[AntiDote]

Not sure if this has been posted before but I found this on my travels....

http://blogs.channel4.com/benjamin-c...e-mugging/3658

Some handy advice on how to increase the chances of rendering your iphone useless if someone nicks it from you.

[tdenson]

There is actually a completely opposite school of view to this one and one that I happen to hold. I never lock my iPhone because I have a much higher chance of losing it then having it stolen from me. I also take the view that 95% of the population are basically honest and will try to contact the owner of a missing phone (if for no other reason than if they've tried they then have a clear conscience holding on to it !!). The more you lock a phone down, the more difficult it is for a random stranger to contact you about it.
As a case in point I was in a motel in Florida a couple of years ago and my wife left her iPhone under her pillow. Just a few minutes after we left my daughter in law in London received a phone call from a chambermaid in the motel. Her name is Amy and happened to be the first in the contacts list, She contacted us and we returned to the motel and retrieved the phone. I suspect had the phone been locked down we would never have seen it again (we were leaving town and not coming back again).

[AntiDote]

Granted but this is about someone STEALING your phone as opposed to just losing it. I live in a small village where mobile phone theft is a rarity however once a month I go to a large multicultural city where phones get stolen a lot. The above guide is what I do when I go there.

[tdenson]

Originally Posted by AntiDote

Granted but this is about someone STEALING your phone as opposed to just losing it. I live in a small village where mobile phone theft is a rarity however once a month I go to a large multicultural city where phones get stolen a lot. The above guide is what I do when I go there.

I realise that, but the point I'm making is that it is more likely that one will lose it rather than having it stolen. And frankly I can't be bothered to constantly change my modus operandum and my phone settings on the basis of where I might be tomorrow.

[AntiDote]

Originally Posted by tdenson

I realise that, but the point I'm making is that it is more likely that one will lose it rather than having it stolen.

Ok. Then perhaps this thread isn't for you.

Originally Posted by tdenson

And frankly I can't be bothered to constantly change my modus operandum and my phone settings on the basis of where I might be tomorrow.

I do it twice a month, once when I leave and once when I return, it's not really much hassle to me although I guess I can see how that rate could be for others.

[pi r squared]

Originally Posted by tdenson

I also take the view that 95% of the population are basically honest and will try to contact the owner of a missing phone (if for no other reason than if they've tried they then have a clear conscience holding on to it !!). The more you lock a phone down, the more difficult it is for a random stranger to contact you about it.

I'm generally with you, and agree that statistically I am more likely to lose my phone than have it stolen. I am fortunate in that Android allows you to stick a message on the lock screen, so I have that set to "ICE or lost: please call 07......". A kind-hearted stranger (or emergency personnel) can therefore still contact someone to arrange for the phone to be returned, whilst a nefarious thief can do little as it's still locked.

iPhones don't allow for a message per se, but a simple workaround is to use a custom lock-screen wallpaper.

[gavo360]

I found a iPhone a couple of weeks ago in a theme park that had a passcode to unlock so I couldnt easily get intouch with any of the owners contacts, the owner used there wife's phone to ring the iPhone so I could answer and arrange to meet him to give it back. Disappointed I didn't get a reward though, but having a passcode does stop someone from snooping through your photos and any other private information you might have on your phone. .

[tdenson]

Funnily enough, subsequent to my posting in this thread I found a Blackberry the other day. It had a lock code set, but fortunately it hadn't yet timed out and I was able to call one of the contacts, but could so easily have been a different story.
I rest my case.

[AntiDote]

OK good for you but what was your case to start off with?

This thread is about if someone has their iPhone stolen, not losing their Blackberry.

[The Lord Lucan]

i put a lock on my iPhone and sim. I have also lost mine and had it returned as i pushed a message to it with my partners mobile number (using Apples find iphone) and the place that found it called. I gave a financial reward to the guy. it works.

[tdenson]

Originally Posted by AntiDote

OK good for you but what was your case to start off with?

This thread is about if someone has their iPhone stolen, not losing their Blackberry.

I could have started another thread but seeing as I had already posted a message about this very situation it just seemed relevant. Sorry to upset you.

[AntiDote]

If you ever get the urge to start a thread about a different topic then feel free to do so

[tdenson]

Originally Posted by AntiDote

If you ever get the urge to start a thread about a different topic then feel free to do so

My original comment I thought was quite relevant, and the reason I think so is because the very act of protecting against theft potentially shoots oneself in the foot by increasing the overall chance of losing one's phone

[AntiDote]

I'm sure you did think it was relevant.

You took it off topic when you discussed losing a phone when the link is very clearly about what to do if it gets stolen.