In what could be a living nightmare for thieves who turn off an iPhone to stop it from being located, Apple has empowered Find My Network with the ability to track a lost iPhone even when it’s turned off, factory reset, or put in power reserve mode. So, how does this new iOS 15 feature work, and more importantly, how to find your lost iPhone even when it’s turned off or erased? That’s what we are going to discuss in this hands-on guide.
It would be better to dive a little deep into the details to figure out how this all-new Find My security feature works in iOS 15 and whether or not your iPhone can support it. Then, we will look at the steps to find your lost iPhone.
- How is Find My Network Able to Track an iPhone Even When It’s Turned off?
- iPhone Models That Support Find My When Turned Off
- Enable Find My iPhone and Find My Network from Settings
- Method 1: Use Find My App to Track Your Lost iPhone
- Method 2: Use Your Friend’s iPhone to Find Your Lost iPhone Even When It’s Turned Off/ Erased
- Method 3: Use iCloud to Find Your Lost iPhone Even When It’s Powered Off/ Factory Reset
How is Find My Network Able to Track an iPhone Even When It’s Turned off?
In order to remain findable, it seems the iPhone doesn’t get completely powered off. Instead, the device remains in a low-power state, allowing nearby iOS devices to have access to the Bluetooth signal and relay its location. That means you will be able to find the location of your iPhone even if it runs out of battery. Even better, location tracking will keep working even when the iPhone is reset to factory settings.
The alert makes it crystal clear that Apple has finally equipped Find My to fight against theft.
As is the case with most big-ticket features, the Find My tracking feature is supported only by select iPhone models. These include:
If you are wondering why older iPhones like iPhone Xs or iPhone SE 2 have been left out, it’s because the Find My tracking feature uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, which is a component of Apple’s U1 chip. Since only iPhone 11 and newer models (except the iPhone SE 2) are equipped with the U1 chip, the older iPhone models do not support the Find My tracking functionality.
Enable Find My iPhone and Find My Network from Settings
Now that you know how this security feature works, we should check out the steps to enable it. First, make sure Find My iPhone and Find My network is enabled on your iOS device before you go ahead with the search for your lost iPhone.
As always, use the Find My app to track your lost iPhone. The only major change is that you will now be able to track your iPhone even when it’s powered off or erased.
- Now, select the device whose location you want to see. Now, the Find My network will show you the current location of your device.
What if you don’t have another iPhone or MacBook to track the lost iPhone? Bother not, as you can also use your friend’s iPhone to locate your lost iOS device.
You can also use iCloud’s website to track your lost iPhone even if it has been powered off or doesn’t have enough battery backup. The process is simple, so follow the steps below:
- On the next page, you should find the current location of your lost iPhone.
