Apple’s Find My iPad saves Christmas for one California family

Apple’s iPad and its Find My iPad service saved Christmas for one Californian family this year, who had their home burgled and all their gifts – and more – stolen less than a week before the big day.

Soon after burgling the Californian family, the thief stole an iPad from a man who used Apple’s Find My iPad service to track the missing device. After reporting the theft and passing on the thief’s location, the police were able to find the culprit, the stolen iPad, and all the gifts he stole from the family. TUAW reports:

“According to the police report, the family had already purchased replacement presents, but that didn’t make them any less happy to hear that the original gifts had been found. The iPad was also returned to its owner, making for a happy ending for everybody.”

The thief is now in jail on a $20,000 bond, according to the report, and is likely to face trial for the theft. If it wasn’t for him stealing that iPad, however, he may not have been caught.

This story is a testament to the importance of setting up the Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod service on your iOS devices. If you haven’t already set it up, you can enable the service quickly and easily by opening up the Settings app on your device, tapping Location Services, and then turning it on. If you then find that your device is missing, you can login to iCloud.com and enter your Apple ID to track it.