To Lock or Not Lock Your Phone

[EastWest Gal]

Auto locks after 5 minutes. Can use find my phone. I also have Tile on my key ring and on a couple of items like the checkbook. Can use one to find the other. DH dropped his round and couldn’t find it. Find my Phone worked like charm. It had fallen into some vegetation in the dark at a friend’s house.

 

[JoeWras]

On my Moto Andoid phone, I got to Settings, Security, and hit the settings wheel on Screen Lock. In there is the Lock screen message. It may change between android versions and is almost certainly different for iPhones, but that should be the general place.

Another great example of why this forum is awesome. Great tip!

 

[explanade]

Find My iPhone lets you send messages to the lost iPhone or play a sound or wipe it.

You can't erase and reinstall the OS unless the you know the iCloud password. IOW, if you lose it, someone else finds it and tries to wipe it so he or she could use it as their phone, they won't be able to do it.

The activation lock cut down a lot on iPhone theft.

For the passcode, use at least 6 digits, if not more. iOS also lets you use words as a passcode.

 

[kcowan]

Have 2 iPhone and 2 iPad all unlocked. So far so good. 7 years. But my sensitive info is only accessed from my laptop and it is locked. So if you get some strange posts from this ID, it is probably the finder trying to locate info. Mum's the word!

 

[cathy63]

I lock my Android phone. I use the built in emergency contacts feature, so anyone who finds it can just touch the word Emergency on the lock screen and bring up DH's contact info.

Find My Device can put a message on the lock screen or make it ring loudly. I used both those features when I lost it on the Tower of Terror ride at Disneyland and I did get it back.

 

[Alan]

The iPhone comes with a health app in which you can complete whatever fields you want such as blood type and medications you may be taking plus phone numbers of your emergency contacts (I have my wife and son as my emergency contacts). When someone presses the button to access a locked phone the number pad appears to enter the access code, but also on the screen is a hot spot labeled Emergency.

When emergency is pressed another screen appears that will allow you to make an emergency call, or optionally to select “Medical ID” which will then display the information you have entered including your emergency contacts. I hope that Emergency Responders are aware of this feature.

Since most people who may find my iPhone probably won’t know this I have my wife’s number displayed on the lock screen.

 

[Scrapr]

Lil Scrapr left his i phone on the light rail train. Went back to get it and nobody knows nothing. He has tried the find my i phone but i think the battery is out or something. Not showing any location. Did not know you could wipe it. Will have him try that

He is back on Android now

 

[cathy63]

Lil Scrapr left his i phone on the light rail train. Went back to get it and nobody knows nothing. He has tried the find my i phone but i think the battery is out or something. Not showing any location. Did not know you could wipe it. Will have him try that

He is back on Android now

If Find My Phone isn't working, then he won't be able to wipe it either. It has to be visible to the Internet in order for that to work. If it's been a while and he doesn't think he'll get it back, he should report it as lost so at least the IMEI will be on a blacklist and anyone who finds it will not be able to use it.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/how-report-lost-or-stolen-smart-device

 

[JustCurious]

I lock my phone and put a message on the lock screen which includes my email address and emergency contact person. (I have Android, this is a feature)

I also have a clear phone case that covers the back of the phone, and I typed the following message "This phone belongs to JustCurious {Google phone number and my email address}. If lost, please call {number and name of emergency contact person}." I then cut out this message from the full sheet of paper so it is a small strip of paper and put the strip of paper with the typed message between the back of the phone and the clear phone case facing out so that it can clearly be seen by anyone who picks up the phone and turns it over.

 

[Conundrum]

I lock mine. Most all of my stuff is in the cloud so I could just buy a new phone and remotely brick the lost one.

Additionally, I have a completely different email for one purpose only. All of my website “reset password” point to it. Email address and password are committed to memory only outside of a note in my safe deposit box.