IPhone security

Your phone can be put in and out of airplane mode without knowing the pass code. Swipe up on the lock screen and airplane is an option.

You can also set up contact info in the Health app that will show up when someone accesses the Emergency call screen. You can set it up in the Health app in the Medical ID tab. Anyone can then access it by swiping right on the lock screen and hitting "emergency" and then "medical id"

You have to decide how important it is for someone to be able to reach you or your designated emergency contact vs privacy.

Try not to lose it? Seriously, if "find your phone" is your only concern then don't worry about it. Chances are you won't be able to find it even with the "find function" turned on (and no the police aren't going to be that worked up to go chase down your phone when you tell them Apple says it's in XYZ)

I am required to have a passcode on my phone and that's probably better security (if you pick a good one) then any app to help you find the phone.

I use Verizon's Travelpass. It costs $10/day in Europe, so it is not cheap, but it allows me to use my phone just like I do here in the United States.

If you want to use FaceTime without using Verizon's TravelPass plans, I suggest that you only do so after first connecting your iPhone to the wifi in your hotel.

Verizon's other data roaming plan is quite limited and will quickly run out if you make a FaceTime call over cellular data instead of over wifi. Verizon will charge you an additional $25 each time you go over the 100mb cap.

I lost my iPhone on the circumvesuviana. I was not sure if it fell out of my pocket or if someone helped it fall out of my pocket. Find my iPhone offered no help. It was also two days before I flew home and was an old hand me down from my daughter when she upgraded. Two months later my daughter received an email from US consulate in Naples telling her that that someone found my phone and turned it into the police. They checked the registry to find it was my daughters originally. They turned it into the consulate. Would a US police dept do that? I doubt it.

You could always stick a label on it saying if found please email ________

And yes - I have had US police depts help find the owners of lost phones. Not everyone in America is an uncaring, self serving, too lazy/busy, ll-mannered jerk.

I think both a label and setting up the "Medical ID" are good options, in addition to "Find My iPhone."

Last year I arrived back at my hotel room in Hallstatt, and about 20 minutes later realized that my phone wasn't with me. We were able to use Google Device Manager (essentially the same thing as Find my iPhone, but for Android), and quickly traced it to the same bench that we were last sitting at before going back to the hotel.

Lo and behold, there it was when we ran outside to grab it! Of course, this only worked because we had cellular coverage in Austria, but these device finders can be helpful if you lose your phone. For stolen devices? Not so much for the reasons stated above.

I don't put my iPhone in airplane mode when we are in Europe. I just turn off cellular data. I'm not sure if Find My Phone works with data off or not, though. I can make and receive calls, send and receive texts and pick up WiFi.