Apps for iOS are more limited. We recommend that you install the app on all of your iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. After installing the app, you can use your Apple ID to sign in to Me.com, which will open to a map showing your iOS device's approximate location, as well as options for displaying a message on the lost hardware, remotely locking it, or remotely wiping it. Find My iPhone does require , but operation is straightforward once you have it working.
The only drawback to Find My iPhone is that it's easy to disable, whereas several of the Android security suites we've mentioned will either request a password or hide the app. We're hoping that you followed our earlier advice and set up a PIN on your device to prevent people from getting into it and then uninstalling the security app.
Track your laptop: You can hunt down a lost laptop in much the same way that you track a missing smartphone. Consider investing in , a subscription service that makes it easier for both you and law enforcement to find your laptop. The service permits you to track the notebook's location (some plans track only IP addresses, while others track by using GPS), lock it so that nobody can access the data, remotely wipe the hard drive, and perform other tasks. LoJack requires a piece of software that you install on your computer; versions are available for Windows and Mac. Plans start at $40 per year.
If you prefer tracking your laptop yourself, try out , which installs a small piece of software on your computer that lets you track the system's location via an online control panel. You can also capture screenshots of your laptop if it goes missing (to gather information about a thief), take a photo using the built-in webcam, sound an alarm (useful if you misplace your laptop nearby), remotely lock the computer, and more. The Prey software runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android; installation is fairly straightforward.
The free version of Prey allows you to monitor up to three devices (computers or Android-based phones), and the various "Pro" account options range in price from $5 for a personal account to $400 for a large business.