Last summer, Decatur experienced a rash of smartphone thefts around the city. It was hardly alone. In cities across the country, 2013 seemed to be the year of smartphone theft.
But now, a new crime figures from cities around the county suggests that the installation of “kill switches” on iPhones has decreased their likelihood of theft. The New York Times reports that in addition to Apple’s “kill switch” called “Activation Lock“, which was introduced last September, both Google and Microsoft announced Thursday that they would introduce similar functionality to all phones using their operating systems in the near future.
Good news indeed.
In the interim, if anyone knows of preventative measures for smartphone owners with Google and Microsoft operating systems while they wait for “kill switch” functionality to be integrated, please comment below.
And you have an iPhone, here’s a quick review of how to shutdown your iPhone via Apple…
If you ever misplace your device—whether it’s just lost or you think it may have been stolen—you should put it into Lost Mode immediately using Find My iPhone.
Lost Mode locks your screen with a four-digit passcode and lets you display a custom message with your phone number to help you get it back. You can also remotely erase your device if needed, and your custom message will continue to display even after the device is erased.
While Activation Lock works in the background to make it more difficult for someone to use or sell your missing device, Lost Mode clearly indicates to anyone who finds your device that it still belongs to you and can’t be reactivated without your password.
To put a device into Lost Mode, sign in to icloud.com/find from a Mac or PC or use the Find My iPhone iOS app.
For more information, read what to do if your device is lost or stolen.
Photo courtesy of Janitors via Flickr
Question for Iphone users: will this feature work even if the crooks turn off the phone? I know that’s an issue with some of the Android apps that are supposed to shut down the device if reported stolen.
No, it will not work until the phone is powered on. Same for location tracking. But a phone that cannot be turned on is essentially worthless. Prior to “Activation Lock” a phone was still worth a lot of money, even if the IMEI was carrier locked, because it would be shipped overseas and sold; or used as a non-carrier connected device (iPod). Can’t even do that with Activation Lock: you need the owner’s Apple ID.
I can’t believe that nobody has already pointed out that you don’t need a “kill switch” if you’ve got a “kill gun” to use on the robbers before they get your phone!
I prefer the bomb phone, perfected by the Israelis.
I’ve got Lookout Mobile on my Android phone. It’s got a bunch of features. It will locate your phone and wipe it clean if you choose (like, if it’s stolen). It will also take a picture of anyone who tries to type in the access code incorrectly a few times, and email me the picture. I know there are other apps that have similar functionality.
I would like a stink bomb app that could be activated remotely if phone were stolen, and maybe a bright pink paintball explosion, too.
Prey Anti Theft also seems like a good option. I have it installed but, thankfully, have never had to use it.
https://preyproject.com/
Google’s Android Device Manager already does much of this (remote sound, remote lock, remote erase). I don’t know what versions it supports (we use it on our KitKat devices). I do look forward to the addition of the Activation Lock feature.
I know several Android users who don’t know that Google has this feature.