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 Data from Broken iPhone Screen

Summary: Struggling to recover data after your iPhone’s screen broke? Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can help restore data efficiently from an iPhone with a broken screen.

Your iPhone is the most cherished personal gadget as it has become more innovative and influential due to its many valuable features. Moreover, information such as notes, contacts, iMessage, calendar entries, text messages, WhatsApp/Kik messages, pictures, and videos are readily available, making it even more lovable. This is why we need to know how to recover data from broken iPhone screens.

These days, though there are plenty of best ways to back up your data, users often overlook the importance of Backup. It happened with _Jacky Jainco; w_hile taking a DSLR-like photo on his iPhone 14 Pro Max, he accidentally dropped his iPhone and, consequently, broke it.

The real problem was not the broken iPhone but to recover data from iPhone as it was not synced with iTunes and iCloud Backup. As a result, he couldn’t access his files, more importantly, his pictures.

You might have dropped your iPhone several times, and luckily, the excellent cover has saved it on all occasions. However, any drop could cause potential damage putting your data at stake; therefore, leverage iTunes or iCloud backup to recover data from the damaged iPhone screen.

Bringing Back Your Data From Backup

You can restore your files from either iTunes or iCloud Backup. In addition, replacement screens are available; you can have an appointment with the genius bar, get your damaged iPhone fixed, and then recover your data. Also, when backup files are inaccessible, turn to an iPhone data recovery software for an easy solution.

Sorting backup files is unmanageable as they tend to be large, running into GBs. Moreover, the process can be tedious, especially when you have to sort all files, even when you need to recover only a specific file. So it is when iPhone Data Recovery Software  by Stellar is fruitful. The software lets you recover deleted files from encrypted iTunes backup files or recover data from an iPhone that would not turn on. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone supports broken iPhone data recovery from series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XR, XS, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6S Plus, 6S, 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, and 4.

You can recover a specific file without the pain of going through all backup files as the software lists all the files in an organized structure, thus, saving your precious time and effort.  

Watch how to recover photos from a broken iPhone:

Recover your data from iTunes Backup

Here’s how to recover your iTunes backup using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

1. Select the ‘Recover from iTunes Backup’ option.

2. List of your iTunes backup files appears. Select the relevant iTunes backup

3. In the middle pane, select the files you wish to recover and click the ‘Save’ button.

Recover your data from iCloud Backup

Another effective way to recover data from broken iPhones is through iCloud Backup. For any reason, let’s suppose you cannot access your iCloud backup files; then, using the ‘Recover from iCloud Backup’ feature, you can restore all your essential files. The simple steps are as follows:

1. Click ‘Recover from iCloud Backup.’
2. Sign in to your iCloud account to view the list of available backup files.
3. In the left pane, click on the supported file list categories to view files under them.
4. Select the files that you wish to restore and click ‘Save.’

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone recovers the deleted photos, contacts, messages, etc., from the backup files and restores them to the device.

That’s Not All

Apart from recovering data from damaged iPhones, Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone facilitates the option to import the recovered files to your new or fixed iPhone.

To import your recovered files, follow these steps:

1. First, connect your iPhone to the system, run the software, and click the ‘Import file to iPhone’ option.
2. Click ‘Browse’ and select the files you wish to import to your iPhone.
3. Click ‘OK’ to preview the selected files.
4. Click ‘Transfer to iPhone’ to transfer recovered files to your iPhone.

To Sum Up

When your iPhone is damaged, try the basics, i.e., restart it; if that works, back up as much data as possible. You can also restore your files from iTunes or iCloud Backup if there are any. Else, make an appointment with the genius bar and get your iPhone fixed. They might also help you recover data from the damaged iPhone, which comes with an asterisk. Therefore, turn to Stellar Data Recovery and save time and energy for efficient recovery of your data.

Top iPhone Message Recovery Software

iPhone is a valuable digital device, and so are the messages you store in it. Nonetheless, many users may accidentally delete them at once while deleting some unnecessary apps or data from their iPhones. If you are a victim of such an incident and looking for quick options to recover iPhone messages, this article is your ultimate saviour.

Do iPhone recovery programs work?

Yes! iPhone’s built-in recovery options can restore temporarily deleted or lost messages hidden in the operating system. Moreover, many iPhone-friendly tools and applications guarantee retrieval of lost messages without using backup options. Simply download and install the tool and play along to scan your iOS device.

What is the best message recovery software?

With a wide range of data recovery software available online, finding an ideal solution to recover lost messages would be challenging. Here’s some criteria for selecting the right tool:

• The software or tool can recover deleted messages even without backup.
• It can recover deleted messages on iPhone from iCloud or iTunes without affecting the existing data.
• The tool is virus-free, reliable, and safe to use.
• It is compatible with all iOS models, including iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, or XS.
• It can recover various iOS files like messages, photos, videos, contacts, WhatsApp, or FaceTime messages.
• The tool must offer professional technical support to address your queries while using the software.

Pro Tip: Stop using your iPhone as soon as you realize that a significant amount of data, including files, messages, photos, etc., are lost. Any operation on the device may overwrite the hidden or lost data, making it irretrievable.

Best 5 iPhone Message Recovery Software to Try

1. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone

One of the most esteemed iPhone data recovery tools, Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone , is known for its incredibly intuitive GUI. It meets all the above-mentioned criteria that make it proficient at salvaging your lost iPhone messages, WhatsApp chats, FaceTime data, etc. Further, the tool can transfer your important messages from iPhone to personal computer, laptop, or Mac.

Besides data recovery from iPhone, iCloud, and iTunes, Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone gives you the option to selectively browse, preview, and recover data after scan. Moreover, it allows you to permanently erase unwanted data from your iPhone beyond recovery. All such advanced features make it a prestigious iPhone recovery message option. Read this KB to recover deleted data from iPhone via Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone - Advantages

• The tool can recover unlimited file formats on storage media, be it Safari bookmarks, notes, voice memos, and WhatsApp chat history, or general messages.

• You can preview all the data recovered from your iPhone for free.

• It is proficient at recovering deleted data from an encrypted backup.

• The tool is easy-to-use and does deep scanning of an iPhone.

• It can also perform recovery of lost data from iTunes and iCloud backup.

• Disadvantages You cannot save the recovered messages or files without purchasing the software.

2. Dr. Fone for iOS

Dr. Fone for iOS is another famous iPhone message recovery application. It’s a professional tool that guides you on retrieving deleted messages on your iPhone while enabling recovery of diverse iOS files, including contacts, photos, voicemails, and SMS. The app has a preview function to help you view the deleted messages before recovery.

Dr. Fone for iOS - Advantages

• Swiftly recovers data from iTunes, iCloud, and iPhone
• Compatible with all iPhone models.

Disadvantages

• You can’t access advanced data recovery functionalities without using the upgraded version.
• The application is costly to upgrade.

3. EaseUS MobiSaver

EaseUS MobiSaver is an iPhone SMS recovery software that can scan your iOS device, iCloud backup, and iTunes backup to trace the lost message files. It not only recovers lost messages but also helps you retrieve data from your iPhone if your device turns inaccessible. The free version has certain limitations which can be overcome using the paid version.

EaseUS MobiSaver – Advantages

• It is an absolutely free data recovery solution.
• It can recover messages from a water-damaged, broken, lost, or cracked iPhone.
• The app displays all the deleted files.

Disadvantages

• Its data recovery success rate is low compared with other professional software.
• Being a free tool, it can recover only a limited set of data files.

4. Syncios Data Recovery

This tool claims to bring back all deleted or lost data from iPhone, including audio files, SMS, documents, video files, and contacts. Syncios Data Recovery works for all iPhones, iPads, or even iPods. It is recommended to download the free trial version and see if your deleted messages can be recovered or not.

Syncios Data Recovery - Advantages

• The tool is compatible with all versions of the iPhone.
• You can reach out to their quality customer service via email or phone.
• The brand offers free technical support for a lifetime.

Disadvantages

• It takes a long time to retrieve deleted text messages from iPhone or lost data.

5. iMyFone D-Back

This tool enables you to recover the data in all iOS devices whose data have been lost or deleted accidentally. Renowned as iPhone text recovery app, iMyFone D-Back claims to recover all the lost SMS, WhatsApp texts, contacts, notes, call history, and photos. Further, the tool can easily and swiftly bring back iCloud, iTunes, and even iOS backup files. Its smooth preview function enables you to check and recover selective items only.

iMyFone D-Back - Advantages

• It can recover about 20+ varieties of files.
• The tool is free from viruses and malware.
• Besides iPhone, it is also compatible with almost all iPad versions.

Disadvantages

• Data recovery from iCloud remains a challenge.
• It cannot recover all kinds of lost data files.

The Bottom Line

iPhone data recovery tools are available in bulk. All are significantly different from each other in terms of functionality and proficiency. We cherry-picked some reputed tools for you to ease the pain of losing crucial messages from iPhone. There is no one-size-fits-all tool in the iPhone data recovery category. Therefore, we suggest you pick a reliable software, which is trusted and recommended by industry veterans, easy-to-use, and performs multiple functions at a reasonable cost. This article will give you a clear picture of which tool is the most suitable to overcome your iPhone messages recovery needs.

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.

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