They say the world is delicate, and for a fact it is! With the gradual increase in theft rate worldwide, you want to be careful in whatever you do, wherever you go, and act smart, especially when the need arises. Most unfortunately, one cannot always be 100% careful. Sometimes there is a lack. That lack could result in many unwanted situations, among which is losing your precious iPhone, or other Apple devices to thieves or pickpockets.
Interestingly, you can keep your information safe by remotely erasing the data stored on your iPhone if you ever happen to lose it. But then, not only iPhones can get stolen. You could also lose your iPad or Mac. Read through this article to find out how to remotely erase your iPhone, iPad, or Mac if you find yourself in such a painful situation.
“Find My” iPhone, iPad, Mac
Over the years, as evolution gave rise to advancements in technology, one of the most powerful features added to iOS and macOS was “Find My”. This feature is an iCloud-connected service that lets you track an accidentally misplaced gadget and potentially recover it if stolen.
With this feature active on your device, you can use “Find My” for iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, or via iCloud.com to remotely erase your phone, tablet, or computer. It also allows you to queue an erasure signal for when next the device is on the internet.
How To Remotely Erase A Device
Apple incorporation has tweaked the process of remotely erasing a lost device slightly for its native apps. However, iCloud.com has virtually remained untouched for years
On your device, (iOS, iPadOS, or macOS) launch the “Find My” app. Next, tap the “Devices” tab after which you select your hardware. This will also display the devices of your family members if you have Family Sharing turned on. When using an iPhone, or iPad, tap “Erase This Device” and adhere to the following prompts. While on a Mac, you have to right-click the device and select the “Erase This Device” option.
To remotely erase a device with iCloud.com, you must make sure to log in to your account, after which you click the “Find iPhone” link. You may be required/promoted to enter your iCloud password again. Enter the password and click the “All Devices” menu then select your hardware.
Remotely Erase Mac
If your mack gets misplaced or stolen and you wish to erase it, follow the above procedures till you get to the “Erase Mac” interface, then follow prompts to successfully erase your Mac. When erasing a Mac you may get a text which reads “may take up to a day to complete” but that could be the worst case, and it mostly happens with a hard-drive-equipped Mac that has no T2 nor M1 chip, and no FileVault enabled.
And that is it. The process is not as complicated as you think. Wherever your device is, as long as it is connected to the internet through any means (cellular, Wi-Fi, tethering, modem, name it) the device’s erasure process begins immediately after the signal relayed via Apple’s servers is received.
You may wonder what happens if the device is not connected to any internet. If the device remains unconnected to any internet, Apple queues the erase command to wait (ready to erase) until the device ever gets back on the internet, and then it erases itself.
Unfortunately, there is a clause to using the erase feature: once the erase process of your device begins and data wipes, you won’t be able to find your device’s location via “Find My.”
Conditions For Using “Find My”
Situations come and could make you lose access to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The most prevalent of such cases is theft or burglary. These situations leave one with an uneasy feeling, most especially about one’s data stored on the device slipping into the wrong hands.
However, in some cases, you can sell or give out your iOS or Mac to someone and forget to erase all of your information stored on it. With this remote wipe feature, you can remotely wipe all of your personal information and data from the device without needing to access it physically.
You can erase an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with the Find My app, and for the process to be possible, certain conditions are required to be met, including:
- Ensure that you have a functional iCloud account on the device you want to erase.
- The “Find My iPhone” feature should be enabled on the same device.
- To check if it is enabled, open the Settings app, look at the top, and tap on your iCloud account name, after which you tap on “Find My” and you’ll see whether it is enabled or not. If it’s not, make sure to enable it.
- For additional safety, you can activate the “Enable Offline Finding” feature as well as “Send Last Location.”
- To remotely erase a device, it must be connected to the internet at the time of sending the request. Nevertheless, the erase request will be queued pending the next time the device comes online.
- Lastly, ensure the iCloud account that you are signed in to is the same as the device you are using the “Find My” app.
Conclusion
One of the coolest features introduced by Apple is the “Find My” iPhone app, which to be honest is a handy way to locate your lost or stolen iOS or Mac devices. Apart from helping you remotely erase your device, the ”Find My” app also features the “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Friends” apps with which you can locate your phone and friends and family. It helps you share your precise location with your friends and family, as well as the location shared by others.
