From Newsgroup: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

" Stolen iPhone? Set This Up Now " It Could Send You a Photo & Location When ItrCOs Plugged In

rLa rLa rLa

I wanted to share a clever iPhone setup that may give you some extra help if your phone is ever lost or stolen.

The idea is pretty simple:

If somebody eventually plugs your iPhone in to charge, a Shortcuts automation can try to:

* Turn Airplane Mode off
* Turn Cellular Data on
* Get the phonerCOs current location
* Take a photo with the front camera
* Save the photo
* Send you an email

So, in the right circumstances, plugging the phone into power could result in you receiving a photo along with the phonerCOs best available location.

IrCOve made a set of eight step-by-step graphics to go along with this post. TheyrCOre attached at the bottom and numbered Guide 1 through Guide 8.

One thing I want to make clear from the start:

This is extra protection. It is not a replacement for Find My, Lost Mode, Stolen Device Protection, or a good passcode.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 1 " What does this actually do?

The first graphic gives you the basic idea.

When the iPhone is connected to a charger, the automation can try to collect a few useful pieces of information and send them to you.

The four important parts are:

* The charging event starts the automation
* The front camera can try to take a photo
* The iPhone can get its best available location
* The information can be sent to an email address you can access elsewhere

Notice I said rCLtry.rCY

Nothing here should be considered guaranteed. The phone still needs to be able to run the automation and get back online before information can actually reach you.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 2 " Create the Charger automation

Open the Shortcuts app and go to:

Automation

Then create a new automation and choose:

Charger

Select:

Is Connected

Choose:

Run Immediately

If you see the option:

Allow Running When Locked

turn that on as well.

That last setting is particularly useful here because a missing or stolen iPhone will normally be locked.

The Charger trigger works when charging begins, including with a charging cable or wireless charging.

' Before you rely on it:

Run everything on your own phone first.

If iPhone asks for access to the Camera, Location, Photos, or Mail, make sure the automation has the permissions it needs.

It is much better to discover a permission problem while the phone is still sitting in your hand than after it has disappeared.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 3 " Turn Airplane Mode off

The first action to add is:

Set Airplane Mode ' Off

Why?

If Airplane Mode has been turned on, switching it off gives the iPhone a chance to reconnect.

This does not magically create a cellular signal. If the phone is somewhere with no service, there may still be no connection.

Optional tip:

You can add a short Wait action after this step to give the phone a moment before moving on.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 4 " Turn Cellular Data on

Next add:

Set Cellular Data ' On

This gives the iPhone a chance to use mobile data once it reconnects to the cellular network.

I would also consider adding a short Wait after this action.

A phone does not always reconnect to the cellular network the instant a setting changes, so giving it a few seconds may help before the automation tries to send anything.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 5 " Get the current location

Next add:

Get Current Location

If your iPhone gives you an accuracy option, choose the most accurate option available.

This gives the automation the phonerCOs best available location at that moment.

That wording is important.

The location should not be thought of as guaranteed to be perfectly exact. Accuracy can vary, particularly indoors, underground, inside large buildings, or anywhere the phone has difficulty determining its position.

' A useful extra step:

You can also add:

Get Maps URL

That gives you a link that can be placed in the email so you can tap it and open the location in Maps.

Also remember that simply getting the location does not automatically put it into your email.

When you create the email later, make sure you actually insert the Current Location or Maps URL into the message.

Shortcuts can pass information from one action to another using variables, which is how information such as the location can be inserted into another action.

https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-variables-apdd02c2780c/10.0/ios/27

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 6 " Take a front-camera photo

Now add:

Take Photo

Set:

Camera ' Front

and:

Show Camera Preview ' Off

Apple has specifically improved the reliability of the Take Photo action when Show Camera Preview is turned off.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/101583

Keep your expectations realistic here.

The photo might show the person who has the phone.

It might also show a ceiling, a table, the inside of a pocket, a car seat, or something else entirely.

Think of the picture as a possible extra clue rather than guaranteed identification of whoever has your iPhone.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 7 " Save the photo and send the email

The final part combines two jobs: keeping a copy of the picture and trying to send the information to you.

First add:

Save to Photo Album

Then add:

Send Email

Use an email address you can access from another phone, tablet, or computer.

A simple subject could be:

Possible location of my iPhone

Make sure the email includes:

* Your Current Location or Maps link
* The photo taken by the earlier Take Photo action

If the Send Email action gives you an option such as:

Show Compose Sheet

turn that off if you want the action to attempt to send without leaving an email draft waiting on the screen.

ryUN+A A note about saving the photo:

Saving a picture to the Photos app does not by itself guarantee that you have another copy safely stored online.

For the picture to reach iCloud Photos, iCloud Photos needs to be enabled and the phone needs to get online long enough to sync.

rLa rLa rLa

-N+A GUIDE 8 " What happens when itrCOs finished?

Once everything has been put together, connecting the iPhone to power can trigger the following sequence:

* Turn Airplane Mode off
* Turn Cellular Data on
* Get the current location
* Take a front-camera photo
* Save the photo
* Send you an email

Shortcuts normally works through actions sequentially from top to bottom, so the order of the actions matters.

https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-a-shortcut-from-the-app-apd5ba077760/10.0/ios/27

That is the complete setup shown in the graphics below.

rLa rLa rLa

Efo- PLEASE test it before you rely on it

This is probably the most important advice in the entire post.

Once you have finished setting everything up:

1. Lock your iPhone.
2. Unplug it if it is already charging.
3. Wait a few seconds.
4. Plug it back in.
5. Leave the phone alone while the automation runs.
6. Check the email account you entered.

I would test it more than once.

If something does not work, check:

* Did iPhone ask for a permission that was denied?
* Is the Charger automation enabled?
* Is it allowed to run automatically?
* Is Allow Running When Locked enabled if you have that option?
* Did you actually insert the Current Location or Maps URL into the email?
* Is the photo being passed into the Send Email action?
* Is Show Compose Sheet turned off if that option appears?
* Did you give the phone enough time to reconnect to the network?

Apple notes that actions requiring private information can ask for permission, which is another good reason to run and test everything ahead of time.

https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-a-shortcut-from-the-app-apd5ba077760/10.0/ios/27

rLa rLa rLa

" DonrCOt forget the protections already built into your iPhone

I would not treat this automation as your main protection against a lost or stolen phone.

Make sure you are also using:

* Find My
* Lost Mode
* A strong passcode
* Stolen Device Protection

This automation is simply another tool in the toolbox.

If a missing phone eventually gets plugged in, it might provide a useful additional clue that you otherwise would not have had.

rLa rLa rLa

" Follow the graphics below in order

IrCOve attached all eight graphics below.

They are numbered:

Guide 1 ' Guide 8

Start with Guide 1 and work your way through them in order. They match the steps described above.

One last reminder:

Set it up now, test it while you still have the phone, and think of it as extra protection rather than a replacement for ApplerCOs normal security features.

Hopefully yourCOll never need it " but itrCOs a useful little safeguard to have ready ahead of time. '


View the attachments for this post at: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=711239319#711239319
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