Since its inception, Apple's Find my iPhone service was purely the domain of those who forked over $99 a year for the company's MobileMe service.
MobileMe is Apple's value-add subscription service for Mac, iPhone and iPad users. It offers a Web-based e-mail service that integrates perfectly with its devices and operating systems, and there are also over-the-air sync services for address books and calendars. Hosting is also provided.
When Apple released the third major version of its mobile operating system, iOS, it added the Find my iPhone feature. At first it was limited to the MobileMe Web site, where users could track their missing or stolen iPhone (assuming the GPS service was activated). From there it was possible to send a message to the device, accompanied by a distinct audio track; remotely lock it to prevent prying eyes from accessing data; or completely wipe the phone.
A while after that, the service was given an iPhone app, and when the iPad came along it was also supported.
With the most recent release of iOS - version 4.2.1 - Apple, in a rare show of generosity, made the Find my iPhone service available for free to owners of the iPhone 4, iPad and iPod touch (latest generation).
One of the niftier features of MobileMe can now be used by anybody who's willing to sacrifice a bit of battery life by leaving their device GPS permanently enabled, for free.
The first requirement is to download the free Find my iPhone app from the iTunes App Store. Next up, you'll need to add a new account for the service: thankfully, the app is quite helpful in instructing users what to do and how to do it.
Once it's all set up, you can use either the application or the MobileMe Web site (www.me.com) to instantly track your iPhone. Its location is displayed in Google maps - with surprising accuracy - and it's possible to switch to satellite view too.
A location pin is dropped to show where the device is, and from there it's possible to access the aforementioned features (siren, lock, or wipe).
On iOS devices running the app, a list shows all the available devices. It's possible to tie more than one device to an account, so if you want to keep track of your entire household's Apple devices, go wild.
Handily, using the other security features doesn't necessarily require the GPS to be turned on. Since those rely on data, you can turn off the GPS and still remotely lock your device or send a message to whomever picked it up.
Does the service add real usability and value? Definitely. You might not use it all the time, but the one or two times you fire it up to track your device might prove invaluable - or at least as valuable as the cost of a replacement.
Share