"Missing" I touch-"Founder" turned off locate app!!

[disney5]

I am disgusted that a student could actually consciously find an I touch in school and take it!
My 13yr old realized his fell out of his pocket at the end of the school day.
When he got home we did the Locate app on the icloud...presuming it would show the school. It showed a location on a residential street. We sent a message to it with our phone#. Before we could go to the satellite picture to get a more accurate location the "new owner" disabled the locate app!!

This was a replacement Itouch that he bought with his own money.
I called Apple to see if they could restore the app but they said no.

I guess an expensive lesson in life!!

 

[mickeymaker2003]

I guess before leaving the house, we'll have to password protect the iPods... If they don't know the password to get it to work, they won't be able to disable the locate app either (at least not quickly).

It's too bad they don't have the option to password protect the locate app so thieves can't just turn the app off.

Call apple and report it stolen. They might be able to block the serial number from being used on iTunes.

 

[stczt]

Both of my boys got iPhone for Christmas. The junior traded phones wih his girlfriend and someone picked her pocket. They txted her and said it was in the office hoping I guess we wouldn't worry about all weekend. We looked for it and saw it wasn't on campus so dh locked it. They unlocked it and called and texted jamica. So we disabled the sim card. They also texted and bragged to dh how easy it was to steal and to tell the girl thanks. We went to the bus stop where we located the phone and we saw a girl get off the bus that is in the class it went missing. Now if the school officer will do anything. We have done everything for him all he has to do is talk to the girl.

 

[girli565]

I password protect all my i products. That's the easiest way to make sure the locate app can't be disabled.

 

[smitch425]

I am disgusted that a student could actually consciously find an I touch in school and take it!
My 13yr old realized his fell out of his pocket at the end of the school day.
When he got home we did the Locate app on the icloud...presuming it would show the school. It showed a location on a residential street. We sent a message to it with our phone#. Before we could go to the satellite picture to get a more accurate location the "new owner" disabled the locate app!!

This was a replacement Itouch that he bought with his own money.
I called Apple to see if they could restore the app but they said no.

I guess an expensive lesson in life!!

So sorry this happened to your DS. This just serves as a reminder that kids have no business taking anything of value to school. Too easy to lose or get stolen, and too much money to replace. An expensive lesson indeed!

 

[disney5]

An expensive lesson indeed...and it was his own $$!
Unfortunately his password was 1234 so they figured it out!!
I agree..these items should not be brought to school. He had an away game after school and wanted it for the bus ride to pass the time.
So not happening with my other kids..NO ITouches going to school!

 

[SandrA9810]

Kids have been stealing in school for ages. It's no different from a deck of Pokemon cards 10 years ago to an Ipod/Itouch or anything of great value today. I mean, most kids in my school wouldn't dream of bringing their gameboys to school, just under the fear that the teacher would take it away till the end of the year.

I don't see how it's so surprising that they loose stuff or kids steal stuff. Heck, I can't even remember how many house keys I went through as a kid.

 

[rszdtrvl]

:Standing on Soapbox:

It really ticks me off that people feel entitled to whatever they want, by any means necessary.

Stealing is one of the lowest things people can do. If it is not yours - DON'T TOUCH IT!

A person should be able to bring an ipod, itouch, laptop, etc. somewhere without fear of someone stealing it.

:Leaving Soapbox:

(And no, nothing of mine or my child's was stolen recently - the entire stealing thing really frustrates me.... )

 

[LovinPooh]

As a mom who just bought her kid a much wanted Ipod, I am sooo sorry! That is terrible! Breaks my heart.
I absolutely refuse to let DD take it to school. It stays home. I am looking into this tracking app now though!!

 

[arthuruscg]

With Android you can go to the we App Market from a PC and force an install programs.
Can you do that with IOS? If so you might be able to track the Itouch.

 

[HM]

It doesn't end when they get older either. My son is a freshman in college this year. He's had an expensive school book stolen and a significant part of his laundry taken from the dryer. We had to pay a lot of money to replace these things for him because they were necessary. (and really...these things were in "his home" so shouldn't have been easy targets).

I feel your pain, OP.

 

[pixiewings71]

:Standing on Soapbox:

It really ticks me off that people feel entitled to whatever they want, by any means necessary.

Stealing is one of the lowest things people can do. If it is not yours - DON'T TOUCH IT!

A person should be able to bring an ipod, itouch, laptop, etc. somewhere without fear of someone stealing it.

:Leaving Soapbox:

(And no, nothing of mine or my child's was stolen recently - the entire stealing thing really frustrates me.... )

Wish there was a like button......

I teach my kids to respect other people's stuff, stealing is the worst form of disrespect. Sorry OP! I hope you can do something to deactivate it so the thief can't use it!

 

[beaucoup]

I too password protect any device that has that option. Especially any device that leaves the house. Phones & laptop especially.

All our iDevices have a wallpaper photo that contains our name, email & home phone #. You see it behind the screen asking for the password.

So even if you can't get pass the password, if you are an honest person, you can still see the contact info. If you aren't, oh well.

Even our cameras have a photo on them of an index card with contact info.

I'm really careful about guarding my possessions. I strap my pocketbook with the shopping cart child safety strap too. lol

 

[caribear]

My 9 year old keeps asking to bring her iPod Touch to school. Every morning I tell her no. She then tells me that all her friends bring them to school. Told her I do not care what her friends do, but she is not taking her iPod Touch to school. Sometimes you just have to be the mean mom.

Hope you son is able to get his iPod back!

 

[Friendofpluto]

My sister's teenage son lost her iPad. The finder- a young college student sent her a message on her FB acct listing her name and telling her where to pick it
up. There are some honest people.

 

[tink fan]

What is the locate app?

How do you get it--only on icloud??

 

[book_junkie]

I'm sure there are others, but with all my stuff (Android phone and tablet and iPod touch) I have Lookout. https://www.mylookout.com/ It's free, and it requires one email to sync up everything. If you want to pay you can add in features like remote wipe out and remote lock, but I don't know if that's available for the Apple products- I do know it's available on Android. It also scans all apps for viruses as they are downloaded.

 

[HsvTeacher]

I too password protect any device that has that option. Especially any device that leaves the house. Phones & laptop especially.

All our iDevices have a wallpaper photo that contains our name, email & home phone #. You see it behind the screen asking for the password.

So even if you can't get pass the password, if you are an honest person, you can still see the contact info. If you aren't, oh well.

Even our cameras have a photo on them of an index card with contact info.
I'm really careful about guarding my possessions. I strap my pocketbook with the shopping cart child safety strap too. lol

I just wanted to say that this is an excellent idea! I've found several SD cards, but unfortunately, there was no way to get them back to the owners. I think I might just have to leave a picture like that on each one of my cards.

 

[Catira]

I just wanted to say that this is an excellent idea! I've found several SD cards, but unfortunately, there was no way to get them back to the owners. I think I might just have to leave a picture like that on each one of my cards.

That is indeed a very good idea. I will me adding my info on my camera

 

[JB2K]

What is the locate app?

How do you get it--only on icloud??

"Locate" is not an "app", per se -- it is actually a function called "Find my iPhone" and is built-into the latest firmware running all Apple iOS devices (Pad, Phone, Touch) which is accessible through iCloud.

And to answer a question, it also includes "disable" and "wipe" functions at no extra cost.

If your iOS device does not have this function, you may need to update your firmware...