Locate your iPhone and password

[gregdanielsykes]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but let's say you have the location services enabled on your iPhone and someone steals it and you do NOT have a password on your iPhone, they could simply go to Options and disable the track my iPhone option, correct?

It seems to me that Apple needs to add an additional option that asks for the password upon editing that option, right?

I have a password on my iPhone, so it doesn't affect me, but I know a lot of people who don't use one and don't want to use one, which I understand totally.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[Eddy Munn]

I do believe you're right, you're the fool for having no passcode though.
Even if you don't have a passcode to unlock the phone, you will have one to access the 'Restrictions' section on the iPhone.​

 

[gregdanielsykes]

I'm sorry. I don't understand. What does Restrictions have to do with this exactly? This is my own personal iPhone, so I don't use Restrictions (I have it turned off), because I don't have humm, employees using it, so I don't have to worry about having Safari enabled, etc. (This is what I imagine Restrictions is for).

Is what you mean that there is some way to shut off editing iCloud/iPhone Search under Restrictions? I looked, but I couldn't see any.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[SC.]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but let's say you have the location services enabled on your iPhone and someone steals it and you do NOT have a password on your iPhone, they could simply go to Options and disable the track my iPhone option, correct?

It seems to me that Apple needs to add an additional option that asks for the password upon editing that option, right?

That's a very good point actually....

I currently don't have a passscode on my iPhone, just have never bothered.....But yeah, picking it up - as if I'm not the owner - there's nothing stopping me navigating to Settings > Accounts and turning the slider for Find My Phone to OFF......(This is based upon MobileMe use of Find My Phone, but I'm guessing it's just as easy to go to iCloud for the slider there ?) - Lets face it, the more and more iPhone & iPads that are out there, more and more folk are going to become au fait with navigating around the OS and it's settings......

Bit of an Achilles Heel it would seem...!

I guess one method would be to enable Restrictions and prevent access to Accounts.....

Think I'll start using a passcode though..! (set to 1 hour, so it doesn't annoy me...)

Thanks for the thread....

Steve

 

[gregdanielsykes]

Glad I could be of help. Apple could solve this whole problem if they just put a password on the Locate iPhone part, before it could be edited.

Best,
Greg

 

[hafr]

With MobileMe, you could just remove the SIM-card to disable the Find My iPhone-feature. Has anyone tried to locate their iPhone in iCloud after having removed the SIM? I don't have the possibility to try it myself right now...

Or, the thief could just turn the phone off and reset it when they get to a computer. No more "find my iphone". Because as far as I know, it's not looking for a specific device, but a specific iCloud account/Apple ID...

 

[marc11]

Of course, you wold also need to password protect shutting off wi fi, and cell service, and....at that point just put a password on your phone and you have nothing to worry about.

Sorry but security like this is the owners responsibility, not Apples, they give you the tool, you should use it IMHO if you are concerned. We cannot look to companies like Apple to protect us from ourselves all the time. I could just hear all the complaints now about how Apple is forcing us to use security no one wants, what happens if I forget my password, on and on.

The ability to lock your phone down is there already.

 

[hafr]

Of course, you wold also need to password protect shutting off wi fi, and cell service, and....at that point just put a password on your phone and you have nothing to worry about.

Sorry but security like this is the owners responsibility, not Apples, they give you the tool, you should use it IMHO if you are concerned. We cannot look to companies like Apple to protect us from ourselves all the time. I could just hear all the complaints now about how Apple is forcing us to use security no one wants, what happens if I forget my password, on and on.

The ability to lock your phone down is there already.

To be honest, I think there should be some way of password protecting the DEVICE, so that you can't restore the phone to factory settings to get around the password lock.

Maybe offer the activation of device password protection with registration of the device, and if you forget your code you just call Apple customer service, give them your personal info to verify your identity and they'll give it to you...

Because seriously, the only thing password lock is good for is to protect your data on the phone. I want to make sure that anyone stealing the phone won't be able to use it at all. (Mentioning of memory flashing will go unnoticed )