What is “Lost Mode” on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac?

you ever lose your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, you should put it in “Lost Mode.” Lost Mode locks your device to protect your personal information, tracks its location, and places a customizable message on its lock screen.

YOU SWEAR YOU just had your tablet. It was in your backpack like, 10 seconds ago. OK, um, well, you definitely had it at the coffee shop this morning. Crap. You left your tablet at the coffee shop. 

Nothing can help the gut-wrenching despair you'll feel when you realize you've lost your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. But by following a few simple steps in iOS, there's at least some hope it will land back in your hands.

First, before this situation happens, you need to have Find My iPhone (or iPad, or Mac) turned on. In iOS, it's simply a matter of going to Settings > iCloud. On a Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud, then check the box for "Find My Mac."

Alright. Now that that's done, we can return to our initial scenario. You've just realized you misplaced your Apple product. When you're done cursing, you want to enable Lost Mode. Lost Mode lets you remotely lock the device, track its location, and compose a personalized message that will display on its lockscreen if someone powers the device on.

To enable Lost Mode, go to iCloud.com, then click Find My iPhone. On another iOS device, you can use the Find My iPhone app. At the top of the screen is a drop-down menu where you can choose a device. Select the one that's lost. You now have the option to have the device play a sound (if you think it's just misplaced in your house or car), go into Lost Mode, or you can wipe the device. Click on Lost Mode.

If you haven't already passcode-protected your device (tsk, tsk), you'll set one up at this point. If you already have, you're taken to a screen where you can enter a phone number you can be reached at. Next, enter the message you want displayed on the screen. It can be anything from "Please call me at the number above if found" to, say, if your coworker has commandeered your iPad and is going on a tweet rampage with your Twitter account, "Get back to work, Mat." (I wouldn't know anything about the latter situation, obviously.) From there, hopefully, a kind soul will help reunite you with your mobile device.

When you get your device back and re-enter your passcode, and Lost Mode will automatically be disabled. You can also switch it off by going to the iCloud website and tapping "Stop Lost Mode."

None of this will work if someone nabs your device and powers it off, or if it's left in an area with zero data coverage. And if you don't have a passcode, a tech-savvy pilferer can switch off "Find My iPhone" (and other settings) before you have a chance to start searching for it. iLounge puts it nicely: All of the security features built into iOS are there to protect your data, not your device. But if you're prepared, with a bit of luck, you at least have a chance of getting your device back using Find My iPhone and Lost Mode.

#APPLE#HOW-TO#IOS#LOST