Opting into the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature may be a little bit more valuable than you realize.
In mid-November, a casino-goer in Greater Victoria accidentally left their cell phone at a slot machine and returned to discover it missing.
Police officers were able to get video footage of a suspect stealing the phone and were able to identify them.
In the meantime, the casino-goer was able to use the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature to locate its exact whereabouts.
A few weeks later, on December 10, officers were able to execute a search warrant for the stolen property and arrested the suspect, charging him with theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
The feature is in the phone settings for iPhones under the ‘Find My’ tab. There are a few different options to opt into, it could store the device location when it was last connected to the internet, or even when it’s turned off. It works for all Apple devices including laptops, earbuds, watches, and Airtags. The devices can be found on any of the other devices, or by signing in to your iCloud account.
Android phones have a similar feature that can be activated in settings. Those are limited to locations when last connected to the internet. Devices can be found by signing in to your Google account on their Find my Device website.
