People use technology to find missing objects, alert emergency services or save someone’s life. One example is an Apple Watch that detected a tumor in a 67-year-old woman from Maine.
In another, the iPhone’s emergency SOS function helped a snowboarder contact emergency services after falling into a hidden crevasse at around 10,000 feet above sea level. But probably the most significant boon to Apple’s location-tracking technology is saving a baby’s life.
Read on for an amazing tale of how Apple technology was able to locate a stolen vehicle with a baby inside.
Here’s the backstory
Apple devices like iPhones and AirPods let you track them in real-time if you misplaced them or they get stolen. But this story blows all others away. AirPods were used in Philadelphia to help reunite a stolen child with its mother.
Criminals swiped the victim’s Nissan Rogue from a driveway without realizing a child was in the back seat. Understandably panicked, the mother contacted authorities to find the automobile. With only a few leads, the mother remembered that her Apple AirPods were still in the vehicle.
Armed with technology and Apple’s Find My feature, local law enforcement tracked the vehicle’s precise location through the AirPods. Luckily, the child was unharmed and still inside the vehicle. The Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating the case, and no further details are available.
What you can do about it
You can locate a lost Apple device in several ways, and all use the Find My app. But, again, we must stress that no other app can do this, and even Apple warns against other apps that claim they can.
Another option is to have trackers on important items like your phone, tablet, laptop or even inside your car. Tap or click here for our guide to Tile Trackers and Apple AirTags.
Here’s how to enable Lost Mode for your Apple devices:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
- Go to the Devices tab, and choose the device you want to find.
- Scroll down to Mark as Lost, and select Activate.
- Follow the onscreen steps if you want your contact information to display for your missing AirPods or chosen device.
Google has a similar function for Android phones, called Find My Device. You can find, lock or erase your phone, and Google automatically turns on Find My Device when you add a Google Account.
To find your lost Android device, follow the steps below:
- Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.
- The lost phone gets a notification, and you’ll get info about where the phone is on the next screen.
- You have a few options, such as locking and erasing the device or playing a sound if you are nearby.
Keep reading
iPhone 14, AirPods Pro, Apple Watch 8 pre-orders open – Are they worth it?
The best way to clean AirPods, Galaxy Buds and other wireless earbuds