Losing, misplacing or having an iPhone stolen does not have to mean saying goodbye to your terminal. Apple has an app that allows you to track the location of your iPhone on the map. And it does so even if the terminal is out of range, with airplane mode activated and even off. The function is so important that even the CNI recommends activating it.
Let’s see how to use the mode search my iPhone even without data connection or Wi-Fi. Before starting, we recommend that your devices are updated to at least some version of iOS 13 or macOS Catalina.
What is the Search app and how to activate it
Search is an app that is installed by default on all iPhones and iPads. It is one of the few apps that cannot be removed from the system, so if you can’t find it, use the Spotlight search engine to do it. To do this, on the home screen, swipe down with your finger and type “Search”, so you can open the app (possibly you have it saved in a folder).
Before you 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 will see a menu called “Search”, next to the app icon. Press it.
- At the top, tap on “Find my iPhone.”
- Then activate the options “Find my iPhone” and “Find offline”.
It is very possible that you already have this function activated, but it doesn’t hurt 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 we are referring to the iPhone and iPad in this tutorial, Search can also help you find any device that you have associated with your Apple ID. Like AirPods, a Mac or an Apple Watch. In this app you should see all of them, with the distance that separates you from them and being able to trace a route to find them.
If it is too far away or does not appear on the map, you can mark it as lost. To do this and with the Search app open, you can locate the device lost like this:
- In the “Me” tab, select the device you want to find from the list.
- You will see that a tab is displayed with some of its data, slide it up to show the rest of the options.
- The option “Mark as lost” will appear, which we must activate.
Entering your phone number along with a message can help whoever finds it to locate you, but doing so is optional.
Follow the steps to lock your iPhone or iPad. You can choose if you want show a message for the person who finds it to contact you, although it 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 yours or it’s not at hand, you can ask an iPhone user to help you with your own Search app. You will have to enter your own iCloud credentials to be able to access the locations of your devices.
How it works Search for devices without internet connection
In the past, if someone wanted to get hold of an iPhone that was not theirs, they could simply turn it off. If you ran out of battery, 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 AirPods. And it does so in a way that protects privacy.
Find is a function that uses such small bluetooth data packets that it does not affect the battery and, in addition, it is done in an encrypted and private way
The idea of the Apple system, now expanded to third parties, is to rely on the number of their devices that are in the public, to create a “network” to aid in localization of a lost one. At the time, Apple detailed to Wired how it works like this:
The new “Find My” feature will output bluetooth signals from Apple devices even when offline, allowing nearby Apple devices to relay it to the cloud. That should help you locate your laptop applies to the stolen Mac, iPad, iPhone and rest even if it is at rest in the thief’s backpack.
This exchange takes place in an end-to-end encrypted manner in a complex process that the publication highlighted. The measures put in place by Apple they do the whole procedure completely private And, of course, it reminds us of the one that Apple and Google raised to track the coronavirus.
According to the company, the amount of data required for this is so small that it does not put a strain on battery or data usage. So you know this function allows you to find your iPhone, iPad, Mac or any other device of your Apple ID that has been lost. And it does so even if you have no connection or it is turned off.