is this the right place to ask this question?

[gkamer]

I have a question about using the "Find My iPhone" app. Is this right righ place to ask the question?

[Max69 ACE - Wizard]

Depends on the question, but this is a good place to start.

[gkamer]

Ok.... In that case.... I've been playing around with the "Find my Iphone" app that I downloaded. I have tracked my phone while my wife drove around town with it and remotely locked it. I like to take new apps for a good test drive. Anyway, I was thinking of trying  a remote wipe of the phone. I have synced it today (which I'm thinking is the same as backing it up) but I was wondering if I remote wipe the phone, will I be able to restore it back to the way it is right now? I mean including all my contacts, music, photos, network settings, etc.... or are there some things I'm destined to lose?

Thanks for any input you guys can offer. I like the idea of being able to fry my data in the event my phone falls into the wrong hands if you know what I mean.

[Max69 ACE - Wizard]

Syncing may or may not be backing the phone up, depending on your settings in iTunes. Connect the phone to iTunes, click on the phone under Devices on the left and check the backup status.

Everything should be restored. If you were to exchange the phone because of a defect, apple would have you back it up and restore it to the new phone.

This article will show you everything that gets backed up.

[gkamer]

Ok..... I'm gonna bite the bullet and try it. I'll report back shortly.

[Irish Rose ACE - Guru]

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gkamer wrote:

Ok..... I'm gonna bite the bullet and try it. I'll report back shortly.

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You'll be fine as long as it is backed up as mentioned above. I had to wipe a 3GS before when I lost it but thought it was stolen. When I finally found it again I just connected it to iTunes and got all of my stuff back on the 3GS again.

[gkamer]

As they say in old British murder mysteries, "The deed is done".... Got a little scared when things did not appear to me working. There was some stuff on the screen that I never remembered seeing their before asking my for my lanuage, country and stuff. I started to answer all that stuff then remembered to plug it into my computer so iTunes would start.

A message poped up asking if I wanted to use my iPhone back up and I said yes. Well long story short, except for the only 2 videos I had on the phone, everything else appears to have installed back just the way it was. I was lucky I made backup's of the 2 videos on an external drive, so I told iTunes I would locate them myself, which I did and then iTunes put them back on my phone.

So now I know for certain what happens when I select Wipe Phone from the Find My iPhone app.

I've always maintained the most dangerous six worded question in the world is "I wonder what would happen if...."

The most dangerous 6 worded aswer is "Only one way to find out"

Now I found out

Thanks all

[sandblaster]

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Irish Rose wrote:

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gkamer wrote:

Ok..... I'm gonna bite the bullet and try it. I'll report back shortly.

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You'll be fine as long as it is backed up as mentioned above. I had to wipe a 3GS before when I lost it but thought it was stolen. When I finally found it again I just connected it to iTunes and got all of my stuff back on the 3GS again.

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Just an FYI, restoring from a backup on iCloud pretty much works the same way the big difference being any content synched from your pc (music, video) does not get restored until you sync. Also, apps are not immediately restored but download from itunes after the restore completes. The nice thing about restoring from iCloud is you don't have to be near your pc.

[Irish Rose ACE - Guru]

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sandblaster wrote:

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Irish Rose wrote:

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gkamer wrote:

Ok..... I'm gonna bite the bullet and try it. I'll report back shortly.

---

You'll be fine as long as it is backed up as mentioned above. I had to wipe a 3GS before when I lost it but thought it was stolen. When I finally found it again I just connected it to iTunes and got all of my stuff back on the 3GS again.

---

Just an FYI, restoring from a backup on iCloud pretty much works the same way the big difference being any content synched from your pc (music, video) does not get restored until you sync. Also, apps are not immediately restored but download from itunes after the restore completes. The nice thing about restoring from iCloud is you don't have to be near your pc.

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I don't care for iCloud and therefore don't use it. I'm fine with using iTunes.

[gwnorth]

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gkamer wrote:

Ok.... In that case.... I've been playing around with the "Find my Iphone" app that I downloaded. I have tracked my phone while my wife drove around town with it and remotely locked it. I like to take new apps for a good test drive. Anyway, I was thinking of trying  a remote wipe of the phone. I have synced it today (which I'm thinking is the same as backing it up) but I was wondering if I remote wipe the phone, will I be able to restore it back to the way it is right now? I mean including all my contacts, music, photos, network settings, etc.... or are there some things I'm destined to lose?

Thanks for any input you guys can offer. I like the idea of being able to fry my data in the event my phone falls into the wrong hands if you know what I mean.

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IMO, find my iphone is an interesting and sometimes useful feature, but it should NOT be considered a security feature.  Any remote tracking software that depends on settings stored on the phone and on a live data connection is just too easily defeated to be counted on for security (turn the phone off, restore it as new in iTunes, dump it in a metal foil bag, - any such means of disconnecting the data connection or wiping the tracking account settings easily defeats the service).

If you are really concerned about the security of the information on the phone, then use a passcode, set it to lock immediately and use a minimum default time out.  Also set it to wipe the phone after ten failed attempts.  That is really the ONLY true security feature on an iPhone or any smart phone.

According to the FBI, one of the most prized sources for illegally gathered personal information these days is lost or stolen smart phones - number one reason, is that most criminals know the majority of such phones are not secured at all and they can readily access anything and everything on them.  If you value your data and information, don't rely on fun little items like remote tracking software and services - lock the thing up (like you would do with any data you value).