is "mobile me" guaranteed to work?

Richard M · ‎02-21-2010

Suppose someone lost his phone or it got stolen. As soon as he gets home he goes online, logs in to his mobile me account and sees a list of all the places the phone has been at earlier that day. With the help of local law enforcement authorities it probably would not be hard to question the residents until the thief or finder of the phone appears. But what if that person removes the sim, restores the phone to factory settings, or simply turns it off before he gets home? Unless that's not the way mobile me works it seems that in that case mobile me would be useless. Does apple or AT&T offer discounted replacements or something similar if the phone is not recovered?

Message Edited by Richard M on 02-22-2010 01:14:41 PM

Elwood61 · ‎06-30-2009

dont waste your money

mobile me can be defeated by a thief simply by turning off the iphone and removing the sim card

if apple would use IMEI tracking or blacklisting then it might be worth subscribing to mobile me...but its worthless for finding a stolen phone unless the thief is a dummy that uses the phone and doesnt switch to a new account.

Message Edited by Elwood61 on 02-22-2010 04:12:31 PM

Message Edited by Elwood61 on 02-22-2010 04:15:44 PM

Message Edited by Elwood61 on 02-22-2010 04:16:01 PM

Message Edited by Elwood61 on 02-22-2010 04:16:41 PM

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

There is no service that is guaranteed and all the available soltions can be circumvented if the person knows what they are doing.

Removing the SIM and restoring the device or just leaving it turned off will prevent you from tracking it. It all comes down to how smart is the person that took or found it. Most theifs are not smart.

Neither ATT or Apple provide any type of discounts on replacements on unrecovered devices. You would have to purchase third party insurance for that (neither ATT or Apple provide insurance).

Safeware is one company that will insure the iPhone:

http://www.safeware.com/Products/MobileAdvantage.aspx

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

Elwood61 wrote:
dont waste your money
mobile me can be defeated by a thief simply by turning off the iphone and removing the sim card
if apple would use IMEI tracking or blacklisting then it might be worth subscribing to mobile me...but its worthless for finding a stolen phone unless the thief is a dummy that uses the phone and doesnt switch to a new account.

If all your getting MobileMe for is the tracking I would agree, however there are many advantages to the MobileMe service if you are going to utilize the services and not just the tracking.

Docs44 · ‎07-09-2008

I don't think they do because it's not guaranteed to work. I have Mobile Me and I don't have the "find my iPhone" option turned on. I'd be interested to see if it has really helped anyone. I tried it when I first got Mobile Me, I tried it and the sound it made when it was on vibrate was almost impossible to hear unless you were right next to it. I just tried it again and it was much louder. Not sure if that changed or not. I didn't realize that they could also send a remote passcode lock as well. So if you do lose it, you can remotely lock it so no one can use it. Then you can also remotely wipe it clean. But if someone finds it and knows about Mobileme, they can put it on airplane mode and turn off wireless and you are screwed. Then they can restore it themselves. I don't use a passcode lock because that's a pain to have to enter that in everytime you use the phone.

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

Docs44 wrote:
I don't think they do because it's not guaranteed to work. I have Mobile Me and I don't have the "find my iPhone" option turned on. I'd be interested to see if it has really helped anyone. I tried it when I first got Mobile Me, I tried it and the sound it made when it was on vibrate was almost impossible to hear unless you were right next to it. I just tried it again and it was much louder. Not sure if that changed or not. I didn't realize that they could also send a remote passcode lock as well. So if you do lose it, you can remotely lock it so no one can use it. Then you can also remotely wipe it clean. But if someone finds it and knows about Mobileme, they can put it on airplane mode and turn off wireless and you are screwed. Then they can restore it themselves. I don't use a passcode lock because that's a pain to have to enter that in everytime you use the phone.

There are several new articles of it working for people and even posts here and on ATT forums where they have recovered their iPhone using the service. But its not guranteed or foolproof.

The sound notification and message that your reffering to has nothing to do with the tracking other that being on the same screen in the MobileMe service. Its nice if you misplace the phone you can send the message and if someone finds it you can have a message giving your contact info with a reward to help entice its return if an honest person finds it. I like to play around with it on occasion sending messages like Happy B-Day or Anniversary to my mom and brother. It hard for them to ignore. Or you can simply try to scare the person telling them your tracking it even though you might not be. I actually did that to my sons iPhone when someone took it from his ROTC classroom while they were at an event. I got a call from a girl statingshe found it under some bleachers. It turned out she took it from the classroom and paniced when I send the message stating I was tracking the phone and to call me for its return.

I leave the passcode on mine all the time for the simple fact I don't want anyone to have access to my messages, several email accounts, images etc etc. If they remove the SIM and you can't send the remote lock it really doesn't help. I have mine set to wipe after 10 failed attempts. Yes they can wipe it which is fine but at least they won't have access to the contents which is a bigger loss to me than the device itself. Yes you have to enter the code each time but its not that bad. It takes no more than 2-3 seconds of your time. I have mine set to ask for the code after 5 minutes of non use si its not always asking me when the screen goes blank.

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

And don't listen to anything this user says. He serves as the consistently negatively anti-AT&T/anti-Apple voice {uncalled for remark removed}.

As other posters have commented, MobileMe and other similar tracking services don't provide any guarantees. There's no way to be sure that you'll be able to track a phone that's stolen, unless you know it's happening in near-real time and the thief isn't smart enough to disable the phone to prevent it being tracked. And no, there are no discounted upgrades if the phone isn't recovered. AT&T doesn't offer insurance on the iPhone. If you want to make sure you'll get something back in the event of a loss or theft, contact your homeowner's or renter's insurance provider for a rider on electronic devices.

Elwood61 wrote:
dont waste your money
mobile me can be defeated by a thief simply by turning off the iphone and removing the sim card
if apple would use IMEI tracking or blacklisting then it might be worth subscribing to mobile me...but its worthless for finding a stolen phone unless the thief is a dummy that uses the phone and doesnt switch to a new account.

Message Edited by Helmsman on 02-22-2010 05:20:01 PM

Richard M · ‎02-21-2010

does mobile me constantly update a list of all the places the phone has been at or does that happen only after the owner calls a phone number or logs in to their website and reports the phone lost or stolen?

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

You track the iPhone using MobileMe by logging into the MobileMe website only.

No it does not constantly update. It only updates when you first start the Find My iPhone or when you click the Update Location button. It does not provide a trail of how its been moving.

If you click this link it has a screen shot I took showing what the service looks like when logged in and what the options are.

http://files.me.com/doyle.chambers/hnoqat

Elwood61 · ‎06-30-2009

if it wasnt for the COMPLAINERS....nothing would be changed for the BETTER....nuff said!

BrianfromNO wrote:
And don't listen to anything this user says. He serves as the consistently negatively anti-AT&T/anti-Apple voice {uncalled for remark removed}.

As other posters have commented, MobileMe and other similar tracking services don't provide any guarantees. There's no way to be sure that you'll be able to track a phone that's stolen, unless you know it's happening in near-real time and the thief isn't smart enough to disable the phone to prevent it being tracked. And no, there are no discounted upgrades if the phone isn't recovered. AT&T doesn't offer insurance on the iPhone. If you want to make sure you'll get something back in the event of a loss or theft, contact your homeowner's or renter's insurance provider for a rider on electronic devices.

Elwood61 wrote:
dont waste your money
mobile me can be defeated by a thief simply by turning off the iphone and removing the sim card
if apple would use IMEI tracking or blacklisting then it might be worth subscribing to mobile me...but its worthless for finding a stolen phone unless the thief is a dummy that uses the phone and doesnt switch to a new account.

Message Edited by Helmsman on 02-22-2010 05:20:01 PM

Starfall · ‎12-14-2007

I have MobileMe and it's more than just a tracking service for your iPhone - it's got lots of goodies from free 10GB online backup (iDisk) to iChat.

Elwood61 · ‎06-30-2009

and also not EVERYTHING i say is negative about apple and at&t.....the remote wipe feature of the mobile me program is a good thing...but once you do a remote wipe of your phone your data will be safe from prying eyes, but once again you lose the ability to remotely track your iphone...so its a win/lose situation at best.

Docs44 · ‎07-09-2008

How do you use Mobile me to send them a message, are you all on the same Mobile Me account?

Planet-Ed wrote:
I like to play around with it on occasion sending messages like Happy B-Day or Anniversary to my mom and brother. It hard for them to ignore.

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

Docs44 wrote:
How do you use Mobile me to send them a message, are you all on the same Mobile Me account?

I have the MobileMe Family Pack .. So I can have up to 5 accounts .. I set it up for everyone in my family so I just happen to know the password for each members account. They never changed it as it allows to log in and help them if needed. So I'm logging in under their account and sending it to their phone.

AboutToGoPostal · ‎08-16-2005

Its a fact readily verified that other carriers can and to track and block IMEIs. In Australia, all carriers do so; it's mandated by the government. (Hello, FCC! Asleep at the wheel?)

If AT&T did so, the street value of an iPhone would plummet.

Instead of just griping, I wrote to the FCC and asked them to consider mandating that carriers in America do the same thing.

Elwood61 wrote:

if it wasnt for the COMPLAINERS....nothing would be changed for the BETTER....nuff said!

BrianfromNO wrote:
And don't listen to anything this user says. He serves as the consistently negatively anti-AT&T/anti-Apple voice {uncalled for remark removed}.

As other posters have commented, MobileMe and other similar tracking services don't provide any guarantees. There's no way to be sure that you'll be able to track a phone that's stolen, unless you know it's happening in near-real time and the thief isn't smart enough to disable the phone to prevent it being tracked. And no, there are no discounted upgrades if the phone isn't recovered. AT&T doesn't offer insurance on the iPhone. If you want to make sure you'll get something back in the event of a loss or theft, contact your homeowner's or renter's insurance provider for a rider on electronic devices.

Elwood61 wrote:
dont waste your money
mobile me can be defeated by a thief simply by turning off the iphone and removing the sim card
if apple would use IMEI tracking or blacklisting then it might be worth subscribing to mobile me...but its worthless for finding a stolen phone unless the thief is a dummy that uses the phone and doesnt switch to a new account.

Message Edited by Helmsman on 02-22-2010 05:20:01 PM

Message Edited by AboutToGoPostal on 03-04-2010 01:16:06 PM

AboutToGoPostal · ‎08-16-2005

Elwood61 wrote:
and also not EVERYTHING i say is negative about apple and at&t.....the remote wipe feature of the mobile me program is a good thing...but once you do a remote wipe of your phone your data will be safe from prying eyes, but once again you lose the ability to remotely track your iphone...so its a win/lose situation at best.

Wow, that sounds like a bug to me. Head over to http://bugreport.apple.com/

Message Edited by AboutToGoPostal on 03-04-2010 01:17:47 PM

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

No carriers in the US do this. PERIOD.

AboutToGoPostal wrote:
Its a fact readily verified that other carriers can and to track and block IMEIs. In Australia, all carriers do so; it's mandated by the government. (Hello, FCC! Asleep at the wheel?)
If AT&T did so, the street value of an iPhone would plummet.

Instead of just griping, I wrote to the FCC and asked them to consider mandating that carriers in America do the same thing.

Message Edited by AboutToGoPostal on 03-04-2010 01:16:06 PM

AboutToGoPostal · ‎08-16-2005

You don't know that. "PERIOD."
BrianfromNO wrote:
No carriers in the US do this. PERIOD.

DimentoGraven · ‎03-25-2008

BrianfromNO wrote:
No carriers in the US do this. PERIOD.

AboutToGoPostal wrote:
Its a fact readily verified that other carriers can and to track and block IMEIs. In Australia, all carriers do so; it's mandated by the government. (Hello, FCC! Asleep at the wheel?)
If AT&T did so, the street value of an iPhone would plummet.

Instead of just griping, I wrote to the FCC and asked them to consider mandating that carriers in America do the same thing.
Message Edited by AboutToGoPostal on 03-04-2010 01:16:06 PM

You know for a fact that cell NO cellular company in the US tracks or blackslists via IMEI, AT ALL, is that what you're saying?

You KNOW this for a fact? Are you sure? Think carefully before you answer...

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

You do realize this thread was over 2 months old when you waded into it. Neither of the major GSM carriers offer any kind of IMEI blocking. End of story.

AboutToGoPostal wrote:

You don't know that. "PERIOD."
BrianfromNO wrote:
No carriers in the US do this. PERIOD.

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

Neither T-Mobile USA nor AT&T, the two major GSM carriers in this country, blacklists IMEIs. I don't care about Goober & Gomer Wireless in Yoknapatawpa County.

DimentoGraven wrote:
BrianfromNO wrote:
No carriers in the US do this. PERIOD.

AboutToGoPostal wrote:
Its a fact readily verified that other carriers can and to track and block IMEIs. In Australia, all carriers do so; it's mandated by the government. (Hello, FCC! Asleep at the wheel?)
If AT&T did so, the street value of an iPhone would plummet.

Instead of just griping, I wrote to the FCC and asked them to consider mandating that carriers in America do the same thing.
Message Edited by AboutToGoPostal on 03-04-2010 01:16:06 PM
You know for a fact that cell NO cellular company in the US tracks or blackslists via IMEI, AT ALL, is that what you're saying?

You KNOW this for a fact? Are you sure? Think carefully before you answer...

Irish Rose · ‎11-30-2008

BrianfromNO wrote:
Neither T-Mobile USA nor AT&T, the two major GSM carriers in this country, blacklists IMEIs. I don't care about Goober & Gomer Wireless in Yoknapatawpa County.

I agree with you, Brian, that neither AT&T nor T-Mobile will block customers IMEI numbers. As far as I know, CDMA carriers are the only ones who will block stolen or lost handsets ESN's for their customers. But the GSM carriers here in the US do not block IMEI numbers, even if the handsets have been reported as lost/stolen.

DimentoGraven · ‎03-25-2008

Well at least you sufficiently back peddaled to allow for the various minor carriers who do this to continue to exist.

Such grandiose and authoratative statements tend to blow up in one's face...

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

Show me a US GSM carrier who does blacklist phones.

DimentoGraven wrote:
Well at least you sufficiently back peddaled to allow for the various minor carriers who do this to continue to exist.

Such grandiose and authoratative statements tend to blow up in one's face...

DimentoGraven · ‎03-25-2008

BrianfromNO wrote:
I don't care about Goober & Gomer Wireless in Yoknapatawpa County.

What would be the point of that?

You've stated you don't care and you've previously stated in other threads that you think it would effectively be an unworkable nightmare of a problem for carriers without the help of the government.

If you care that much you research it.

I've already presented plenty of evidence that shows even the MAJOR United States carriers not only know how to do it, but are members of the organization that has setup the centralized IMEI database to facilitate it.

I'd rather you do the research this time, and find the publicized cases of the various US carriers that actually have used IMEI numbers for tracking and blocking purposes.

I was endlessly berated for my viewpoints on this even after doing the research and linking the evidence. It's someone else's turn this time.

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

Umm, to prove me wrong. I don't know of any GSM carrier in the US who has implemented an IMEI blacklist. Certainly the two major ones do not, and the CDMA carriers have different options available to them.

So, until you prove me wrong, I'm right.

DimentoGraven wrote:
BrianfromNO wrote:
I don't care about Goober & Gomer Wireless in Yoknapatawpa County.

What would be the point of that?

You've stated you don't care and you've previously stated in other threads that you think it would effectively be an unworkable nightmare of a problem for carriers without the help of the government.

If you care that much you research it.

I've already presented plenty of evidence that shows even the MAJOR United States carriers not only know how to do it, but are members of the organization that has setup the centralized IMEI database to facilitate it.

I'd rather you do the research this time, and find the publicized cases of the various US carriers that actually have used IMEI numbers for tracking and blocking purposes.

I was endlessly berated for my viewpoints on this even after doing the research and linking the evidence. It's someone else's turn this time.

DimentoGraven · ‎03-25-2008

BrianfromNO wrote:
Umm, to prove me wrong. I don't know of any GSM carrier in the US who has implemented an IMEI blacklist. Certainly the two major ones do not, and the CDMA carriers have different options available to them.

So, until you prove me wrong, I'm right.

You're no fan of the scientific method or standard models of proof, I see.

Therefore, I take the position that Saturn's core is made of gooey caramel. Until you proove me wrong, I'm right.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

DimentoGraven wrote:
BrianfromNO wrote:
Umm, to prove me wrong. I don't know of any GSM carrier in the US who has implemented an IMEI blacklist. Certainly the two major ones do not, and the CDMA carriers have different options available to them.

So, until you prove me wrong, I'm right.

You're no fan of the scientific method or standard models of proof, I see.

Therefore, I take the position that Saturn's core is made of gooey caramel. Until you proove me wrong, I'm right.

You could be right...unless someone has something to prove you that you are wrong, after it is all specualtion - aka a SWAG

AboutToGoPostal · ‎08-16-2005

Neither, huh?

nei ther |ˈnēðər; ˈnī-|

adjective & pronoun

not the one nor the other of two people or things; not either : [as adj. ] neither side of the brain is dominant over the other | [as pron. ] neither of us believes it.

Oh, I see. You added the qualifier - 'major'. Nice sleight of hand attempt. There are what, dozens of GSM providers in the US?

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

Do you really want to wade into this? The top 4 carriers have 260+ million customers, with T-Mobile being the smallest of the 4 with ~33 million subscribers. The rest of the Top 10 COMBINED have fewer subscribers than T-Mobile, and most of those are CDMA carriers. The next GSM carrier in the Top 10 is Cincinnati Bell, and I seriously doubt they've bothered to implement an IMEI blacklist for their 971 THOUSAND subscribers. Googling "Cincinnati Bell IMEI blacklist" turns up, as expected, nothing relevant. So until someone demonstrates to me a US GSM carrier that DOES employ an IMEI blacklist, I'll keep thinking I'm right.

AboutToGoPostal wrote:
Neither, huh?

nei ther |ˈnēðər; ˈnī-|
adjective & pronoun

not the one nor the other of two people or things; not either : [as adj. ] neither side of the brain is dominant over the other | [as pron. ] neither of us believes it.

Oh, I see. You added the qualifier - 'major'. Nice sleight of hand attempt. There are what, dozens of GSM providers in the US?