How to Locate a Lost iPhone Even When It’s Off

The guide emphasizes that “Find My” and the “Find My network” are two distinct features. While Find My is the app used to locate devices, the Find My network is a crowdsourced Bluetooth system that must be enabled separately to locate an iPhone when it is offline, in Power Reserve mode, or turned off. To check, users should go to Settings > [their name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and make sure both Find My iPhone and Find My network sliders are on.

Other recommended settings include “Send Last Location,” which automatically sends the iPhone’s location to Apple when the battery becomes critically low, as well as Location Services and Bluetooth. For the Find My network to work, the iPhone must have communicated its location to Apple within the previous seven days. Users can verify that the setup is correct by pressing and holding the power button; if everything is enabled, the text “iPhone Findable After Power Off” will appear under the power-off slider.

For lost devices that are still powered on but in silent mode, Find My can force the phone to play a sound, but the feature requires battery power. If the device is stolen, the guide advises disabling Control Center from the lock screen to prevent thieves from switching on Airplane Mode. They can still power down the phone, but that keeps it connected to the network longer. Siri can remain enabled, as unlocking the iPhone is required for sensitive actions such as enabling Airplane Mode.

The length of time an off iPhone remains findable varies. According to Engadget, an iPhone 11 or later with an ultra-wideband chip, excluding the iPhone SE and “e” models, running iOS 15 or later can be tracked when off. If the phone was manually turned off with battery remaining, it stays findable for about 24 hours. When the battery reaches zero, compatible phones running iOS 15.2 or later enter Power Reserve mode, a low-power state lasting about five hours that keeps key Wallet items usable and broadcasts a low-power Bluetooth signal to nearby Apple devices. After that, the last known location appears in Find My for up to seven days. If more than seven days pass, the app will show “no location found.”

Users who cannot retrieve the device can remotely mark it as lost through the Find My app or website. Lost Mode displays a message if someone tries to power the phone on, and with Stolen Device Protection enabled, Face ID or Touch ID is required to turn it off. A custom message with contact details can also be displayed. The only time Find My should be turned off, the guide notes, is when selling, trading in, or giving away the iPhone.

Editor's Summary

The Engadget guide explains that iPhones can be located for up to 24 hours after being switched off if the Find My network is enabled, and compatible models running iOS 15.2 can broadcast for about five additional hours in Power Reserve mode. Without proper settings, offline devices may only show a last known location for seven days. Users should enable Find My network and related options in advance, and disable Control Center from the lock screen to slow down thieves.