Find My iPhone is an incredibly useful feature for iOS devices that allows you to locate a lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Mac. Just by signing into iCloud.com on any computer or the Find My iPhone app, you can view your device’s last location on a map and take actions like playing a sound, locking it or even remotely wiping it. However, sometimes Find My iPhone doesn’t work as expected. Here are some of the most common reasons why you may be unable to locate your device with Find My iPhone and what you can do about it.
The device is turned off
For Find My iPhone to work, the device needs to be turned on and connected to the internet. If the device is turned off, it won’t show up in Find My iPhone. The first thing to check if you can’t locate your device is whether it’s switched on. If it’s out of battery, try charging it and switching it back on. If it’s been manually powered down, press and hold the side/power button to turn it on again.
Offline or Airplane Mode is enabled
Just like it needs to be powered on, the device also needs an active internet connection for Find My iPhone to work. Check whether Airplane Mode is enabled, which disables all wireless connections. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and make sure Airplane Mode is off. Also ensure Wi-Fi and/or cellular data is enabled, so the device can connect to the internet.
Location services are disabled
On your iOS device, Location Services needs to be enabled for Find My iPhone to work. Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services and check whether location access is on at the top. Also check that Find My iPhone shows as “Using your Location” under Location Services. Enable location access if it’s disabled.
iCloud is not enabled
Find My iPhone relies on you having iCloud enabled on your device. To check this go to Settings > tap your name at the top > iCloud and ensure you are signed into your Apple ID account here. If you aren’t signed in, tap Sign In and enter your Apple ID details to activate iCloud.
Two-factor authentication is not set up
If you have two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID, your device can only be located via Find My iPhone after entering a verification code sent to trusted phone numbers or devices after signing into iCloud.com. Check you have trusted phone numbers listed under your Apple ID at appleid.apple.com. If not, add trusted numbers to fully utilize Find My iPhone with two-factor authentication turned on.
Find My iPhone is disabled on the device
While Find My iPhone is enabled by default when you sign in to iCloud, it’s worth double checking it hasn’t been manually disabled. Go to Settings > tap your name > Find My > Find My iPhone and check if Find My iPhone is toggled off. Slide the toggle to on if Find My iPhone has been disabled.
The device is not associated with your Apple ID
In order for a device to appear under your devices in Find My iPhone, it needs to be associated with your Apple ID. If you have multiple Apple IDs, it’s possible the missing device is associated with another account. On a different trusted device signed into iCloud, check Find My iPhone under any other Apple IDs you have. Associate the device with the proper Apple ID if needed.
Family Sharing is not set up correctly
If your missing device is used by a family member, ensure Family Sharing is enabled in iCloud on that device. On your own device, check the Apple ID signed into iCloud is the Family Organizer and that the family member is in your Family Sharing group. Ensure Family Sharing is fully set up so you can locate their devices.
The device is lost or stolen
Unfortunately if you are unable to locate your device even after checking other troubleshooting steps, it’s possible it is lost or has been stolen. If you have the Send Last Location option enabled in Find My iPhone, this can help you retrieve its last known location before the device was taken or lost outside of cellular coverage. Using Lost Mode can help secure a lost or stolen device too.
Tracking has been disabled by the current user
If another user has gained access to your device, they can disable Find My iPhone tracking and sign out of iCloud. There is no way to override this, so if you can’t locate the device it may have been tampered with or accessed by someone else.
The device has been erased and reactivated
As a security measure, Find My iPhone tracking will no longer work if a device has been erased and reset to factory settings. Even if the device is still associated with your Apple ID, remote management features will no longer function on an erased device.
Location accuracy is low or unavailable
Find My iPhone relies on GPS, Bluetooth, crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data and cellular networks to estimate a device’s location. Factors like poor GPS signals, sparse Wi-Fi coverage and weak cellular can impact accuracy. The location shown may only be approximate or unavailable if the device can’t get an accurate lock on its position.
Apple’s servers are down
Apple’s iCloud servers going offline can prevent Find My iPhone working entirely. While rare, scheduled maintenance or server outages can temporarily disrupt Find My iPhone services. Try again later or check Apple’s System Status page to see if there are any known issues.
Software bugs or glitches
As with any software service, bugs or technical issues on Apple’s side may stop Find My iPhone working correctly in some situations. Software updates often address known bugs, so make sure your devices are running the latest iOS/iPadOS/macOS versions and retry Find My iPhone after updating.
Unsupported older devices
Find My iPhone is only supported on iPhone models from the 4s onwards, cellular-enabled iPad models, all iPad mini models, iPad Pro, iPod touch 5th generation or newer and Macs running OS X 10.7.5 Mountain Lion or higher. Trying to use Find My iPhone on older unsupported devices simply won’t work.
Jailbroken or modified devices
Find My iPhone relies on locked down iOS and hardware security features to help locate and manage devices securely. If a device has been jailbroken or otherwise modified, Find My iPhone can become unreliable or stop working due to tampered software and removed security protections.
Conclusion
Hopefully examining the potential reasons above helps you troubleshoot and resolve any Find My iPhone issues you encounter. The most common problems involve the device being powered off, not connected to the internet, or Find My iPhone specifically not enabled correctly in iCloud settings. Ensuring your Apple ID account management is up to date is also important for enabling full Find My iPhone functionality and security.
If you still cannot locate a missing device after trying all applicable troubleshooting steps, it unfortunately may be lost or stolen. In this case, be sure to put the device in Lost Mode if possible for additional security and utilize iOS features like passcodes, encryption and remote wipe to protect your data on lost or stolen devices moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I find my iPhone if it’s offline?
Find My iPhone relies on an internet connection via Wi-Fi or cellular data to report a device’s location. If the device is turned off, in Airplane mode or out of range of an internet connection, it won’t show up in Find My iPhone.
What if I never set up Find My iPhone?
If Find My iPhone was never enabled on a device, there is no way to retroactively start tracking its location. Always make sure Find My iPhone is turned on for any devices you want to be able to locate in the future.
Can Find My iPhone be wrong about a device’s location?
Yes, Find My iPhone’s location data is an approximation and can sometimes be inaccurate depending on environmental conditions affecting GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular signals in an area.
How can I make Find My iPhone more reliable in the future?
Making sure your devices always run the latest OS version ensures you have access to the most up-to-date Find My iPhone technology from Apple. Also enable Send Last Location and Lost Mode when applicable.
What should I do if my device was stolen?
Place the device in Lost Mode via Find My iPhone if possible to lock, track and display a message. Also contact local law enforcement about the stolen device and provide them with the location data available.
Why won’t Find My iPhone work on an old iPhone I have?
Find My iPhone only works on iPhone 4s models and newer. On older iPhone models, the hardware and iOS version do not support the necessary location features.
Can I locate a family member’s device without them knowing?
If Family Sharing is fully enabled, the Family Organizer can help locate devices of family members that are registered under the same iCloud account group.
What should I do if someone else erased my device?
If another user erases the device, Find My iPhone and remote management will be disabled. Make sure to always use passcodes and enable Lost Mode when applicable to prevent this.
Why does Find My iPhone say my device location is not available?
Weak cellular and GPS signals in an area can make it difficult for the device to pinpoint its location to report back. Location data may be unavailable until signals improve.
Can locations shown in Find My iPhone be wrong?
Yes, Find My iPhone provides approximate locations based on GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular data which can sometimes be inaccurate depending on environmental conditions.
What happens if I remote wipe a lost device?
Remotely erasing a device will delete all data and prevent further tracking in Find My iPhone. Only wipe as a last resort if the device cannot be recovered.
If I reactivate my erased device, will Find My iPhone work again?
No, Find My iPhone and remote management capabilities will not be restored even if an erased device is reactivated and linked to your Apple ID again.
Summary
Find My iPhone is an invaluable tool for protecting your devices, however there are a number of potential issues that can prevent it from working properly. Checking basic connectivity and settings like power, internet access, location services and iCloud activation can help troubleshoot most problems. Knowing the limitations of Find My iPhone in terms of older unsupported devices, jailbreaking or remote wiping also helps manage expectations.
Following Apple’s best practice security guidance for passcodes, encryption and remote locking helps minimize risk in the rare event a device is truly lost or stolen. While not foolproof, Find My iPhone provides powerful redundancies to help track and secure your devices when needed most.