how to track and locate your iphone without tracking software

Kizzie Woolfky
3 min readAug 10, 2019

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I hate to ask this, but did you miss one of your iOS mobile devices and forgot to install a security application?

Do not worry, there are still some options to try to recover an iPhone, iPad or iPod, without having previously downloaded a tracking software. We hope that next time you will be more prepared with an application like Prey ;).There are currently functions built into mobile devices that allow you to track and view the location of the device in real time, thanks to GPS technology. Although there are downloadable applications that provide various additional features, Apple integrated some basic, but effective, features in its tracking software.

The main option is to use iCloud and its “ Find my iPhone ” application to see the location of the device. This is available on all iOS phones with iCloud and has a remote interface to observe and follow the device without problems.

One of the features is the possibility of completely blocking the device and sending a message to anyone who has found it; What’s more, you can erase all of its information and thus protect the privacy of your information.

Keep in mind that in order for all these functions to be available, it is essential to have an active Internet connection. If this is not possible, Find my iPhone will not be able to access any of these services.

Apple’s product has a great advantage over Google’s Android Device Manager ; If the laptop or mobile is turned on, but with the location services turned off, iCloud can turn it on remotely and ensure accurate tracking.

There were alternatives in the past, such as installing applications remotely to monitor and locate, but Apple’s policies no longer allow it. It would be perfect to be able to activate more advanced security software; however, today it must be prevented, or there will be no other option than the basic option, in this case “Find my iPhone”.

Creative Options
As we said, finding a device when there is no active Internet connection is impossible, but this does not imply that there are no creative tricks and alternatives. Trendblog.net thought further and discovered two ways to find the whereabouts of the device.

One of these is to use a Google tool (the competition!) As a “stealthy spy”. “ Google Timeline “ will give you the information of the locations in which the mobile has been, whether restaurants, cafes, or parks.

Although it is not updated in real time, and its data is approximate, it has a very useful benefit: you can review the data at any time, no matter if the device has been turned off. Timeline will receive your connection information until the last minute of the battery.

This tool will help you evaluate where the laptop or mobile phone has been, in order to recognize a possible pattern and perhaps an area to start searching. However, it requires time, analysis and is not absolutely accurate like other softwares.

Another option is to use Dropbox as a record of the photos that have been taken, you just need to have Dropbox installed on the device to activate the function from your account. If the new owner starts taking photos, by enabling the option to save in the cloud, you will be able to know who the new “owner” is and perhaps recognize an area of ​​the city in which he is located.

We hope you can recover your device! As soon as you do, we recommend you install Prey, a tracking software that will allow you to accurately track the device, take photos with the camera, create reports for the police and determine Control Zones with instant alerts.

Managing your devices will be easier and you will not have to improvise in case they get lost, just enter the web interface from any computer and start monitoring your cell phone, laptop, or tablet. Read more

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