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.

What to do if iPhone is not listed when I run the software?

Your iPhone will only appear in the software if it is visible in iTunes on your computer. If your iOS device is not listed in the software, it means iTunes is not installed on your PC or Mac.

Download the latest version of iTunes and then launch the Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software.

To launch iTunes on your computer:

When iTunes is not installed on your computer, Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone automatically generates the below message. It asks to download and install iTunes. You can click on ‘Click here’ to download iTunes.

If iTunes is already install on your computer and you don’t see your iPhone in the software, update your iTunes to the latest version.

Top 8 iPhone SMS/Message/Text Recovery Software

Summary: Sometimes, we accidentally delete important text messages from our iPhone. An iPhone SMS/message recovery software helps you in such situations by recovering your messages in an instant. In this post, we will see what factors to consider while looking for an iPhone text messages’ recovery software and reviewing some iPhone data recovery available on the market, which can help the users to recover deleted iPhone texts.

Is it possible to recover deleted iPhone text messages? Can I restore text messages deleted from my iPhone?

These are some questions that are quite common among iPhone users. Smartphones, especially iPhones, have become an inseparable part of our lives. We use them to stay connected with our friends and family, stay up to date with the latest trends, stream media, and store a huge amount of photos and videos. While the newer iPhones come preloaded with a host of intelligent features to keep our data safe and backed up in a difficult situation, they are still vulnerable to data loss. We have curated a list of the 8 best iPhone data recovery software, which anyone can use to restore and recover iPhone text messages and data deleted from an iPhone or another iOS device.

Factors to Consider While Choosing a Deleted iPhone Texts Recovery Software

Before looking at the list of the best iPhone data recovery software to recover deleted text messages, let’s take a look at various factors that one should keep in mind while choosing the right data recovery software.

Reliability –It is best to choose an iPhone data recovery software from a reliable brand as they have the expertise to back their claim.
Features – Various iPhone recovery software can recover various types of deleted data like photos, videos, messages, etc. They can also be used to perform deleted SMS recovery for recovering deleted text messages. As iPhone data is precious and important, selecting a brand that could help us recover deleted iPhone data from other sources like external storage media is wise.
User Reviews – User reviews help new users and potential buyers in making their choice. Reviews are also helpful as they add to the legitimacy of software and its claims. Therefore, one should always read the reviews and select the right iPhone data recovery software.
Data Recovery Performance – This is an important factor that everyone should consider before choosing the right iPhone data recovery software. Great performance always makes the software stand out from the rest. Key factors to look for are speed of data recovery, available modes of data recovery, supported file types, etc. A user should check these before choosing a data recovery software.
User Interface – In this minimalistic age, a dated and complicated interface with complicated commands and menus is sure to put the users off due to a bad user experience. A simple UI enhances your user experience and enables you to use the software with ease. Hence, this is also an important factor to consider.
Pricing – While most of the ‘free’ iPhone data recovery software claims to offer the best experience, the best deals offering value for the money spent are usually found amidst the list of paid software. This software not only helps the user recover deleted iPhone texts but also provides an interface to save the recovered data safely and securely post-data recovery.

List of the Best iPhone Data & Texts Recovery Software

Now that we have come to know about various factors to consider while choosing an iPhone data recovery software to recover and restore SMS/text messages, let’s take a look at some of the best iPhone data recovery software available on the market.

1. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone (Writer’s Choice)

After trying and comparing a long list of iPhone data recovery software available, we have selected Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone as the best software for performing deleted text recovery along with data recovery from an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. This software supports a wide range of iPhone files like photos, videos, text, etc. It can easily recover and restore iPhone text messages and other data.

It is compatible with all the latest iPhones running on the latest iOS 16 and below, like the iPhone 14, 13, and more. It can even recover data from any iPad or iPod Touch. This software also gives the users support for recovering data from encrypted iTunes backups. Finally, it even offers 24×5 support from the Professional Team. We recommend this to every iOS user to use it in case of accidental data deletion as it is a reliable software with great features and an easy-to-use UI.

There is also a Toolkit version available for Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone that offers a complete suite of 4 advanced tools – iPhone Data Recovery, iOS System Repair, iPhone Data Erasure, and Remove Apple ID from iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The Stellar Toolkit for iPhone is available in 2 variants – Toolkit for $49.99/Year and Toolkit Plus for $149.99/Year.

Pros –

Fast data recovery speed*
Recover a wide range of deleted/lost files like photos, texts, contacts, etc.
Easily recovers deleted texts from an iPhone.
Specifically recover videos from WhatsApp, Viber, Tango, etc.
Simple and clean user interface
Preview the files before recovery
Allows selective file recovery
Offers 2 modes of scanning, Quick Scan and Deep Scan
Data recovery via iTunes and iCloud backup is possible
Compatible with both Windows and Mac OS
24×5 availability of professional support team
Value for Money

Cons –

The free version allows software walkthroughs along with file scan and preview functionalities. The paid version adds data recovery functionality to the list.

Pricing –

$39.99/Year for Standard
$49.99/Year for Toolkit

Note – *Data recovery speed is dependent on various factors like the size of the data to be recovered, system configuration, and many more.

2. PhoneRescue for iOS

PhoneRescue for iOS is another great software that can recover iPhone text messages accidentally deleted from an iPhone. In addition, it can recover & restore iPhone data in various circumstances like system crashes, water damage, etc. It also offers some additional features like data preview before final data recovery.

Pros –

Preview option
Option to select specific data to be recovered
Round-the-clock tech support

Cons –

Limited usability in the trial version

Pricing –

$45.99 + VAT for 3 Months License or $49.99 + VAT for 1 Year License

3. Dr. Fone for iOS

Dr. Fone for iOS is an iPhone data recovery software that allows its users to recover lost or deleted data like iMessages, call logs, contacts, etc., from an iPhone. In addition, it can recover deleted text messages, photos, videos, and other type of data from an iOS device.

Pros –

Fast processing speed
Recover data from iTunes, iCloud, and iPhone
Compatible with almost all iPhones

Cons –

Recovery functionality is not available in the trial version
Pricier upgrade options

Pricing –

$59.95 for 1-Year License
$69.95 for a Perpetual license

4. EaseUS Mobisaver

EaseUS Mobisaver is an iOS data recovery software that allows users to restore iPhone text messages and recover common data like photos, videos, etc. It is supported by both Mac and Windows OS and can be used to recover data in case of jailbreak damage.

Pros –

Common data like contacts, SMS, photos, etc. can be recovered
Can recover data from a jailbroken iPhone
Clean interface with simple steps for recovering data

Cons –

Data recovery functionality is limited in the free version
Occasional connectivity issues between the iOS device and the system

Pricing –

Free (with limited data recovery)
Pro Edition for $59.95/month
$79.95/Year or $99.95 for Lifetime Upgrades

5. Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery

Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery can recover a lot of file types from an iPhone like iPhone text messages. This software allows the user to select different types of files to recover along with an option to preview the files to be recovered. It offers a clean UI, which is simple to understand and is easy-to-use

Pros –

Fast data recovery process speed using recovery image creation.
Compatible with all the latest iPhones running on iOS 16.
Free users can scan, analyze, and preview the files that need to be recovered.

Cons –

Need to buy the full version to recover the lost data.

Pricing –

$49.95 for a Lifetime Single License
$69.95 for a Lifetime Family license
Lifetime multi-user license starting at $79.95

6. iSkysoft Toolbox – Dr.Fone Data Recovery (iOS)

iSkysoft Toolbox allows its users to recover lost data from an iOS device like deleted iPhone texts, iMessage, call logs, etc. from any iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. It can easily recover any data from a damaged or stolen iPhone.

Pros –

Fast
Simple to use
Safe and Secure

Cons –

Unable to recover overwritten data
Stands on the pricier side

Pricing –

$59.95/Year
$69.95 for a Perpetual License

7. Primo iPhone Data Recovery

Primo iPhone Data Recovery is another quality addition to this list. This software allows its users to recover deleted messages from an iPhone due to any reason like device crash, forgotten password, etc.

Pros –

Three recovery modes increase the rate of data recovery
Simple and easy-to-use
Compatible with iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone

Cons –

Takes a bit of time to launch.

Pricing –

$39.99 for a Personal License
$59.99 for Family License

8. Disk Drill

Disk Drill is a simple software that offers the easiest way to deal with lost iPhone data. It does the job of recovering almost every type of deleted data like deleted iPhone texts, photos, contacts, etc. Users simply have to launch the software and click the Recover button to recover lost data from the connected iOS device. It offers a long list of features. However, they come at a hefty cost.

Pros –

Simple to use
Supports a wide range of file formats
Extra tools come bundled with the paid version

Cons –

Data recovery functionality is not available in the trial version.
Hefty price tag

Pricing –

Basic – Free
Pro – $89
Enterprise – $499

Verdict

Like all other smartphones, iPhones have become an important part of our lives. We use them to store important data like SMS, contacts, photos, etc. In this guide, we listed the 8 best software you can use for recovering deleted text messages from an iPhone. We know how important your data and especially text messages are to you. But before moving on to choosing an iPhone data recovery software, it is important to understand the reasons behind this issue and the factors that one should consider before choosing the right software.

While there are numerous iPhone data recovery software available in the market, we would recommend going for Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. The software boasts of a long list of advanced features and a pocket-friendly price, making it highly versatile and easy to use. We hope that our guide will help you choose the right iPhone data recovery software and restore your deleted text messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover deleted messages from my iPhone?

You can use Stellar iPhone Recovery software to recover deleted messages.

I accidentally deleted some important text messages from my iPhone. Can Stellar iPhone Recovery help me to recover them back?

Absolutely. Stellar iPhone Recovery can easily recover and restore deleted text messages from your iPhone. It can also recover other iPhone data and restore it.

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.

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