You're describing "Find My iPhone". I was mugged for my iPhone twice in NYC. The thieves turned the phone off relatively quickly and reset it, which rendered Fi

You're describing "Find My iPhone". I was mugged for my iPhone twice in NYC. The thieves turned the phone off relatively quickly and reset it, which rendered Find My iPhone useless at the time. It was tied to the Apple ID rather than the device (not sure if that's since changed). As of iOS 7, you can actually remotely render the phone unusable. I've heard NYPD is now handing out flyers advising people to update their iOS devices to iOS 7[1] so they can take advantage of this feature. While most crime in NYC has declined, smartphone robberies are -- as in Oakland -- majorly up y/y. [1]https://twitter.com/Hoffm/status/381564392602480640/photo/1 https://twitter.com/Hoffm/status/381564392602480640/photo/1