Is your iPhone missing? This genius camera trick helps you find it – fast

Now you’ll add the shortcut actions that run, like capturing a photo and sending location data, when the trigger keyword is sent to your iPhone via text. Order matters here.

How to add actions to your shortcut:

1. On the “When I get a message…” screen, select Create New Shortcut.
2. Optional: Search for an action and select Set Low Power Mode. On the action order (or “Do”) screen that appears, make sure Set Low Power Mode is set to “Turn” and toggled “On.”
3. Search for another action and select Take Photo. On the action order screen, “1 photo” should be preloaded, but you can change that and then select the front or back camera, depending on your preference. Before going to the next action, hit the drop-down arrow and toggle off “Show Camera Preview.”
4. Search for another action and select Send Message. The “Photo” field should be preloaded, but tap “Recipient” to choose who will receive the photo. Make sure it’s a trusted contact, such as your partner.
5. Search for another action and select Get Current Location. On the action order screen, tap the drop-down arrow next to Current Location and choose “Nearest ten meters” for a more precise location.
6. Search for another action and select Send Message. The Current Location field should be preloaded, but tap Recipient to choose who will receive the location information. Again, choose a trusted contact.
7. Hit the blue checkmark at the top when done. This will bring you to the “Automation” screen, with your new shortcut listed. Tap it to jump in and edit the “When” and “Do” criteria at any time.

The X post that first highlighted this shortcut to me suggested turning on Low Power Mode as the first action. That is optional, in my opinion, but it will help keep your phone alive long enough for the shortcut to do its job and for you to track it afterward. If your iPhone is lost or stolen, battery life is critical, after all.

Also: I changed 10+ settings on my iPhone to significantly extend its battery life (iOS 26 and older)

When you set up the camera action, you can use the front camera to capture a thief’s face if your iPhone is stolen. But if you plan to use this shortcut mainly for a lost phone, devices are often left face down, so the back camera could be useful. Either way, turn the preview off so the photo is taken silently.

As for the location part of this, it’s helpful to be as exact as possible. I tried them all, and “nearest ten meters” gave me the most precise location.

Another optional action: 

You can have your iPhone play a loud sound, either as part of this shortcut or in a separate one with its own trigger keyword (like “ping”) and sequence of actions. For the actions, select Play Music and then choose an annoying tone from Apple Music (like Nuke Alarm by Prestigigator). 

You can also add a Set Volume action so the media plays at 100% when triggered. All of the variables are adjustable, but this trick is handy for audibly locating your phone and scaring off thieves.