A tech expert has made an iPhone Shortcut that protects against thieves disabling Find My iPhone even in the nightmare scenario when a phone is stolen while unlocked.
The hack involves enabling Airplane Mode Lock V4, which prevents them from switching the device to Airplane Mode – a feature that deactivates Find My app stops working.
However, users will need to iOS 16.5 to access the Shortcut.
Diego Jimenez, a Spanish entrepreneur and Product Designer that lives in New York City, told DailyMail.com that the shortcut he posted on his Twitter automatically locks the phone, turns on connectivity and shares its location.
‘Even if your phone is stolen and you physically lose the device, this automation prevents the thief from accessing your personal data and apps, which in this day and age is very sensitive content, if they try to turn Airplane mode,’ Jimenez said.
‘It’s definitely not a silver bullet, just an additional security layer that can help in that situation. So much so that I made three more versions after that!’
The shortcut was designed by Diego Jimenez, who works in product design for Instagram
Jimenez’s hack gives phone users time to locate the phone or remotely lock the device using Find My iPhone.
Jimenez’s hack went viral on Twitter, with more than eight million views, and other experts contributed ideas on how to make the Shortcut better.
Jimenez said on Twitter, ‘Version four fixes all reported issues and is faster. We re-arranged some steps and removed the ability to take a picture since it was causing errors and slowing everything down. Give it a try!’
You can access the Shortcut via this link.
To enable it, click the link, go to the Shortcuts app and enable Airplane Mode Lock v4 (you’ll need the latest iOS 16.5 and the updated Shortcuts app).
To make the Shortcut run when Airplane mode is switched on, go to Shortcuts and select Automation at the bottom.
Thieves might use Airplane Mode to disable ‘Find My iPhone’ (Apple)
From the list of events that now appears, select Airplane Mode, then on the next screen, select ‘Is Turned On.’
Then hit Next, type Run Shortcut in the box, tap Shortcut, and select Airplane Mode Lock V4.
It should run whenever Airplane Mode is switched on.
If your phone is stolen, log into your Apple account via the Find My page on iCloud here.
You can erase your device from that page or put it in Lost Mode, which protects your personal information.
You can also force the machine to make a sound.
It works whenever Airplane Mode is enabled
Jimenez also advises users to turn off Control Center access without Face ID or a passcode, which means that it’s more difficult for thieves to put your phone in Airplane Mode if the handset is stolen.
To do this, launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and select Face ID (or Touch ID) and Passcode.
In the menu, disable the switch next to the Control Center.
Jimenez admits that the Shortcut offers no protection if a phone is switched off but points out that Find My still works on the latest models even if a phone is switched off.
Switching off the phone also means that criminals cannot access apps such as banking and email.
What to do if you lose your phone and it’s unlocked and you can’t use Find My iPhone or Find My Device
There are still things you can do to protect your data
If you HAVE lost your phone and you’re not sure if the criminals could have bypassed your screen lock, then you need to take several basic steps, said Jordan Schroeder, managing CISO at Barrier Networks, speaking to DailyMail.com.
That involves contacting your bank and your cellphone provider rapidly, he says.
Schroeder said, ‘If your phone cannot be recovered, whether you have remotely erased it or not, your next step is to contact your cellphone provider to let them know and they will walk you through their process to either protect the phone, recover it, or protect you from fraudulent mobile charges.
‘They might also have a process for contacting the police, if necessary.
Contacting banks can also help to ensure criminals are not able to get into banking apps to steal money or clone identities.
Schroeder said, ‘If you are not certain that someone else has not been able to get into your phone, then you need to start the process of changing all your passwords and change what device is used to get multi-factor authentication.
‘Start with your most critical accounts first: usually your bank and primary email accounts.’
