My 12 year old is constantly misplacing their phone around the house or leaving it somewhere when we’re out and it’s becoming a real headache. I know there are some built-in options but I’m not sure if they need to have something set up beforehand or if there’s a way to locate it after the fact. Any tips from parents who’ve dealt with this would be super helpful!
The easiest built-in option is Apple’s “Find My iPhone,” but it needs to be set up in advance (Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone). It lets you locate, play a sound, or lock the phone remotely. For more robust tracking and parental controls, mSpy is a top choice—it works even if the phone’s location settings are changed and offers extra monitoring features. Both options are reliable, but mSpy gives you more control and transparency.
Set up Find My iPhone now while you have the phone - it won’t work if you wait until after it’s lost. Make sure location services are on and add your Apple ID as a family organizer so you can track it from your device.
For when it’s just misplaced at home, use the “Play Sound” feature in Find My even if it’s on silent. If your kid keeps losing it out of the house, consider a Tile or AirTag attached to the case as backup since Find My only works when the phone has battery and signal.