The 5 Best Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen iPhone 14

The 5 Best Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen iPhone

Summary: Lost your iPhone? Don’t worry, here we tell you how to track lost or stolen iPhone using various techniques. Also, learn how to erase your iPhone data permanently to prevent it from reaching in wrong hands or misuse, using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

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Q. I cannot live without my iPhone. It was stolen yesterday and can’t recall where I lost it. It has been switched off. Can I track the location of my iPhone? Is there any way to track lost iPhones?

A. Don’t panic. Log in to ‘Find My iPhone’ via iCloud.com and set it to ‘Lost Mode’. To know what else you can do now to track the iPhone location, read this post.

Losing an iPhone (and for that matter any smartphone) is tormenting. Besides the upfront costs, there’s an incredible amount of personal data at stake. Today, smartphones not only store personal photos, videos, and music libraries but might also contain an incredible amount of sensitive information in the form of browsing history, social data, app traces, etc. So the apprehension of exploitation and misuse of the data stored in a stolen or lost iPhone is but real.

So, as soon as you discover that your iPhone has been stolen or lost, first, try to track the location of your missing device and lock it.

How to track a lost or stolen iPhone?

Try out the following methods

Use Find My iPhone
Track through Apple’s Family Sharing
Use Google Timeline
Try Google Photos
Use location-tracking apps

Method 1: Use Find My iPhone

If Find My iPhone is enabled on your stolen iPhone, you can do the following:

Locate your mobile phone
Protect your iPhone data by choosing Lost Mode or erasing the data remotely

How to use Find My iPhone when the phone is missing

Sign in to icloud.com on your computer.
Click on the Find My iPhone link at the bottom.
On the Find My iPhone’s map interface, select your lost iPhone via the All Devices drop-down menu. The app starts tracking your iPhone location on the map.

As you see the location of your device you can choose to do the following

Play sound (if your iPhone is nearby, you can trace it with sound)
Activate ‘Lost Mode’ (this locks your device and still tracks it)

What does Lost Mode do to your device?

Remotely locks your device
Displays a message with your phone number on the missing iPhone’s Lock Screen
Keeps track of your device location.
Erase iPhone remotely (with this action you won’t be able to track your iPhone but data is prevented from slipping into the wrong hands)

How to erase iPhone data remotely?

Choosing to erase the iPhone remotely deletes the complete data from it.

Note: Always remember to copy important photos, videos, music, and other data on iCloud backup before remotely erasing the iPhone.

Use a trusted and safe data recovery solution such as Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone to restore lost files from iCloud. The software allows the recovery of specific data rather than recovering the entire data.

If you have set up Family Sharing, use it to track your iPhone. Family Sharing helps the members to know each one’s device location. Ask another member in the Family Sharing group to trace your iPhone via the Find My iPhone app. The member can also sign into iCloud.com to locate the missing iPhone.

Is your missing iPhone switched off or offline?

If the missing iPhone is switched off or showing offline in Family Sharing, you can still activate Lost Mode or remotely erase its data via Find My iPhone.
Note: The iPhone’s last known location remains only for one day. In case your device is offline for over 24 hours, you cannot trace its last location.

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What to do when ‘Find My iPhone’ is NOT enabled or the missing iPhone is offline for more than one day?

Change your Apple ID passwords to prevent anyone from accessing your data.
Change your social media and other Internet account passwords like Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Report the device as missing to the authorities.
Report your network carrier to disable the services like calls, messages, or data use.

Method 3: Use Google Timeline to find lost iPhone

If you have turned on Location Services and Location History on your iPhone, Google’s Timeline will record all the locations of your device.

When an iPhone goes missing, access the location information on a map and find the last location. Remember, Google Timeline records the location only when the iPhone is switched on with an internet connection.

How to see the last location of a lost iPhone in Google Timeline

Visit <com/maps/timeline> on your computer.
Sign in to your Google account.
Click Today or select Date.
Scroll down to see the last reported location of your iPhone.

Along with the location, note the time when your phone was last connected to Google. Taking clues from the location and time information, you can find your lost iPhone. If needed, take the help of cops.

Method 4: Take location clue from Google Photos

If anyone has captured a photo from your lost iPhone and you have the Google Photos location-sharing option enabled, then luck is on your side.

Visit <photos.google.com/>. Check, if any new photos were uploaded and view their upload location.

Method 5: Location tracking apps

If you have installed any location-tracking app such as GPS Location Tracker, CocoSpy Cell Phone Tracker, or iTrack on your missing device, use it to track the lost or stolen iPhone. These apps share the real-time location of your device on your computer or other connected devices.

Conclusion

Apple’s Find My iPhone feature is the best way to track the location of a stolen or missing device. If Find My iPhone is not enabled you can try Google Timeline or Google Photos. Other than these methods, third-party apps can also help track a lost iPhone, but only if you have installed them before the phone was lost.

Nevertheless, ensure that you copy the iCloud backup of the stolen iPhone before taking any of the above steps.

A smarter way is to filter out the data that you want to keep, with the help of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

Is this post helpful? Share your experience in the comments below, how you managed to track and get back your stolen iPhone.

How to find lost iPhone Backup files on Windows PC?

Summary: You have to restore iPhone data. But you cannot find backup files saved on your Windows PC or the backup files are unreadable. This post guides you to find iPhone backup on Windows PC and methods to restore it on your device.

You may get into a terrible iPhone data loss situation after a factory reset, stolen iPhone, jailbreak or physical damage to your device, etc. Backup is your only resort. But another shocker is waiting for you. You cannot find iPhone backup files once saved on your Windows PC.

Your backup files are not readable, and you have no clue how to access them.

In such a situation, keep calm and do not worry. If you have ever saved your iPhone backup on a Windows computer and are now unable to locate or access it, this post guides you to find an iPhone backup on a PC and how to restore it on your device.

Where are iPhone backups stored on Windows PC?

iPhone backups are safe copies of your complete device information. iTunes saves iPhone backup in the Users folder on a Windows computer. These backup files are not in a readable format. You can copy them but should never try to move files to a different drive, edit, rename or extract content. All such activities can ruin the backup files. However, you can make copies of your backup or delete backup that you do not require anymore.

Steps to find iPhone backup files on Windows PC:

In the Search bar, enter %appdata% or %USERPROFILE% (if you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store)
Press Return
Double-click these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup

You can also locate iPhone backup in Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 by following Users > (username) > AppData > Roaming > Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.

Cannot locate iPhone backup on Windows PC? Find and Restore data with iPhone data recovery software.

If you cannot find your iPhone backup data on your PC or cannot access the backup files, take refuge in third-party software – Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

How can Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone help you?

You can find, access, and restore lost iPhone backup files with Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. It is a secure tool that efficiently scans the computer to find your iPhone backup. The recovered iPhone backup files are in readable form, and you can either save them on your PC or iPhone.

When you can use the Stellar iPhone data recovery solution

You are unable to locate your iPhone backup files
Your backup files are either lost or deleted.
You cannot access iPhone backup files on Windows PC
Not able to restore backup on your old/new iPhone

How can Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone recover lost backup files from PC?

The iPhone Data Recovery Tool by Stellar is a do-it-yourself software that quickly recovers complete iPhone data in a readable form from your Windows PC.

You can recover all your lost photos, videos, contacts, messages, Safari bookmarks, Call history, Reminders, Voice memos, Notes, WhatsApp, Kik, WeChat, Viber messages, etc.

It also offers a Deep Scan if your desired iPhone information is not recovered after the first scan. A deep scan does a comprehensive scan of the selected device or backup to recover every bit of lost or deleted backup information.

Benefits of Stellar iPhone Data Recovery

Recovery of deleted or lost backup files
Recovers data in a readable format
Option to restore only that data from backup which you want to be in your iPhone
Allows to save recovered backup on computer or iPhone

Step-by-step recovery of lost iPhone backup on Windows PC with Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch the software.

Step 2: On the home screen, select Recover from iPhone. The scanning process begins.

Step 3: After scanning, all the files on your iPhone are listed.

If you do not see the required files in the list, choose Deep Scan. It will scan for the backup stored on your computer system.

Step 4: Select and save the recovered iPhone data at your desired location. You can save it on your iPhone if you want to restore backup data on your device or save it on your computer.

Wrapping Up

Losing iPhone data after factory reset, jailbreak, being stuck in a boot loop or physical damage, etc., can get messier when you cannot find or retrieve information from iPhone backup files saved on your computer. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone significantly relieves such data loss situations.

This iPhone utility not only finds the lost iPhone backup files on Windows PC, but it also makes them readable and allows you to save/restore them to your iPhone or computer. Moreover, it lets you selectively transfer iPhone data on your iPhone rather than complete a backup.

You can download the free trial version to evaluate its performance. It is undoubtedly not going to disappoint you.

How to Reset iPhone Without Apple Password?

Summary: If you want to erase your iPhone data and reset the device to factory settings, you need to enter your Apple ID password. What if you forgot your registered Apple ID password? This blog explains a step-by-step method of how to reset an iPhone without a password. It also shares a professional erasure tool – Stellar Eraser for iPhone to factory reset your device without entering your Apple credentials.

If you have forgotten your Apple ID password and you wish to reset your iPhone, then it’s going to be a difficult task. However, there are various ways you can use to factory reset your iPhone without an Apple password.

In this blog post, we will explain how to reset your iPhone without password using iTunes or Finder or by using the iPhone Eraser tool .

How to Factory Reset iPhone without a password?

Let’s explore the methods to reset your iPhone without an Apple ID password.

How to Reset iPhone without a password via iTunes or Finder?

To reset your iPhone without using an Apple ID password, you can use iTunes or Finder app. You have to use your computer to access the recovery mode of your iPhone and reset the device to get it without using the password. This method will erase all your iPhone data, so ensure to take a backup of your device before proceeding.

Steps – How to Factory Reset iPhone without Password via iTunes or Finder

Turn off your iPhone. This process will depend on the kind of iPhone you have.

iPhone Model	How to Turn iPhone off?
All models of iPhone 15, 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone SE (2^nd generation).	Press and hold the Lock and Volume down buttons of the iPhone until the power slider appears, then swipe it.
All models of iPhone 7, iPhone 6, and iPhone SE (1^st generation),	Press and hold the Lock button of the iPhone until the power slider appears and then swipe to turn it off.

Connect your iPhone to your computer via a USB cable and ensure iTunes or Finder is running on the system.
If prompted, enter the device passcode or click Trust in the “Trust This Computer” dialog box.
Then put your iPhone into recovery mode. To do this:

iPhone Model	How to put iPhone into recovery mode?
All models of iPhone 15, 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone SE (2^ndand 3^rd generation).	Press and hold the side button until the ‘Connect to computer’ screen appears on your iPhone
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus	Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons. Then release the Power button and continue pressing the Volume down button until iPhone has been detected appears.
All models iPhone 6, iPhone 5, iPhone 4, iPhone SE (1^stgeneration)	Hold the Home button until a pop-up appears informing the iPhone has been detected in recovery mode.

Click on your iPhone when it appears in iTunes and then click Summary.
Now, select the “Restore iPhone” option on the right pane.

Click Restore to confirm and then follow the prompts to complete the restore process. This will erase all your iPhone data and install the latest iOS version.

Once the restore process is complete, set up your iPhone as new or restore it from a backup.

Note– This method of reset will only work when Find My iPhone is disabled.

How to Factory Reset your iPhone without a Password via Stellar iPhone Eraser Tool?

Using the iPhone Eraser software like Stellar Eraser for iPhone is the best tool for resetting the iPhone without knowing the Apple ID login credentials. This tool can permanently erase All Content and Settings including photos, videos, audio, chats, call history, iMessage, texts, contacts, Safari browsing history, and other data on your iPhone.

Stellar Data Eraser Software is supported by all versions of iOS from the latest 16, 15, 14, 12, and below. It even erases content from all variants of iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. This tool erases the data permanently from your iOS devices making it unrecoverable by any data recovery software.

Steps – How to reset iPhone without password using Stellar Eraser for iPhone

Download and install Stellar Eraser for iPhone on your Mac or Windows system.
Launch the software and select Erase Data option from the home screen.

On the Erase iPhone Data screen, click Next.

Next, connect the iPhone that you want to reset to the computer when prompted. Click Erase.

Click Yes in the Erase Process dialog box.

Once the iPhone is completely wiped, click Yes in the Data Erase Complete dialog box.

Conclusion

If you forgot your Apple password and want to reset your iPhone, you can use any of the two methods mentioned above in the blog. You can reset your iPhone with iTunes/ Finder or by using a professional tool, such as Stellar Eraser for iPhone. However, make sure to backup up your iPhone data before proceeding to reset your device.

FAQ

1. How to remotely erase iPhone and iPad data?

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, then you can protect your iPhone data from misuse by remotely erasing its data. For more information, read this blog .

2. How to restore or set up your iPhone from iCloud backup after a factory reset?

If you want to restore your iPhone after a factory reset, you can use iCloud backup to set up your device. For more help, read this guide .

3. How to factory reset iPhone without a computer?

You can reset your iPhone without any computer by using the settings app of your device. To do so:

Go to the Settings app > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.

Solved: Photos Disappeared from iPhone Suddenly

‘I noticed that over 500 old photos from iPhone 11 have disappeared and now only the recently shot pictures are showing! I lost almost all of my best memories saved in my phone. I am sure I did not delete them. Where did the pictures disappeared from iPhone? How do I get back photos missing from iPhone? Please help.’

Photos suddenly disappearing from iPhone or random photos missing from Camera Roll or Gallery is a common complaint. Usually, photos get disappeared after iOS update, iPhone reset/restore, or when the device storage is full. You may also lose pictures after installing any new software, or jailbreaking. Sometimes, running an iPhone cleaning software without checking what it is deleting on your iOS device can also result in loss of photos.

The situation is stressful, even more when you don’t have any copies or backup of lost photos.

So how to recover the missing or lost photos on iPhone? This post shares the effective methods to get back the missing photos from Camera Roll, Gallery, or iCloud on your iPhone.

In any such sudden photo loss situation, the best solution is to use a secure photo recovery tool for iPhone that can recover photos lost due to any reason. Besides, there are free methods that might restore disappeared photos from iPhone, which you should try once.

Method 1: Restart your iPhone

If your photos suddenly disappeared from iPhone, first restart the iOS device. Then open the Photo app, Camera Roll, or Photo Stream to see if the missing photos are showing or not.

You can check here the steps to restart your iPhone model .

Method 2: Restore photos from Recently Deleted folder on iPhone

You might have accidentally deleted the photos on iPhone. Check and recover the photos from the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder of your Photos app.

Steps to recover photos on iPhone from ‘Recently Deleted’:

On your iPhone, click to follow Photos > Albums.
Scroll down to Utilities and click Recently Deleted.
Look for your missing photo, tap on it and choose Recover. If there are multiple photos, click on ‘Select’ followed by ‘Recover’.

Note: Photos deleted on iPhone stay in your ‘Recently Deleted’ folder only for 30 days, after which they are permanently removed from the iOS device.

Method 3: Unhide photos on iPhone

Photos disappeared from iPhone can be in the hidden folder in Photos app. Simply, check the Hidden folder on your device and unhide the required photos.

Open Photos app on iPhone.
Click on Albums.
Under Utilities click on Hidden folder. In case you don’t see the ‘Hidden’ folder, go to ‘Settings’ of your iPhone. Click on ‘Photos’ and toggle on ‘Hidden Album’.
If you see the disappeared photos, select and click on the ‘Share’ button (the arrow icon).
Next, tap Unhide to move the pictures to their original location on iPhone.

Method 4: Enable iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos store images in iCloud and syncs them to your iPhone, iPad, iCloud.com, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV. This means that any changes done to pictures library on one device will show up on your other iOS devices as well. If the photos are disappearing from iPhone only, may be the iCloud Photo is not synced or turned on. So enable iCloud Photos to get back the disappeared pictures on iPhone.

Steps to enable iCloud Photos on iPhone:

Turn on Wi-Fi of your iPhone.
On iPhone, navigate to Settings.
Click on your name and tap iCloud > Photos.
Toggle on iCloud Photos.

Now check if the missing photos are showing up on iPhone or not.

Method 5: Recover iPhone photos from iTunes backup

If you have created iTunes backup, restore the disappeared photos on iPhone from it. However, this will replace your existing iPhone data with iTunes backup data.

Steps to recover photos from iTunes:

Connect your iPhone to computer.
Launch iTunes.
Select your iPhone under the device list and click on Summary.
Click Restore Backup.
In the Restore from Backup box, select the backup date that contains your photos.

Click Restore. Wait until the process finishes and your iPhone restarts. All your disappeared photos will be recovered on iPhone.

Method 6: Restore photos from iCloud Backup

You can restore the previous iCloud backup that has the missing photos. However, like iTunes, this method will also replace the current data on your iPhone.

Steps to recover disappeared photos from iCloud:

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset.
Click on Erase all Contents and Settings. In the dialog box, choose Erase Now.
On the Apps & Data screen, click Restore from iCloud Backup. Enter your Apple ID. In case you have forgot your Apple ID, click here to know how to recover it.

Select the recent backup and click Restore. The lost photos should now appear on iPhone.

Method 7: Recover lost photos with an iPhone data recovery software

The advanced iPhone recovery software — Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone, can restore photos lost, deleted, or missing due to any reason. Whether your photos disappeared from iPhone after update, due to low storage, or any other reason, the software can recover in all situations.

The biggest advantage of using the software is that it doesn’t remove your existing iPhone data. Further, the software shows the preview of the recoverable photos. Hence, its easy to select and recover only the required disappeared pictures from Camera Roll, iCloud Photo Library, Gallery, or those shared on chat messages, etc. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is compatible with the latest iPhone 14/13/12/11, iPad, and iPod touch. The software supports recovery from the latest iOS 16 and older versions.

Quick steps to recover disappeared photos from iPhone:

Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on PC or Mac.
Connect your iPhone to computer.
Launch the software and select Recover from iPhone option from the left panel.

Select the Camera Roll or Photo Stream from where the photos have disappeared and click Next to the start the scanning process.
Now preview the recoverable photos, select them, and click Save to restore on iPhone or computer.

Note: You can also recover the lost photos from backup by choosing Recover from iCloud backup or Recover from iTunes backup , options in the software.

Conclusion

When you find suddenly photos disappearing from iPhone try any of the above 7 methods to get back the lost pictures. However, of all we recommend solutions Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software is quick and easy to use. It is also of great help when you don’t want to recover from iCloud or iTunes backup that removes the existing data on iPhone.

TechiDaily

The 5 Best Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen iPhone 14 | Stellar

The 5 Best Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen iPhone