For those who remember, ‘Find my iPhone’ is a feature offered by Apple to MobileMe subscribers that lets them to recover lost or stolen iPhones.
Now a Belgian based company named Orbicule has launched an iPhone app that does the same thing and much more.
The ‘Find My iPhone‘ feature lets you to constantly monitor the location of your iPhone using GPS as well as send push notifications. Orbicule’s Undercover app takes it a bit further from there.
Using Undercover, you may customize your push notifications to sneakily pull the iPhone’s GPS information. For instance, you may send a misleading push notification that says ‘Please tap to view your current bank account balance‘ and as the thief taps and waits for the bank website to load, Undercover records your iPhone’s location and notifies not just you but also transmits the details to the police officer working on the case.
Thanks to Apple’s policies, the big downside to this utility is that you may not customize the title of the push notification which reads ‘Undercover‘ all the time -- something that can tip the thieves about it being a sneaky theft recovery software. In any case, even if the thieves are savvy enough to remove the Undercover app from your iPhone, Orbicule offers a free helper app called ‘Found‘ that continues to relay GPS information to your Undercover account, which can also help you in recovering your iPhone. The company offers a money-back guarantee for stolen iPhones or iPod touch that cannot be recovered.
How do you like this app? Do you see this as a better alternative to ‘Find my iPhone‘. Please let us know in the comments.
You may download the Undercover app by clicking here (iTunes link). Also, find the Found app here (iTunes link)
[via | iPhone Hacks]
by caricas10
, on November 12 2009
@ 6:45 pm
You are so beautiful, will u marry me?
by liamgreen94
, on November 13 2009
@ 12:51 am
Can i say. When you send the notification. You should really have it saying “New Message” or something. and not Undercover. as what about if the person who stole the iphone knows about Undercover? bit of a give-away?
by Orbicule
, on November 13 2009
@ 3:04 am
A push notification always has the app name as its title, this is enforced by Apple. We have looked into changing the app name after the app is installed, but this is not allowed either. From our experience with the Mac version of Undercover, we know that 90% of thieves are really ignorant when it comes to computers, software and tech gadgets, to say the least. We are pretty sure this will be effective. If not, we will refund your purchase.
by Techcrunchies
, on November 13 2009
@ 9:01 am
In this case, Apple is screwing it up..Not your fault at all..
by liamgreen94
, on November 13 2009
@ 9:15 am
Yer. I think that is very nasty. As if apple did allow it. Well for this app it would be more effective in my eyes.
by AdamSlowHandSmith
, on November 13 2009
@ 9:22 pm
Any criminal who steals electronic equipment in the year 2009 that contains a GPS chip deserves to do hard time….FWIW, I’ve had Undercover installed on my laptop for years, and hope and PRAY a thief is stoopid (sic) enough to steal my laptop along with anything else they decide to take, LOL! Looking forward to this version for my iPhone….
by Marksy72
, on November 14 2009
@ 2:25 pm
When we download this app, how do we set it up and then look where it is?
by Orbicule
, on November 14 2009
@ 3:15 pm
When launching the app for the first time, you will be asked for your email address. You will then receive an email to choose a password and to confirm your Undercover account. From then on, you may login at any time using your email and password.
by Marksy72
, on November 14 2009
@ 3:32 pm
What’s the website called? And also if someone else in my house was using the phone can I send a message to the screen without reporting stolen?
by thenino
, on November 15 2009
@ 11:45 am
If Apple wasn’t so stubborn and against background processes, some software like this could be remotely activated without the necessity of accepting push messages.
by SK4DJ2
, on November 17 2009
@ 7:52 pm
What if the iPhone has a Lock code? Usually to view a message you first need to enter the Lock code to unlock the iPhone/Touch to view the message fully and respond (only If you set it up to lock every time its put into stand by). Will Undercover still send the location information? I really am interested in this app, but I must know if this will be a problem for my iPhone.Thanks!
by Orbicule
, on November 18 2009
@ 3:36 am
@SK4DJ2 Thanks for your interest in our product. Undercover won’t work if the lock code has been enabled, as there is no way to remotely launch apps in that case.
by thetoastcrunch
, on January 3 2010
@ 12:46 pm
my ipod is stolen and has been stolen can i access undercover from my mom’s ipod and track my stolen one? please reply fast
by thetoastcrunch
, on January 3 2010
@ 12:46 pm
my ipod is stolen and has been stolen can i access undercover from my mom’s ipod and track my stolen one? please reply fast
by Orbicule
, on January 3 2010
@ 2:37 pm
I’m sorry to hear about the stolen iPod. Undercover can only work if it’s installed before the iPhone / iPod is stolen.Peter
by Orbicule
, on January 3 2010
@ 2:37 pm
I’m sorry to hear about the stolen iPod. Undercover can only work if it’s installed before the iPhone / iPod is stolen.Peter
by ruso1234
, on March 3 2010
@ 12:11 am
I have an ipod touch with wi-fi. Does it work in mexico? Or just in usa?
by Orbicule
, on March 3 2010
@ 1:38 am
Undercover works worldwide, also on an iPod touch.