How does Apple's "Find My iPhone" work with Mobile Me?

I'm a big fan of Apple gear, like you are, and while I've been an iPhone owner for quite a while, I've always been pretty leery about paying for the Mobile Me service. Apparently, though, one of the slick new features is the ability to always find your phone if it's otherwise lost, called "Find My iPhone" or "Find My Phone" or something like that? Coolness. Can you show how it works?

Dave's Answer:

I'm still on the fence about Apple's rather pricey Mobile Me service because I'm not a pure Apple software user. For example, I don't use Apple Mail and I only really have one foot in the iCal world (my main calendar is still on Google Calendar and I sync via WebDAV). On the other hand, having the Contacts / Address Book magically be in sync between my computer and iPhone is pretty darn cool. But is it worth $99/year? Dunno yet.

On the other hand, the first time I lose my phone and can use "Find My iPhone" to recover it, I have a feeling that the service will pay for itself, and then some.

It requires that you have an iPhone, that you've configured it to report its locations, and that it's turned on when you look. To ensure your phone is set up properly, tap on "Settings" then choose "Mail, Contacts, Calendar". If you haven't yet added your Mobile Me account, choose "Add Account..." and then you'll see:

Tap on, surprise, the huge Mobile Me logo and enter the appropriate data. Here's how mine looked:

Once saved, you'll see the Mobile Me configuration settings:

The key one for "Find my iPhone" is ingeniously labeled "Find My iPhone". Make sure it's enabled, which will cause you to be informed:

Okay, 'nuf on the phone. You only have to set that up once, fortunately.

Now you'll want to go to your computer Web browser and go to me.com. You'll need to log in:

Once you're logged in, you'll see an icon strip on the top left corner:

Click on the Settings icon (the rightmost one) and you'll see a lot of config options on the left side:

Click on "Find My iPhone" on the bottom and it'll start searching for the device:

Sometimes, you're out of luck:

On the other hand, when it does work, then it's pretty darn cool:

So that's what it looks like. If I had more courage, I'd let my kids take my phone, then use "Find My iPhone" to track 'em. Except if they lost it...

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Categorized: iPhone and Cell Phone Help (Article 8981, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: apple iphone 3gs, find my iphone, geolocation
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Reader Comments To Date: 6

tolvstegs metoden said, on September 23, 2010 5:02 AM:

Nice explanation to this question. Thanks!

Palle said, on December 1, 2010 7:24 AM:

Hey Dave..

Thank you for your work on this page.. really appreciated.. I just got into the Apple thing within the last 2 months or so but converted completely with Iphone, Ipad, Macbook air etc..

I got true story about find my iphone.. Sent this below email out to some friends about a week ago..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Okay; I have to admit that I considered it twice before writing and sending out this email to everyone I know who has an Iphone; since it does not exactly put me in the best light; but here we go..

We are in Shanghai all week for exhibition.. Yesterday we went out with my sales guys and we had a few drinks.. .. Smart and clear thinking as most of us are when we have had a few drinks a colleague and I decided to take a taxi all the way from far out Pudong to downtown Puxi to have a few more drinks because that was the only place we knew basically.. Alrighty then.. Good mood, all is well..

We get to the first bar and surprisingly enough it is almost empty at 01:00 in the morning.. So we take a taxi to another bar very close, only 12 CNY to get there so I did not get a receipt from the Taxi driver.. cool.. all is well.. we are ready for a few more drinks before heading home.. just as I open the door to the bar I realize that I lost my Iphone4 in the taxi.. it must have slipped out of my pocket when I got in the car.. f*** f*** f*** f*** f*** What do I do.. no receipt.. Driver long gone.. Got kind of clear minded fast somehow with the idea of having to purchase a new, relatively expensive phone.. damn.. Then I realize that my colleague also have an Iphone and in the moment of clear thinking I ask him to download the iphone finder app..

Done; I log on to my mobile me account and ask to find my iphone.. This is now 15 minutes after we got out of the taxi.. I get in a taxi and follow the other taxi, where my Iphone is, on the map in the app.. it is now in Pudong; still moving.. I tell the driver to go in that direction well knowing that we might have to tail the taxi with my phone for a while if he is busy.. Fortunately he is not busy and all of a sudden my phone stops moving on the map.. I give my taxi driver the name of the street and we go straight there. It has now been about a 45CNY taxi ride from the bar.. I don’t recognize the driver that took us for that short ride before, but he recognizes me.. I start looking around the front passenger seat.. nothing.. hey wait.. my taxi driver get out from the back door with a grin on his face and my phone in his hand..

Unbelievable.. just unbelievable.. I was speechless that it was possible to track it, find it and get it back again..

So; the “lesson” in this “fairytale” is; if you have an Iphone, install the Iphone finder app and create an account.. It might very very well come in handy one day..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
End of email..

Maybe for those who does not have much idea about what CNY is.. Its Chinese Currency, 1USD is 6,65CNY.. A 45 CNY taxi ride will get you around 8 miles away from starting point..

Thanks again for a great page..

John said, on February 8, 2011 7:11 PM:

What if the thief restored the phone?

Dave Taylor said, on February 8, 2011 11:02 PM:

Interesting question, John. I expect that if a thief wipes the phone then it'll stop reporting its location on Mobile Me, as you suspect...

Nirali Shah said, on March 12, 2011 10:39 PM:

does this work on iPhone 4 iOS 4.1????

arnel said, on August 19, 2011 7:32 AM:

iPod stolen by not set mobile me yet is there another way to check it

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

How does Apple's "Find My iPhone" work with Mobile Me?

Reader Comments To Date: 6

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

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