How Apple manages to find an iPhone offline
Apple’s Find My app lets you find iPhones and other branded devices even without an internet connection, through its own network. However, this feature is not supported by all versions of iOS. See, below, which iPhones can be located offline, and how Apple is able to track the devices.
By activating the Find My iPhone app, you can track the device’s location using a map. Devices, from iPhone 11, with iOS 13 or later added to the Find My app network can also be located via Bluetooth, in the absence of an internet connection.
For this, a system called “crowdsourcing location” is used, where the device in the user’s possession sends a signal to nearby Apple devices until the last known position of the lost or subtracted gadget, even if they do not belong to the user.
Also, if your device has a very low battery level, the device’s location is automatically sent to Apple. According to the company, the signal is end-to-end encrypted and completely anonymized in order to protect the privacy of all devices and users involved.
Can other Apple devices be found by Search?
Yes, Find My can track, in addition to iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac, even offline. On these other devices, the app is compatible with iPadOS 13, macOS Catalina or higher installed.
AirPods, Apple Watch or other compatible Beat products that are paired with iPhone will be set up automatically when you turn on Find My iPhone. For these devices, Find My must also be enabled so that they can be found when they are turned off or disconnected.
AirTags and third-party products that are compatible and registered with the Apple ID can also be found through Find My starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and macOS Big Sur 11.1. The latest model of the leather wallet with MagSafe for iPhone has an NFC chip that makes it possible to use the Find My app to locate it, activate the lost mode and send a notification if it gets loose from the device.
Can I track a turned-off iPhone?
Starting with iOS 15, the app’s network can track an iPhone that’s turned off for up to 24 hours, or up to five hours if it’s in power-saving mode. However, you also need to have an iPhone 11 or higher models.
My Find My app is not activated, now what?
If the Find My app is turned off, unfortunately, you won’t be able to use the feature to find it. However, it is important to follow some safety precautions.
Is it possible to track an iPhone from an Android device?
Yes, it is possible to locate an iPhone on Android using both Apple’s Search feature and Google Maps.
