How To: Set Up A Free Find My iPhone Account

With this mornings announcement of iOS 4.2, Apple also made their Find My iPhone free to all current generation iDevices.

Find My iPhone is designed to assist users with locating lost iOS devices using GPS. The feature is now available for free to all users of the iPad, iPhone 4, and fourth-generation iPod touch.

Previously, access to this feature required a $109/year subscription which among Find My iPhone, also gave users other syncing related services.

To set up your free Find My iPhone account, follow the steps below:

1.) Update your iPhone 4 or fourth-generation iPod touch to iOS 4.2 later today.

2.) Tap on Settings > Mail, Contacts Calendars and then Tap on “Add Account”.

3.) Tap on MobileMe and input your existing Apple ID (iTunes Store ID) or MobileMe member name. If you don’t have one, you can create one using the Create Apple ID option.

4.) Verify your account via email.

5.) Go back to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > MobileMe and toggle on “Find my iPhone”. Then tap “Allow”.

After set up, users can make use of the feature on Me.com or download the free Find My iPhone app from the App Store.

For All Other iDevices

If you don’t have an iPhone 4, iPad or fourth-generation iPod touch, you may still be able to get Find My iPhone for free as long as you know someone with the latest iDevice.

According to Apple, if you create your free Find My iPhone account on a new iPhone 4, iPad, or fourth-generation iPod touch, you will be able to use that account on other iOS 4.2 devices.

Create a free Find My iPhone account on any iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod touch (4th generation) running iOS 4.2. Once you create an account on a qualifying device, use your Apple ID and password to enable Find My iPhone on your other devices running iOS 4.2.

In other words, who ever you know that owns the latest iDevice, just get them to log in Find My iPhone on your device and voilà!