How To Find A Lost iPhone That's Turned Off Or Offline (2024)

Summary

  • Apple's Find My network can be used to track a lost or stolen iPhone, even if it's been turned off or offline.
  • For this to work, Find My Network will need to be enabled on the iPhone before it's lost. The feature is only available on the iPhone 11 and later models.
  • If users can't locate the iPhone on the Find My map, they can activate Lost Mode to display their contact information on the lock screen if it's found and charged.

iPhone users can track their lost or stolen device using the Find My network, but there's also a way to find an iPhone if it's been switched off or offline. Apple's Find My network lets users locate other devices like iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, AirPods, AirTags and more. By using the Find My app or signing in to iCloud on a web browser, users can view the location of their device, play a sound to help find it, and even remotely erase it if it can't be recovered.

Apple took its Find My network a step further by enabling select iPhones to display their location even when turned off or offline. This is particularly useful when a person misplaces an iPhone that runs out of battery, or if their iPhone has been stolen and turned off or put in Airplane mode. It's worth noting that this feature can only be used if enabled on the iPhone before it's lost, since there's no way to locate an iPhone without Find My enabled.

Related: Can You Find Lost AirPods With A Dead Battery?

Find An iPhone If It's Turned Off

How To Find A Lost iPhone That's Turned Off Or Offline (1)

To set up Find My, open the Settings app on an iPhone and click on the user name at the top. Tap on 'Find My' and then 'Find My iPhone'. Enable the toggles next to 'Find My iPhone,' 'Find My Network,' and 'Send Last Location.' The Find My Network option is the feature that lets users locate their iPhone when it is switched off. Once these options are enabled, users will see a banner when switching off their iPhone that says 'iPhone Findable After Power Off'. The iPhone will then be visible in Find My on the user's other devices, as well as by those the user has chosen to share their location with through Family Sharing.

To locate an iPhone that's been switched off, open the Find My app on another Apple device, like a Mac, iPad or another iPhone. A map will appear displaying the location of the iPhone, and the user can then get turn by turn directions to the device. The ability to find offline iPhones is only available on models that support Ultra Wideband. These include the iPhone 11 and later models, but not the iPhone SE. It's important to note that users can only locate an iPhone for up to 24 hours after it is powered off, or for up to five hours when it's in power reserve mode.

Set Up Lost Mode On iPhone

How To Find A Lost iPhone That's Turned Off Or Offline (2)

If an iPhone can't be found on the Find My map, it's worth setting up Lost Mode which can help someone else contact the owner. To do this, open the Find My app on another Apple device (or sign in to iCloud in a browser) and select the iPhone in the 'Devices' tab. Scroll down to 'Mark As Lost' and tap 'Activate.' If the iPhone doesn't have a passcode enabled, there will be an option to create one. Users will then need to enter the contact information and message they want to display on the lock screen. Tap 'Activate' again to enable Lost Mode.

If the iPhone is offline, 'Pending' will appear next to it in the Devices tab on the Find My map. If someone else finds the iPhone and charges it, the custom message will be displayed on the screen when it turns on. When an iPhone is in Lost Mode, it will not display or sound any alerts for notifications or alarms. However, any calls or FaceTime calls can still be received. Once the iPhone comes back online, users will be able to see its location on the Find My app. However, Lost Mode will prevent the finder of the iPhone from accessing any information stored on the device.

Source: Apple

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SoC
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  • Tech
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How To Find A Lost iPhone That's Turned Off Or Offline (2024)

FAQs

How To Find A Lost iPhone That's Turned Off Or Offline? ›

The Find My network is an encrypted, anonymous network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that can help find your stuff, even when it's offline. Nearby devices securely send the location of your missing device to iCloud, so that you can find it in Find My.

How do I find the last location of my iPhone? ›

You can see your device's current or last known location in the Find My app. Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen, then tap the name of the device you want to locate. If the device can be located: It appears on the map so you can see where it is.

How do I Find My iPhone if I lost it and it's dead? ›

If you have Find My enabled on your lost iPhone, you may be able to see your phone's last known location in the Find My app even if your phone is powered down, offline, or dead. To get started, open the Find My app on another Apple device that's logged into the same Apple ID.

How do I find a lost iPhone without Finding My iPhone? ›

As long as the 'Location Services' for Google Maps is enabled, and you're signed in to the same Google account on your iPhone as the one you use for Google Maps, you should be able to see your timeline even if 'Find My iPhone' is off. Note: Google Maps Location Service is turned on by default on your iPhone.

Can my iPhone be found if it is turned off? ›

Summary. Apple's Find My network can be used to track a lost or stolen iPhone, even if it's been turned off or offline. For this to work, Find My Network will need to be enabled on the iPhone before it's lost. The feature is only available on the iPhone 11 and later models.

Can you find an iPhone that is offline? ›

The Find My network is an encrypted, anonymous network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that can help find your stuff, even when it's offline. Nearby devices securely send the location of your missing device to iCloud, so that you can find it in Find My.

How to track an iPhone if lost? ›

Find your lost Apple device or AirTag with Find My
  1. Open Find My.
  2. Choose Devices or Items.
  3. Select your lost device or item to find it on a map. If you belong to a Family Sharing group, you can also find your family members' devices or shared items. Choose Directions to open its location in Maps.
May 22, 2024

How to locate a lost cell phone that is turned off? ›

Then you can follow the below steps:
  1. Go to android.com/find on your web browser.
  2. Sign in with the Google account connected to the lost device.
  3. The device will be displayed at the top of the screen, pick the lost phone.
  4. Its last location will be displayed on the map.
May 30, 2024

How do I find someone else's lost iPhone? ›

You can use the Find My app to locate friends, Apple devices, AirTags, or third-party items. Find My is available on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple Watch, and Find Devices is available on iCloud.com. See What you can locate with Find My on each device.

How do I Find My iPhone if I lost it in my house and it's on silent? ›

If you lose your device and you think it is nearby, you can use Find Devices on iCloud.com to play a sound on it to help you find it. The sound plays even if the device is in silent mode or the volume is muted.

Is the iPhone really findable after power off? ›

The "iPhone Findable After Power Off" message often appears while shutting down your iPhone or even when charging your iPhone in an off state. This is a feature developed by Apple that allows you to locate your device even when it's offline, in power reserve mode, and after power off.

Does iPhone ping when turned off? ›

You can do all of that even if the device is currently turned off, and iCloud will dutifully wait for the device to connect to the internet and ping the iCloud service, whenever that happens to be.

How accurate is Find My iPhone when off? ›

While the Find My iPhone app excels at locating active devices, its accuracy dwindles when the phone is off. When your iPhone is powered down or in sleep mode, it can't connect to nearby cell towers, a Wi-Fi network, or GPS satellites, which are essential for precise location tracking.

How do I find exact location history on iPhone? ›

See iPhone Location History with Signification Locations
  1. Navigate to iPhone "Settings" and then "Privacy & Security."
  2. Press "Location Services."
  3. Scroll down to the bottom and tap on "System Services."
  4. Find "Significant Locations" and it will require your Face ID.

How do I Find My phone by last location? ›

On your device, open Settings. Find My Device. Turn Store recent location on. When “Store recent location” is on, your account stores your encrypted recent locations so you can find offline devices and accessories.

Can I track my phone's location history? ›

You can review and manage your Location History. You can: Review places you've been in Google Maps Timeline. Edit or delete your Location History anytime.

Why is Find My iPhone not updating location? ›

Sometimes, the Location Services may be turned off on your device. In this case, you will not be able to update real-time locations with others. You can solve this issue by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Ensure that you turn on Location Services on the iPhone.

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