Find My iPhone to the Rescue!

Though this tale is not as impressive as that of an iPhone owner embarking on a city-wide manhunt tracking the perp. in an iTheft, it certainly seemed like a big deal to me at the time.

This past week, Burlington received two massive snowstorms. One of which hit Saturday night, and unfortunately meant that shoveling snow took priority over many of my existing plans. Saturday evening, as I worked to unearth my girlfriend’s car, I patted my front pocket (a habit I’ve developed since first purchasing an iPhone in ’08) only to find an empty space where my phone had been moments before. My first inclination was that I’d left it in her apartment, but after quickly searching a few obvious places to no avail, my phone’s grim fate dawned on me. I realized in the midst of my shoveling, my iPhone must have leapt from my pocket and to its death in a snow bank.

With water being the mortal enemy of iPhones—or any electronic device for that matter—I knew the prognosis was not good. Though I suspected the worst, I had to know my phone’s fate for sure. I raced into the apartment and logged into MobileMe. Using the ‘Find My iPhone’ page, I initiated a desperate search. After a minute went by yielding no results, I was certain my iPhone had met with an icy grave. Wondering if this was a sign I should switch to Verizon, early termination fees and data plans began racing through my head. At the last second, however, the onscreen map suddenly zoomed in. First, to North America, but then to New England, Vermont, and Burlington. To my relief, MobileMe pinpointed my phone’s location about three blocks from where I stood—precisely where I parked! I jogged to my car, only to see my phone lying safe and warm in the passenger’s seat. Whew!

Find My iPhone is a free app, and is compatible with any iOS device running iOS 4.2. For users with an iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod touch, the app is free to use. For users with older devices—such as my 3GS, it is an included feature of MobileMe (Apple’s annual subscription service). Though I may not own a new enough device to use the feature for free, being spared hours searching in vain for a misplaced phone all but justified the plan’s $100 price tag.

Though the location tracking component of the service is great in instances where a phone has been misplaced by the user, Find My iPhone also packs a slew of helpful options should your device be subject to theft. In addition to tracking the device’s location (assuming it’s turned on), users can remotely trigger an alarm, display a message on the device’s screen, and even lock or wipe the device to protect personal data. A must have freebie for newer devices, and an enticing option for prospective MobileMe members.

To download Find My iPhone click here.

To learn more about MobileMe click here.