Our smartphones are more than just communication devices, they are an extension of our personal lives. We store photos, contacts, messages, financial information, and even work documents on our iPhones, making them valuable targets for thieves.

While Apple has incorporated various security features into their devices, there are proactive steps you can take to safeguard your iPhone in the unfortunate event that it gets stolen.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through three critical iPhone settings that can help you recover your phone even if a thief attempts to disable or erase your data.

Also, read| How To Verify Your iPhone: Check If It’s Original, Fake, Refurbished, Or Made In A Specific Country

By setting up these features, you can ensure that your phone is secure and trackable, offering a higher chance of recovery.

1. Disable Control Center on Lock Screen

When someone steals your iPhone, one of the first things they might try to do is activate the airplane mode. By doing so, they can disable cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections, effectively preventing you from tracking the device.

Here’s how to disable the Control Center on your iPhone’s lock screen:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode, depending on your model).
3. Enter your passcode to access the settings.
4. Scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section.
5. Find the Control Center and toggle the switch to off.

By turning this feature off, anyone who steals your phone will be unable to swipe into the Control Center while it’s locked, making it much harder for them to disable features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or airplane mode.

2. Enable Stolen Device Protection Using Face ID

If a thief has access to your passcode, they may attempt to erase your Apple account or change your password to lock you out of your personal information.

Also, read| Apple Discontinues 3 Major iPhone Models, Including iPhone 14

To prevent this, Apple offers a feature called Stolen Device Protection. When enabled, it prevents unauthorised changes to your iPhone’s passcode or Apple ID because the phone will always require Face ID authentication to make such modifications.

Follow these steps to activate Stolen Device Protection:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode).
3. Enter your passcode to proceed.
4. Look for the section labeled Stolen Device Protection.
5. Toggle the switch to Always.

With this setting enabled, if a thief tries to change your iPhone’s passcode or Apple ID settings, they will be prompted to authenticate with Face ID (or your passcode). This ensures that even if they know your passcode, they will not be able to modify critical settings on your device, giving you more time to act and recover your iPhone.

3. Turn On “Find My” Features for Complete Tracking

One of the most powerful features Apple provides for recovering a lost or stolen iPhone is Find My. This tool allows you to track your device, even if it’s turned off or the battery is drained. Enabling all three key options—Find My iPhone, Find My Network, and Send Last Location—is a crucial step in ensuring you can track your phone and possibly recover it.

To turn on these features, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
3. Select Find My.

Toggle on the following options:

1. Find My iPhone – Ensures that your device can be located if lost or stolen
2. Find My Network – Allows your device to be located by other Apple devices even when it is offline
3. Send Last Location – Sends the last known location of your iPhone to Apple when the battery is critically low.

Find My Network uses nearby Apple devices to relay your phone’s location, meaning your iPhone can still be found even if it’s not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

While the settings mentioned above focus on your iPhone, it’s equally important to protect your Apple ID account itself. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) ensures that even if a thief manages to access your Apple ID password, they will still be unable to make unauthorized changes without a second layer of security.

To enable Two-Factor Authentication:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
3. Tap on Password & Security.
4. Select Turn On Two-Factor Authentication and follow the on-screen prompts.

By enabling 2FA, you ensure that any attempt to change your Apple ID password or access sensitive information requires verification from a trusted device or phone number.