You Can Lock Your IPhone From Apple Watch If Someone Rips Your Phone Out
It is quite difficult to hack a locked iPhone without knowing the passcode . But what if your iPhone is stolen while you’re using it? You can make a few changes to keep your iOS data safe from thieves , but most of these tricks won’t work if your phone is already unlocked. But if you have an Apple Watch, you can set up automation to help you lock your iPhone as soon as you lose it.
Of course, while this automation is helpful, it won’t get your stolen iPhone back. You should treat this as a last resort to save your data. It works by setting up Focus on your iPhone and activating it manually from your Apple Watch before your phone goes out of Bluetooth range. Automation is based on activation before the thieves get too far away from you. It takes a few taps on the watch to activate, but once you do, it will work reliably every time. You should definitely test it several times before relying on it at the moment.
First, you need to create Focus on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Focus and click the + button in the top right corner. Create a custom focus called Lock Screen . Then open the Shortcuts app, go to the Automation tab and click on Create Personal Automation .
Now scroll down and tap on Lock Screen , then On Power On , then tap on Next . On the next page, select Add Action and use the search bar to find and add the following actions:
- Lock screen
- Airplane Mode (Set this option to turn off Airplane Mode )
- Install mobile data (on)
- Set Bluetooth (on)
- Set Wi-Fi (on)
- Set Low Power Mode (On)
- Show notification (add a custom message like “This is a stolen iPhone. Please contact [email protected] to return it to its owner.”)
Click “Next” , turn off the “Ask before launch” option and click “Finish” .
You can add or remove some of these actions as you see fit. We’ve chosen these steps to ensure that your iPhone automatically connects to the Internet, known Wi-Fi networks, and stays on as long as possible.
How to quickly lock iPhone with Apple Watch if your phone is stolen
To start this automation, open the Control Center on your Apple Watch by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (in watchOS 9 and earlier) or by pressing the side button in watchOS 10. Tap the crescent moon icon and select Screen Lock , then tap Next page. This will immediately trigger the automation and lock your iPhone. Your custom notification will also appear on the screen.
From now on, the thief will have to find a way to bypass Apple’s anti-theft features like Find My and Activation Lock. It will be much more difficult for them to sell the device or erase it and use it for themselves.