How to use find my iPhone even offline and why you should activate it

Losing, misplacing, or stealing an iPhone doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to your device. Apple has an app that lets you track your iPhone’s location on a map . And it does so even if your device is out of range, with Airplane Mode enabled and even turned off. The feature is so important that even the CNI recommends activating it.

Let’s see how to use mode to search for my iPhone even without a data or Wi-Fi connection . Before you begin, we recommend that your devices are updated to at least one version of iOS 13 or Catalina macOS.

What is the Search app and how to activate it

How to use find my iPhone even offline and why you should activate it
How to use find my iPhone even offline and why you should activate it

Search is an app that comes installed by default on all iPhone and iPad. It’s one of the few apps that can’t be removed from the system, so if you can’t find it, use the Spotlight search engine to do so. To do this, on the home screen, slide down with your finger and type “Search”, so you can open the app (you may have it saved in a folder).

Before you can start using it, you need to have this function activated . To do this, follow these steps:

  • On your device, open Settings and click on your iCloud tab at the top.
  • There you’ll see a menu called “Search”, next to the app icon. Click it.
  • At the top, tap “Find my iPhone.
  • Then turn on the “Search my iPhone” and “Find offline” options.

It is quite possible that you already have this function enabled, but it is worthwhile to make sure . From now on, you can search for your iPhone or iPad even if it doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or data connection.

How to use Search to find an iPhone or iPad

Although in this tutorial we refer to the iPhone and iPad, Search can also help you find any device that is associated with your Apple ID . Like an AirPod, a Mac or an Apple Watch. In this app you should be able to see all of them, with the distance between you and them, and be able to plot a route to find them.

If it’s too far away or doesn’t show up on the map, you can mark it as lost. With the Search app open, you can locate the lost device in this way:

  • In the “Me” tab, select from the list the device you want to find.
  • You will see a tab displaying some of your data, slide it up to show the rest of the options.
  • The “Mark as lost” option will appear, which we must activate.

Entering your phone number along with a message can help the finder locate you, but doing so is optional.

Follow the steps to lock your iPhone or iPad. You can choose whether you want to display a message for the person who finds it to contact you, although this is an optional step. Once you finish the process, the device blocks the use of Touch ID or Face ID, requiring the unlock code to use it again.

If you don’t have another device of your own or it’s not handy, you can ask an iPhone user to help you with their own Search app . You’ll need to enter your own iCloud credentials to access your device locations.

How it works Searching for devices without an Internet connection

In the past, if someone wanted to get hold of an iPhone that wasn’t theirs, all they had to do was turn it off. If the battery ran out, it was almost impossible to find it . Apple found a solution to this problem, making it possible to locate a lost iPhone, iPad, Mac or AirPod. And it does so in a way that protects privacy.

Search is a function that uses bluetooth data packets so small that they do not affect the battery and is done in an encrypted and private way

The idea of Apple’s system is to rely on the number of their devices in the audience, to create a “network” that helps in the location of a lost one. At the time, Apple detailed Wired to work like this:

This exchange takes place in an end-to-end encrypted manner in a complex process highlighted by the publication. The measures implemented by Apple make the whole procedure completely private and, of course, it reminds us of the one proposed by Apple and Google to track the coronavirus.

At AppleThe CNI publishes its “Decalogue” of security recommendations for Apple devices

According to the company, the amount of data required for this is so small that it does not result in a load on the battery or data usage. So you know, this feature allows you to find your lost iPhone , iPad, Mac, or any other device on your Apple ID. And it does so even if it’s offline or turned off.

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