Does Find My iPhone Work When Phone Is Off?

What Is Find My?

The Find My feature is a tool that helps users locate any Apple device, including a stolen or lost iPhone or iPad. It connects the device’s built-in GPS capability to Apple’s iCloud service, allowing you to see where your device is on a map.

Once you set up the Find My app on your Apple device, it will track its location in real-time. It can also be set to send you notifications when the device is moved.

You can access Find My iPhone by visiting www.icloud.com/find on a computer and entering your Apple ID and password. Or you can access it using a different Apple device.

Fig 1: The Find My iPhone app interface.

Does Find My iPhone Work When My Phone Battery Is Dead?

Unfortunately, no. Find My iPhone will not be able to track the location of your phone if it’s completely dead.

Once the device’s battery charge level runs out, the device cannot transmit its location over the network.

But don’t panic—iPhones send their last known location to Apple automatically when the battery is critically low.

This last location can be seen on the Find My app. This will, at least, give you some indication of where you may have lost your phone.

Here’s how to find your iPhone using this feature:

1. Open the Find My app on a device or in a web browser.
2. Select Devices or All Devices.
3. Choose your iPhone.
4. Your iPhone’s location will appear on the map.
5. Tap directions and Apple Maps will explain how to get to your iPhone.
6. Go find your iPhone!

Fig 2. Locating an iPhone using Find My.

If your missing iPhone still has battery, a green dot will appear on the map, and you should still be able to track it.

However, it will appear with a gray dot on the map if the battery is dead. The location shown is its last known position. The process above only works if you:

• Use iOS 15 or later
• Have enabled Find My iPhone
• Have activated the Last Location setting

Here’s how to enable the Last Location setting:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name.
3. Choose Find My.
4. Tap Find My iPhone.
5. Toggle Send Last Location on.

Fig 3: Activating Send Last Location on an iPhone.

Activate Lost Mode

If you’ve lost your iPhone and it has a dead battery, then you may want to put it into Lost Mode.

Lost Mode is a security feature designed to protect your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or Mac if it’s lost or stolen.

When enabled, it remotely locks your device with a passcode as soon as it is charged again. It also displays a customizable message on the screen with your contact information.

This helps prevent unauthorized access to your personal data and increases the chances of recovering your device.

Here’s what Lost Mode does:

• Locks your device: Requires a passcode to unlock it, even if it was previously unlocked.
• Displays a message: Shows a custom message on the lock screen with your contact information, so the person who finds it can easily reach you.
• Tracks location (if applicable): If Find My is enabled, you can track the device’s location on a map.
• Disables Apple Pay: Suspends Apple Pay on the device to prevent unauthorized transactions.

How to enable Lost Mode

1. Open the Find My app on another Apple device or visit www.icloud.com/find on a computer.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Select the lost device.
4. Choose Mark As Lost or Lost Mode and follow the instructions.

Fig 4: Activating Lost Mode for an iPhone.

Erase your Device

If you are worried about your data being stolen, then you can even use Find My iPhone to erase all data on the device remotely including credit and debit cards in your Apple Wallet.

To erase your Apple device using Find My, follow these steps:

1. Access Find My either by opening the app on another Apple device or by visiting www.icloud.com/find on a computer and signing in with your Apple ID.
2. Choose your iPhone from the list of devices.
3. Scroll down and tap or click on Erase This Device.
4. You’ll be asked to confirm your decision. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted.
5. Tap or click Erase to start the process.

Fig 5: Erasing a lost iPhone in the Find My app.

Does Find My Work When an iPhone Is Off But Still Has Battery?

Yes, Find My will work on an iPhone that is turned off, as long as it still has battery power and you have the Find My Network setting switched on.

Luckily, if your iPhone has been moved after it’s been switched off, you will still be able to see its current location using the Find My iPhone feature.

This feature, available for iPhone 11 or newer, relies on Bluetooth to periodically share your iPhone’s location with nearby Apple devices.

To activate Find My network, open the Settings app, tap your name, select Find My, then Find My iPhone, and ensure the Find My network option is toggled on.

Upon powering down your iPhone, you’ll receive a notification confirming this feature’s activation with the message “iPhone Findable After Power Off.”

Other Ways to Find Your Dead iPhone

There are also some logical steps you can take to try and locate your device. These include:

• Retracing your steps. This might sound obvious, but it’s surprising how many people panic and forget to do this.
• If you can’t find your iPhone and think it has been stolen, contact the police and file a report immediately.
• Check with family members, friends or co-workers who may have picked up your phone by mistake.
• Post messages on local social media groups asking if anyone has found your iPhone.

Tips for Keeping Your iPhone Safe—Even with a Dead Battery

• Switch on Find My iPhone, Find My Network and Send Last Location. This will make it much easier to locate your iPhone should you ever lose it.
• Download the latest version of iOS. This ensures you have the most up-to-date Find My tools and security.
• Use a strong passcode for your screen lock. This will stop anyone who finds or steals your iPhone from using it.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your Apple ID. This means anyone who wants to log into your Apple ID needs to know your email address and password, and have one of your devices.
• Turn on separation alerts. Newer iPhones have a setting that makes a noise if you leave your iPhone behind. This helps you avoid losing it in the first place.

Protect Your iPhone with Certo AntiSpy

In this article, we’ve explained how to locate your lost or stolen iPhone or other Apple devices even if it has a dead battery.

However, your iPhone falling into the wrong hands isn’t the only way that your personal information can be stolen.

Cybercriminals are more likely to use spyware or other malicious software to steal your data. This enables them to pose as you online, giving them access to your social media, bank accounts, and more.

That’s why you should use Certo AntiSpy. It won’t stop your iPhone from being stolen but it will protect your data from cybercriminals.

Fig 6. Running a spyware scan on iPhone with Certo AntiSpy.