Before you freak out, hear me out: smartphones need to know more about us.
I know. Some users don’t like their phones tracking locations and accessing private information.
But it’s a necessary evil. Here’s why: when you lose that smartphone, you’ll wish you told it everything.
Think about it. When you plunk down hundreds of dollars for the state-of-the-art gadget, you’re investing in a personal assistant. It becomes a part of you whether you realize it or not.
And when you lose it, like I have, it’s a tragedy. You call operators and agents demanding they find it.
If you’re smart, you’ll download the “Find My iPhone” app and avoid the whole mess. The application may be the most important in my repertoire.
I used my laptop, which uses the iOS mobile operating system, to find my iPhone and protect my data.
Simply install this free app on both the phone and another iOS device, open it, and sign in with your Apple ID. When you lose it, "Find My iPhone" will help you locate your missing device on a map. You can then choose to display a message or play a sound, remotely lock your device, or erase your data on it.
Sure, this means you’re allowing an application to track the phone. But it’s not uncommon.
After all, so many social media apps track you already. With Facebook, every post is accompanied by a location. Heck, with Foursquare, users actually “check-in” so friends know where they’re hanging.
Many apps ask to use your “current location” when you open them for the first time. And some people are sour on it.
But it also makes your device more personal. The phone uses locations for maps to make directions less-complicated, uses personal information to suggest area restaurants and local flower stores to order your girlfriend a gift for Valentine's Day.
Reader Bill Sloan emailed me asking for an opinion. He hates the access to information and wanted to know if the iPhone wasn’t as nosy as other devices.
I told Sloan about a recent controversy. In 2010, Apple was criticized when rumors spread about devices storing general locations on PCs when the phone is connected.
Apple said they use this information to build cell towers and Wi-Fi access points.
But it shouldn’t be thought of as a negative, whether it’s for cell towers or lost phones, the access to our lives is a backup system. It also is meant to make the experience more convenient.
Trust me. When you lose that expensive iPhone, you’ll be kicking yourself you didn’t confide in the phone more. Not that it doesn’t know enough about you already.