cFind My iPhone\u201d or a similar device-finding app<\/a> in case of theft. There are also a variety of apps out there that complement or go beyond the functionality of Apple\u2019s offering that can help you recover your phone.<\/p>\n

Create a Dummy Account<\/strong>
\nIf you do have a device-finder app installed, in order to lure the thief in so the Device-Finder can do its more advanced actions, you will want to create a dummy account with no admin privileges and no password.<\/p>\n

Encrypt Your Data<\/strong>
\nThere are apps out there that will let you encrypt text messages, photos, and notes. If you really want to keep your data from prying eyes, you may want to invest in one.<\/p>\n

Disallow Unauthorized Changes<\/strong>
\nTo help keep a thief from undoing all your hard work here, you\u2019ll want to make a couple more changes. Go to the Settings of your device and look in General->Restrictions. If you\u2019ve not implemented any restrictions before, it will ask you to create a password. Once you\u2019ve done that, look under the \u201cAllow\u201d section for \u201dDeleting Apps\u201d and switch it to Off. When you\u2019re finished that, find the \u201cAllow Changes\u201d section (also under Restrictions) and select \u201cAccounts\u201d to choose \u201cDon\u2019t Allow Changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perform Regular Backups
\n<\/strong>You\u2019ll be a lot less reluctant to throw the kill switch and remotely wipe your data if you know you can restore it at a moment\u2019s notice. This can give you a lot of peace of mind knowing a thief isn\u2019t taking the only copy of important data or precious mementos.<\/p>\n

“I’ve Got Tears in My Ears<\/a>“<\/h3>\n

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Oh, the woe of losing your device! Once you dry those tears, what now? What can you do to try to get your device back or keep a thief from getting their grubby mitts all over your digital life?<\/p>\n

If It\u2019s a Work Phone, Notify Your IT Person<\/strong>
\nThere may be rules in your company about what to do in case of theft, which will almost certainly involve notifying someone if your phone has been lost or stolen. If there is sensitive company data on your phone, they may be able to block access.<\/p>\n

Call Your Cell Phone Company<\/strong>
\nYou don\u2019t want to be on the hook for any fraudulent calls or purchases made on your phone. The phone company may require a police report, but it\u2019s best to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible so you can avoid extra charges.<\/p>\n

File a Police Report<\/strong>
\nAnything you want to do from this point forward will be best accomplished with a police report in place. So go to the nearest law enforcement office and document the theft. Your cell phone company may require it and your insurance will definitely require it. And if you get information from a Device-Finder app, the police will be better able to help you recover it.<\/p>\n

Track Your Device<\/strong>
\nHere\u2019s where the Device-Finder apps really earn their keep. Fire \u2018em up and gather some data. If you didn\u2019t already install one, all hope is not lost. There is a little trick using Dropbox<\/a> that still might help you determine the device\u2019s IP so you can try to locate it. Once you get that data, bring it to the local police. They\u2019re trained to deal with folks breaking the law who could potentially get violent — you don’t want to try and confront the perpetrator yourself and risk getting injured over a phone.<\/p>\n

Change Your Passwords<\/strong>
\nWhether or not you get your phone back after all that, you\u2019re gonna want to play it safe and change your passwords. It\u2019s hard to say if the thief will have successfully gotten into your phone and any accounts that your phone has access to, so change your passwords (including email accounts, social networking profiles, and any other online services) as an extra security measure.<\/p>\n

Wipe Your Data<\/strong>
\nHow sensitive the data on your phone is (and how recently you\u2019ve performed a backup!) will decide where in the process this step comes. You may want to do this immediately, but you’ll at least want to do it as a last resort if you don\u2019t manage to get your phone back.<\/p>\n

Call Your Insurance Company<\/strong>
\nAssuming you have insurance on your phone, you\u2019re going to want to replace your device as quickly as possible so you don\u2019t have to live without it. If you eventually manage to recover your phone, that’s great, but don’t wait around in hopes of recovering your old device before finally caving and contacting your insurance company. File a claim as soon as you notice your phone is gone so you’ll have a replacement device as quickly as possible. Your phone may never be recovered, so the sooner you get the ball rolling with the insurance company, the better.<\/p>\n

Notify Your Contacts<\/strong>
\nYou don\u2019t want people to worry that you\u2019ve fallen off the face of the earth, or to be tricked into sending money to get you out of trouble in some remote locale! Drop your contacts a note to let them know to be on the lookout for strange communications that may not be from you.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no guaranteeing you will never lose your device, or (more importantly!) the data on it, but with a little preparation and a cool head you can minimize the pain and get back on track.<\/a><\/p>\n

How can I learn more?<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast<\/strong><\/a>, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, security, and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be sure to follow the podcast<\/strong><\/a> to make sure you don\u2019t miss any episodes.<\/p>\n

You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter<\/strong><\/a> and keep an eye here on The Mac Security Blog<\/strong><\/a> for the latest Apple security and privacy news. And don’t forget to follow Intego on your favorite social media channels: \"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a>\u00a0\"Follow<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo credits: pickpocket by Dunk<\/a> (CC BY 2.0<\/a>); holding iPhone by Steve Rhodes<\/a> (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>); crying by Anil Kumar<\/a> (CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What should you do if your iPhone gets stolen? And how can you prevent iPhone theft in the first place? We have the answers to help you keep your iPhone and your data safe from would-be thieves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[9],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n