You know that awful feeling when you reach for your phone and it is suddenly nowhere to be found.
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it → know → phone
Maybe you left it at a restaurant.
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you → leave → restaurant
Maybe it slipped between the car seats.
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it → slip → seats
Or maybe somebody walked away with it.
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somebody → walk → it
The worst time to start figuring out your phone's tracking features is after it disappears.
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it → start → features
Fortunately, iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones include powerful tools that can help you locate a missing device and protect the information stored on it.
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you → include → it
Take a few minutes while your phone is still safely in your hand and make sure these settings are ready.
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settings → take → hand
Watch the replay and discover 5 ways AI can help you get better healthcare.
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you → watch → healthcare
Our free CyberGuy LIVE class Get Better Healthcare With AI has ended, but you can still watch the full replay.
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you → get → replay
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson walks you through five practical ways AI can help you organize your health history, remember important appointment details, understand complicated medical information, research prescriptions and prepare smarter questions for your doctor.
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you → walk → doctor
No technical experience is needed.
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experience → need → ?
Turn on Find My iPhone in iOS 27
Apple's Find My system can help locate an iPhone when it is online.
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it → turn → iPhone
With the right settings enabled, supported iPhones can also remain findable when they are offline or for a period after they have been turned off.
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they → enable → period
How to turn on Find My iPhone
- Open Settings
- Tap your name
- Tap Find My
- Tap Find My iPhone
- Turn on Find My iPhone
- Turn on Find My network
- Turn on Send Last Location
Find My network lets nearby Apple devices securely help locate your iPhone when it cannot connect to Wi-Fi or cellular service.
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it → turn → Wi
On supported iPhones, Apple says the Find My network can locate the phone for up to 24 hours after it is turned off or up to five hours while it is in power reserve mode.
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it → support → mode
Meanwhile, Send Last Location automatically sends your iPhone's location to Apple when its battery reaches a critically low level.
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battery → send → level
That could give you one more place to check if the battery dies before you realize your phone is missing.
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phone → give → place
Turn on Stolen Device Protection too
While you are there, I would check another iPhone security feature called Stolen Device Protection .
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I → turn → feature
Tap Stolen Device Protection, then make sure it is turned on.
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it → tap → Protection
By default, Apple applies its added security requirements when your iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home or work.
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iPhone → apply → home
You can make those protections stronger by choosing Always under Require Security Delay.
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protections → make → Delay
Stolen Device Protection can require Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions.
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Protection → require → actions
Certain account changes can also trigger a one-hour Security Delay followed by another biometric check.
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changes → trigger → check
Find My cannot be turned off while Stolen Device Protection is enabled.
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Protection → turn → ?
That extra hurdle can be especially useful if someone steals your iPhone and has also seen or learned your passcode.
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someone → steal → passcode
Google Pixel owners should check Find Hub
Google now calls its lost-device service Find Hub.
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Google → check → service
If you have added a Google Account to your Pixel, Find Hub is usually enabled automatically.
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Hub → add → Pixel
Still, I would check these settings before you ever need them.
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you → check → them
How to check Find Hub on a Pixel
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check → check → Pixel
- Open Settings
- Tap Security & privacy
- Tap Lost device protection
- Tap Find Hub
- Make sure Allow device to be located is turned on
- Tap Find your offline devices
- Choose the offline-finding option you prefer
For the broadest coverage, choose With network everywhere if that option appears on your Pixel.
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option → open → Pixel
This lets nearby Android devices help locate your phone when it cannot connect normally.
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it → let → phone
You should also open Settings > Location and make sure Use location is turned on.
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location → open → Settings
Google recommends setting a PIN, pattern or password too.
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Google → recommend → PIN
A screen lock helps your Pixel use Find Hub's end-to-end encrypted offline-finding network.
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Pixel → help → network
Supported newer Pixel phones can also remain findable through Find Hub for several hours after the battery runs out or the phone is powered off.
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phone → support → hours
For that feature to work, Bluetooth, Location and offline finding should be enabled before the phone shuts down.
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phone → work → ?
Depending on your device and software version, you may see Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, Remote Lock and Identity Check.
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you → depend → Lock
These features can automatically lock your phone in certain situations or require biometric authentication before sensitive account changes are made.
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changes → lock → authentication
Find Hub helps you locate the phone, while these additional protections can help secure it if someone takes it.
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someone → help → it
Samsung Galaxy owners have two finding systems
If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can take advantage of both Google Find Hub and Samsung's own device-finding tools.
How to turn on Samsung Lost device protection
- Open Settings
- Tap Security and privacy
- Tap Lost device protection
- Tap Find My Mobile
- Turn on Allow this phone to be found
- Turn on Send last location
- Turn on Offline finding
You will need a Samsung account on the phone to use Samsung Find and SmartThings Find.
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You → use → Find
…and 41 more, not listed.
The Aporia
