Wondering how to find a missing iPhone even when it’s offline or dead? This post will walk you through finding a lost iPhone even when it’s offline or turned off. Read on to learn how to find an iPhone when dead.
iPhone Find My App
One of the key features that every iPhone owner is advised to set up and enable, the first time they get a hold of such a hefty Apple smartphone is the Find My iPhone or Find My app.
For starters, the Find My iPhone and the new Find My app are Apple’s very own tracking systems designed for finding a lost Apple device like an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
With Find My app, you can view the location of your iPhone on a map using a different Apple device.
If you think you’ve misplaced it somewhere nearby, you can play a sound on it to help you find it faster.
The closest, if not the actual location of your iPhone will be sent for as long as the device is online. Otherwise, the location sent will be based on the last time the iPhone went online or connected to the Find My Network.
What is Find My Network?
Find My Network is another Apple feature that lets you trace your iPhone when it is dead (turned off), offline or in power reserve mode. With this feature, you would still be able to track down your iPhone even when it is not connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.
In order to utilize the Find My Network, your device must be compatible with the Find My app and running on iOS 15 or later including the updated iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 2022 (3rd generation) models.
Your device can be traced using the Find My app for up to 24 hours after it dies or went offline.
Different Ways to Find iPhone when Dead
Finding a missing iPhone with a dead battery can be carried out using the Find My app, Find My iPhone and iCloud.com through a web browser.
Finding iPhone with Find My app
Follow these steps to use the Find My app on another Apple device in finding your dead iPhone:
Step 1: To begin, you will need to secure another Apple device like an iPad, Mac or another iPhone owned by anyone in your Family Sharing Group.
Step 2: Once you’ve secured the device to use, launch the Find My app on it.
Step 3: Wait for the app to finish loading up the entire map with a list of all your other devices with the Find My app enabled.
Step 4: Find your lost iPhone from the list of devices and then select it.
The Find My app will then start searching and track your iPhone’s location.
Finding a missing iPhone with Find My iPhone
Aside from the Find My app, you can find your lost dead iPhone on a browser using the Find My iPhone app on iCloud.com.
This can be considered an alternative procedure if you don’t have any other Apple devices to use but only have a laptop or desktop computer.
To search for a missing iPhone with iCloud.com‘s Find My iPhone application, your computer must have a stable internet connection.
Then, follow these steps to start the search:
Step 1: On your computer, launch your preferred browser application then navigate to icloud.com. You will be routed straight to the iCloud sign in page.
Step 2: Enter your Apple ID and password that’s registered to iCloud. Be sure to input the correct email address and password that’s associated with your iCloud account.
Step 3: Click Allow on the message prompt, when asked to Allow your Apple ID sign in to a new device.
Step 4: Once you’ve accessed your iCloud account menu, find and then click Find iPhone.
Step 5: On the iCloud Find My iPhone screen, you will see the All Devices dropdown menu located on the top of the screen. Click on it then choose your missing iPhone from the list of devices.
Step 6: Wait for the map to refresh and load up the current location of your lost iPhone.
An indication that your lost iPhone is dead or turned off is if it shows on the map with a black screen. A red text in the sidebar also appears, letting you know when the Find My iPhone last known location was saved.
If it is online and turned on, the iPhone image shown on the map appears to be active with a colorful Home screen. An indicator of the iPhone’s current battery state will also be displayed in the sidebar.
If your iPhone is nearby, you can use the map to trace it. Otherwise, tap Directions on the bottom side menu to get Apple Maps directions towards the current location of your lost iPhone.
If your iPhone appears to be active, you can use the Find My iPhone Play Sound feature to help you locate it.
There is also a Lost Mode option that you can tap on whenever you find the need to remotely lock your missing iOS device. This will help protect your iPhone data from any unauthorized access and likewise assist you in tracking it.
Finding a Missing Dead iPhone using another iPhone
If you’ve got another iPhone or have a friend or family with one that supports Find My app, you can use it to find your missing iPhone using the app.
To find a missing iPhone using another iPhone with the Find My app, just follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the Find My app on the other iPhone.
Step 2: From the Find My app’s main screen, tap the Me tab.
Step 3: Scroll to find and then tap the option to Help A Friend.
Step 4: If prompted to sign into iCloud, enter your iCloud account credentials or log in using Touch ID or Face ID (if applicable).
There is also an option for you to Use a Different Apple ID in case you need to use your own Apple ID and password to carry out your missing iPhone search.
Be sure to enter the correct Apple ID and password to ensure successful login to your iCloud account. Just follow the onscreen instructions to finish the sign in process.
Step 5: After successfully logging in, you will be taken to the iCloud’s main screen with a map and a list of devices beneath. Select your iPhone from the list of devices that shows up at the bottom of the screen.
Step 6: Wait for the iCloud map to update and show the location of your missing iPhone.
Just find the circle around the area where your missing device is tracked and zoom in to get a clearer view of the area.
Haven’t Enabled Find My App yet?
As mentioned earlier, activating the Find My app is one of the very first things that you must do the moment you get a hold of a new iPhone. This is by far the only handy solution you’ve got whenever you accidentally misplace your Apple smartphone.
If you haven’t already, set up Find My iPhone on your iPhone with these outlined steps:
Step 1: Tap Settings from the Home screen or Apps Library to begin. Just look for the Gear icon and then tap on it.
Step 2: From the Settings menu, tap on your name. Doing so will take you to your iCloud account settings.
Step 3: To continue, tap Find My.
Step 4: On the succeeding menu, tap Find My iPhone and toggle the switch to turn the feature on.
Be sure to enable the Send Last Location switch so that your device will automatically send its last location to the Apple server when the battery is critically low.
Now that Find My is already set up on your device, you can use it anytime when your phone goes missing.
If you suspect that your iPhone was stolen and you couldn’t find it using the Find My iPhone or Find My app, better have it reported to local authorities.
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