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Few feelings are as stomach-sinkingly awful as the thought of losing an expensive new iPhone. Whether you left it on the bus or someone slid it out of your back pocket, we put so much store in our phones that their loss leaves is saddened and angered. Most of us keep at least copies of everything in our lives on our phones, from personal conversations to emails, 

To say nothing of all our personal information and social media accounts. Of course there are security measures in place, but nobody wants to risk having all that information fall into the hands of the wrong people. In this article, I will show you how to find a phone that has been lost, whether your own phone or the phone of a friend or family member.

Can you track an iPhone without them knowing?

First off, hopefully you activated the Find My Phone feature of your iPhone when you still had it in your possession. Secondly, if your phone doesn't have service (and thus a connection to the Internet) or if you don't have iCloud set up, then these solutions are not going to work for you. Unfortunately phone technology is advanced but it isn't magical; if your phone isn't talking to the network or if you haven't turned on Find My Phone, then unfortunately the technological solution is probably not going to work. (Seriously. If you have possession of your phone(s) then stop reading this article, pick up your devices, go to Settings and select "Find My Phone" (iPhone) or "Find My Device" (Android) and make sure they are toggled on. TTjem upi cam dp ot/"

Without further ado, let's find your phone!

Can I Tell if Someone is Tracking my iPhone?

Usually yes, if someone is using the "Find my Phone" feature, it will be displaying things on the iPhone screen. Thankfully, "Find My iPhone" comes pre-loaded on all phones with iOs 9 or newer. "Find my iPhone" is the gold standard when it comes to locating your lost iPhone. The service is integrated as part of iCloud. Here's how to use it to find your missing iPhone then track down your phone's exact location.

Step 1: Open up the "Find My iPhone" on a different device

It doesn't matter if you decide to use your iPad, your laptop, or a friend's iPhone – you can run the Find My Phone app fr0m Mac. You can use the Find my Phone app.

If you are using an Apple product like another phone or an iPad, you can simply click on the app.

If you are using a computer (even a Windows PC will work), go to icloud.com then click on the "Find iPhone" icon. Once you've clicked on the "Find iPhone" icon the website process and "Find my iPhone" app process are the same.

Step 2: Input Your Apple ID Credentials (they are the same as your iCloud info)

Since you are not using your phone, you won't be automatically logged in.

Once you log in to the app, select the "All Devices" drop-down option and then find the device that you want to locate.

Step 3: Once You Select Your Phone, Options Will Appear

As soon as you select your device on the page, iCloud will begin to search for it. If the search is successful, you will see your device on a map, pinpointing it's location. Before you sprint out the door to get it, there are some other options you should take a look at.

Once you select your device you will have three additional options in addition to seeing your phone's location. These options are playing a sound, activating "Lost Mode" and erase the phone.

Playing the sound is a great way to find your phone if you lost it somewhere around your house. If you click the option, an audio alert will go off on your phone which will hopefully help you find it. The alert will sound like a loud pinging noise alerting you that your phone is at home with you and not at the coffee shop you just visited. If you hear the pinging sound then you'll quickly find your phone by just following the sound.

When enabled, Lost Mode will lock your phone with a passcode and will display a message of your choice. This can either ensure it will be safe until you can find it, or will alert the thief what you expect of them and that you know where they are. This mode can also enable location services on your phone too.

However, if things have gone too far and you think there is a very slim chance you will ever get your device back – perhaps your phone has already crossed an international border – the best course of action is to simply erase it. Yes, this is giving up, but it also prevents your personal information getting into the hands of someone who could abuse it.

If you follow these steps, you should have your phone back in your pocket in no time. 

Is there an app to track someones phone without them knowing?

What if you're looking for someone else's phone? I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not allowed to track someone else's phone without their knowledge. While there are supposedly apps that you can install on a target's phone to track it and keep tabs on what they are doing on it, that is completely illegal and immoral. In addition to the moral issue, there is the practical fact that they could find the app which could lead to a very awkward situation, possibly one involving the police.

However, there are times when you want to find a friend's phone and you have a legitimate reason, and (the important part) they have given you permission to find it. Just as when you were looking for your own phone, there is an app that can help you find the phones of your friends and family with ease. The "Find My Friends" app used to be an extra download, but now it comes with iOS, so if your friends have ever updated their phone, they should have it.

"Find My Friends" is an app that basically allows you to share your location with others and vice versa. It can be great for keeping track of where your kids are, knowing what your significant other is doing, or just keeping tabs on your friends. It can also help them find a lost phone (as long as you have "Shared Locations" with them). Here is how to set it up:

Step 1: Open the app on your phone and the phone of the person you want to be able to share locations with.

Step 2: Click your profile in the bottom left of the screen.

Step 3: Enable "Share My Location" and make sure AirDrop is enabled on your own phone.

Step 4: From there, your friends and family will be able to search/add you to share your location with them and vice versa. You each will need to accept the "Shared Location" request from the other. Now, you can just click on their profile in the app and keep track of them.

As you likely realized while reading this article, it is a much better idea to be proactive than reactive when it comes to tracking phones. If you set up "Find My iPhone" and "Find My Friends" before your phone gets stolen or lost, it will save you a lot of potential hassle down the road. While it may be a bit worrisome to have someone be able to see your location at all times, it can really save you once your phone goes missing and you need to track it down. It is obviously best to pick someone who you trust not to take advantage of the information an app like "Find My Friends" can provide them.

No one deserves to have their phone stolen or go missing, but thankfully, there are some ways to find it, or at least have the information deleted. Hopefully, this guide helped you be able to find your phone or the phone of your friends and family, or at least prepared you for when it may happen.

If you have other ways of finding a lost phone, please share them with us below!

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