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

1. Use Find My iPhone
2. Track through Apple’s Family Sharing
3. Use Google Timeline
4. Try Google Photos
5. 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.

Method 2: Track iPhone through Family Sharing

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.

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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 Recover Deleted Screenshots on iPhone?

Summary: Accidentally deleted or lost screenshots from your iPhone? Don’t know how to recover deleted screen grabs? Learn five methods to recover deleted screenshots on iPhone. Also, know how Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone quickly restores deleted screenshots from your Apple device.

Screenshots are the fastest way to save anything you see on smartphones or systems. Many of you may have also captured screens of chats, video calls, online products, etc., on your iPhone. Since  screenshots are saved in various image formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, etc., they can get deleted like any other file on your Apple device.

Hence, if you have lost or mistakenly deleted screenshots on your iPhone, this blog shares successful methods to recover deleted screenshots on your iPhone.

But first, you must know the locations on your iPhone where you can search for deleted or missing screenshots.

Where are screenshots saved?

There’s nothing unusual about searching screenshots on your iPhone. Sometimes, files may be saved at multiple locations, and you may not locate them at once or forget them. So first, check your iPhone thoroughly.

On the iPhone, screen grabs are saved in two different locations. One is the Photos app in a separate folder named ‘Screenshot,’ and the other is the Files app.

How to recover deleted screenshots on iPhone?

Here, we have shared five workable solutions to restore deleted screenshots on iPhone.

Method 1: Recover Deleted Screenshots on iPhone from Recently Deleted Album

It’s well known that the Recently Deleted Album on iPhone keeps the deleted photos and screenshots for up to 30 days. Hence, the natural first place to look for deleted screenshots on iPhone is here.

• Open the Photos app, tap the Recently Deleted album, locate the screenshots, and tap Recover to save it to the original Camera Roll location.

Method 2: Deleted Screenshot Recovery in iPhone from iTunes Backup

On macOS Mojave or earlier versions, restore permanently deleted screenshots from an iTunes backup. To recover deleted photos or screenshots , follow these steps:

• Open iTunes and connect your iPhone to your computer.
• Click the iPhone icon at the upper corner of the iTunes window.

• Click Summary in the left pane and select the Restore Backup option in the Backup section.

• Choose the most relevant backup of your iPhone and click Restore to start the process.

Method 3: Recover Permanently Deleted Screenshots using Finder

In macOS Catalina and newer versions, Finder syncs and manages the content on iPhones, iPad, and iPods.

Steps: How to recover permanently deleted screenshots on iPhone from Finder:

• Connect your iPhone to your Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or above.
• Open Finder on your Mac and select your iPhone from the location list.

• Go to the General tab and click Restore Backup.

• Select the backup date and click Restore to start the process.

Method 4:  Recover Deleted Screenshots using Data Recovery Software

Get a professional Screenshot Recovery Software – Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone . It can recover deleted or lost screenshots of all formats, GIF, PNG, JPG, or TIFF, etc., from iPhone. In addition, the software supports recovery of screen captures taken through iPhone lost due to formatting, empty Recently Deleted folders, virus attacks, etc.

Step-by-step: How to find deleted screenshots on iPhone using data recovery software

• Connect your iPhone to your system.

• Download and launch the trial version of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

• Select Recover from iPhone in the What to Recover screen.

• Select Camera Roll and click Next. The scanning will start.

• A list of deleted screenshots appears. Preview the screenshots. The free version of the software allows the preview of files up to 20 MB. If you don’t see the required screenshots, toggle the Deep Scan option and scan again.

• Click Recover and Save the screenshots on your system or iPhone at the desired location.

Note – The trial software scans the media and shows a preview of all the recoverable screenshots. Once you can ascertain the effectiveness, save the recoverable files after activating the software.

Method 5: Recover Screenshots on iPhone using iCloud Backup

iCloud Backup stores and syncs files among Apple devices. Your screenshots and photos may be saved here in the cloud storage only if you have enabled iCloud Photos to backup all your iPhone photos. Here’s how to restore deleted screenshots from iCloud:

• Go to the iCloud Website and sign in with your Apple credentials.

• Once logged in, click on Photos and go to the Recently Deleted Album.

• Select the screenshots you wish to restore and click Recover.

Wrapping Up

Deleted screenshots recovery is easy. Backup is the best way to recover deleted screenshots from your iPhone. However, it would be best to first look for the deleted screenshots in your iCloud, iTunes, Finders, etc.

Besides, if you are lucky, you can get back the deleted screenshots from the Recently Deleted folder on your iPhone.

Nonetheless, robust and secure software is the right approach to recover screenshots for all complex data loss cases. For example, if the screenshots are permanently deleted from iPhone, use Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. The software scans the iPhone or iPhone/ iCloud backup, displays the found screenshots, and allows a preview before saving.  

FAQ

1. How to recover the permanently deleted screenshots from my iPhone?

Check the Recently Deleted album in your Photos app on your iPhone. Or use iCloud or iTunes backup to recover them. If screen grabs are not in the Recently Deleted album, use iPhone data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone to recover them.

2. Can you recover deleted screenshots on iPhone without any backup?

It is possible to recover permanently deleted iPhone screen grabs using professional iPhone data recovery software. We recommend Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

3. Where do deleted screenshots go on the iPhone?

When you delete screenshots on an iPhone, it is moved to the “Recently Deleted” folder of your Photos app.

4. How to take long screenshots on iPhone?

To take a full screenshot of a website, take the screenshot and tap preview before it disappears—tap Full Page to save the screenshot as a PDF.

How to Restore iPhone from Backup when iTunes Backup is Corrupt or not compatible

Summary: Are you receiving the error, ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or not compatible’ while trying to restore iPhone? iPhone recovery is not possible from a corrupt backup file. This post shares how you can resolve corrupt iTunes backup file issue and restore iPhone’s lost data.

‘I dropped my iPhone and broke it. I got it repaired and formatted to factory settings to fix the various issues caused due to the fall. Since I had a backup in iTunes, so was not worried about my data. But had least idea that my iTunes backup file was corrupted! As I tried to restore iPhone from iTunes, a message appeared –: ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible.’ Now I don’t know how to restore my iPhone. Please help.’ –  Simon, UK

It’s not new when users get bowled over by iTunes when trying to restore their iPhone. iTunes sometimes shows a message that it could not restore iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone that was being restored.

It may be because iTunes does incremental backup by updating the previous backup. It’s possible that some old backup data was corrupt, which results in the error message.

Whatsoever, it’s a fact that there’s no recovery possible from a corrupt backup file.

So how to fix such corrupt iPhone backup in iTunes and restore iPhone in such cases?

Here we share the best ways to fix corrupt iTunes backup file and efficient methods to restore iPhone’s lost data.

You can apply these methods on all iPhone models including series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6S Plus, 6S, 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5c, 5, 4S and 4 with latest iOS 16.x.

What you can do to fix ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’

Since you can’t repair or recover from a corrupt or incompatible iTunes backup file, it is best to delete such corrupt files and next try to create a new backup in iTunes.

How to delete your corrupt iPhone backup file in iTunes

1. Launch iTunes on your PC or Mac
2. Windows users click Edit > Preferences (on Windows PC). Mac users click iTunes Menu > Preferences
3. Select Find your iPhone backups
4. Select the corrupt or incompatible backup. Click Delete Backup
5. Close the iTunes Preferences window

How to delete the old iTunes backup files manually

If you don’t see the old backup in iTunes, then delete the backup manually.

1. In iTunes, under Summary click on Serial Number. You will see the iPhone’s UDID. Note it down.
2. Navigate to the iTunes backups folder on your computer.

On Mac follow: Finder > Option> Go menu> Library> Application Support >MobileSync> Backup

On Windows 11/10/8 follow: In Search box type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key

If you installed iTunes from the Microsoft Store, follow: In Search box type %userprofile%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key.

3. You will see the backup folders named by your device UDID
4. Select the folders with your device UDID and delete them
5. Next go to iTunes and take the backup again

How to backup iPhone in iTunes again

1. Connect your iPhone to computer via lightning cable
2. Launch iTunes
3. Click on Back Up Now The backup process begins.

| Did you get a message — iTunes can’t back up your iPhone because an error occurred? Here’s what you should do…
• Update your iOS to the latest version
• Update your iTunes to the latest version
• Disable antivirus software on your computer
• Now create backup in iTunes

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How to restore iPhone when iTunes backup file is corrupt

Method 1: Restore iPhone from iCloud backup

Method 2: Recover from iCloud backup without erasing existing data

Method 3: Restore lost data directly from iPhone/ iPad

Method 1: Recover from iCloud backup

Instead of iTunes, you can restore iPhone by using the alternative backup solution, iCloud.

Steps to restore iPhone with iCloud

• Click to follow Settings > General > Reset> Erase all Contents and Settings

• A dialog box pops up, choose Erase Now
• Follow the instructions until you get on to the Apps & Data screen
• Tap Restore from iCloud Backup

• Sign in to your iCloud account
• Choose the recent backup and click Restore

Method 2: Recover specific files from iCloud without losing existing iPhone data

In case you want to restore specific data from backup, instead of complete backup, use an iPhone recovery software.

Steps to restore specific files from iCloud:

• Download and launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your computer.

• Select Recover from iCloud Backup on main screen of software.

• Select what you want to recover. Click Next
• Enter the Apple ID and password
• Select the relevant iCloud backup and click Scan

• Select the data in the iCloud backup files list on left and preview

• Click Save
• In the dialog box select computer or iPhone to save the recovered data. To save directly onto your iPhone, connect your iPhone to the computer.

Method 3: Recover data from iPhone

If iTunes could not restore iPhone or iPad because the backup was corrupt and neither iCloud is able to restore backup, recover data from the device directly. You can easily restore lost photos, videos, messages, calendar, voice memos, Safari bookmarks, etc., with this method. It works in cases of broken/ water-damaged iPhone, factory reset, iOS crash etc.

Steps to recover lost data from iPhone/ iPad

• Connect your iPhone to computer
• Launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone
• On the home screen select Recover from iPhone

• Select the data you want to restore
• Click Next

• Preview the data and click Save. You can save the recovered data on computer or iPhone

Conclusion

You cannot repair or recover data from corrupt iTunes backup file that gives — ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’ message.

However, the situation can be tackled by deleting the corrupt backup file and creating a fresh new backup in iTunes.

To restore iPhone, you may use either the new iTunes backup or bypass iTunes by using alternative recovery methods. Other than iTunes, iCloud or Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone are the effective ways to restore lost data on your iPhone. Among these too, if you wish to restore specific data like photos, videos, voice memos, or contacts etc., Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone would be the best solution.

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 (2nd 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 (1st 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 (2nd and 3rd 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 (1st generation)	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.

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