Locate lost iPhone

[hingyfan]

Is there a way to get general idea where a lost iphone is? The phone is on standby, meaning it can get calls.
My wife thinks she left it at work but is not sure where. She has it on vibrate only so there won't be much of noise when it rings.
I looked this up on net and the "solutions" given seem to be before the fact, like things you should have done or downloaded to prevent the loss.
But can something be done without the preemptive steps?
Im pretty sure the GPS is on. This is a 3G.

added:
I'm pretty sure the answer is no. it appears even with the mobile me's find my iphone feature, the phone has to be set up in advance.
Oh well.

[Paddy]

Does she have Mobile Me? Has she activated "Find my iPhone"? (I'm guessing the answer is no...?)

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/find-my-iphone.html

I don't think there is any magic method - though if it's on WiFi at work, she might be able to at least see if it's there when she gets in tomorrow - though she'll have to get access to the router, which might not be easy, depending on where she works. See this post on the Apple forums:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1985432

[hingyfan]

Unfortunately, I know for a fact she does not have wi-fi turned on. she finds it a nuisance and is happy with the g3 coverage. That could have at least ruled out it being in the house. She said something distracted her as she was leaving work and couldnt find soon after that. She had somebody search for it at work buit maybe will have a better shot at it when she gets there tomorrow.
I seem to remember Apple does not take kindly to lost iphones and charges about $600 to replace one. That's because they make the money on the contract, not the phone.

[Paddy]

QUOTE

Apple does not take kindly to lost iphones and charges about $600 to replace one.

Er, that would be AT&T, not Apple. Contract is with AT&T, not Apple.

[Xairbusdriver]

Nothing like "spilled milk" to mention 'being more careful!' I've used "Find my iPhone several times since it became available. Only once when it was actually "lost." But it is well worth the $100 for MobileMe, just for that piece of mind.

Not sure what is "a nuisance" about WiFi, you can turn off many of the functions that use it, silence the sounds that those provide and even use vibrate should you desire. All the while still having the "Find" function enabled. But more importantly, that capability provides security functions that could mean a lot for your (and her) peace of mind. When and if you find the phone, I highly encourage you (both) to sign-up and use the "Find" service.

My best advice for actually finding the phone is to keep calling it, at least during business hours, in the hopes that some honest person will hear and answer. In performing a physical search, I always remember my youngest son's description of searching for something, "I just walk backwards in my mind!" Seemed to work for him! My problem is my mind doesn't usually go back too far!

I'm sure AT&T will be glad to cancel the phones ability to be used or disable it. The matter of the contract may be a bit more sticky to resolve, of course. And you'll still be without that phone in meantime. I'm just glad that I

never

...ever

...uhmmn, what were we talking about?

[hingyfan]

found it! it was in the lining of a big bag she carries. she called it and heard it vibrate. the fact it is never on "ring" made this a little harder than it should have been. She had to cut the lining to retrieve it, could not figure out the way in.
Thanks for suggestions.

[jjoan]

YAY! Whew! Hooray!

[Highmac]

I love a happy ending......

In case it happens again, doesn't your household insurance cover losses like that? Although the excess (the "first $xx of every claim" that you have to pay) make it unrealistic? Don't know if US insurance works same way as ours.[size="3"][/size]

[Paddy]

Household insurance may cover it, though most people have $500 deductibles and if you don't have a rider that specifically mentions the phone, that deductible will apply and you're out of luck. Plus, if you report small things like this to your insurance company, they'll rather quickly raise your rates (or, if you do it 2 or 3 times, cancel your insurance altogether). Heck - just call them to answer an innocent question WITHOUT filing a claim, and watch them raise your rates! This happened to us this year - I'd actually categorically stated at the beginning of the call "I'm not filing a claim - I just have a question about our coverage. I understand from my reading of our policy that this....is not covered, correct?" To which the adjuster replied "correct" and I thought that was the end of it - until renewal time this year when they informed me that because we'd had "two claims" they were going to raise our rates! We'd had NO claims at all - one was completely bogus (New Year's day 3 months before we moved to Toronto - not us!) and the other "claim" was me calling with that question! Needless to say I became a little irate. And since the IEEE has just made auto and homeowner's insurance available to Canadian members and their auto coverage was almost $500 less than we were going to be paying with our existing company (TD Meloche Monnex) it was bye-bye Monnex, and good riddance. I've since read that they can be real bears if you actually do have a claim too.

No, I'm afraid that this is one of those instances where you'd probably regret trying to claim it on your house insurance...

[jcarter]

I have a lanyard on my cell phone, and was wondering if the iPhone has the tiny hole that the lanyard can go into.
Ive had very good luck with doing this, as there have been many times that if I had not had that lanyard on it, it would have been gone!  Even on the beach, it can be safe around my neck.
Ive seen phones drop out of people's pockets a lot, or people just leaving them on the porch or the hood of their cars. Ive called my family's phones many times and heard them ring in the yard or garden, or in the sofa cushions.

Lanyard is the way to go!
Of course that wont keep it from being stolen. A friend who is the graphic arts teacher in our local high school left her iPhone for a mere moment on the table in the cafeteria, gone in a millisecond.
Jane

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

Heck - just call them to answer an innocent question WITHOUT filing a claim, and watch them raise your rates!

Never had such a problem with USAA, in over 40+ years, homes, cars, trains, planes, etc.

iPhone has no 'hole/loop' for attaching a lanyard, but I've not noticed many that do, anyway, the things are so small there's not much room for an empty hole and plastic protrusions don't usually last too long. But most phones have dozens of companies making coverings for them, many of those can easily have a lanyard/rope/chain attached/stitched/welded on. Just make sure the chain is not attached to any body part(s) you don't want to lose...I'd suggest attaching it to your husband...those things usually have extra insurance, anyway. Many are worth more dead than alive!

[krissel]

I don't wear anything around my neck that could be used to choke me. No lanyards for moi.  

[jcarter]

Better yet, cargo pants/shorts with the zipper pockets.
Though when we used to travel a lot in Central America, we did wear our passport pouches around our necks. Having the lanyard inside your clothing where its not to be seen seemed to be fine for us.
Nothing metal that looks like a gold chain or jewelry.

But I think that cell phones are more often lost in their owner's houses, cars, and yards more than anywhere else.
My husband's new watch spent the winter in our veggie garden last year, found it the next spring still running(waterproof Casio).

Though I know a girl who was walking over the CapeCodCanal on one of the bridges(not many people walk over them as the sidewalk is a bit vulnerable), and she leaned over to point out a fishing trawler to her friend, when out of her shirt pocket went her cell phone, plop into the ocean!
AT+T thought it was such a unique story that they gave her a new one free.

[daryl66]

QUOTE(Highmac @ Apr 10 2010, 03:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love a happy ending......

In case it happens again, doesn't your household insurance cover losses like that? Although the excess (the "first $xx of every claim" that you have to pay) make it unrealistic? Don't know if US insurance works same way as ours.[size="3"][/size]

This is a FWIW.

Recent experience (Feb this year) Had a computer bag stolen while in Hawaii, they got the 12"pb and a 1st gen iPod touch, among other things. The homeowners policy covered them BUT one needs to consider the age and expect a  depreciation factor when filing a claim.    The PB was originally purchased new for about 2 grand and the Itouch (also new) for $299 plus case, and a good set of earphones. The policy has a $250 deductible, and riders for  computer gear. By the time the deductible  and depreciation were factored in we got a check for a little over 1100 dollars.(Almost enuff to cover the new (refurb) 4gb MBP. We ate the cost of a refurb iTouch. The claim was settled very quickly with no hassle. Of course  we had been with the Insurance company (AllState) for over 20 years with no claims. Happy?  Lets just say not unhappy.

As I stated FWIW.

Daryl