Can You Find A Stolen iPhone That’s Offline? Here’s A Guide!

by
How To Find A Stolen iPhone That’s Offline

Losing an iPhone is frustrating, mostly because of the data, contacts, and media you will probably never find again. However, losing or misplacing an iPhone doesn’t necessarily mean you will never find it.

In most cases, you may have heard that you can only locate a lost iPhone when it’s powered on and connected to the internet. This was the case, but there are other measures that, when put in place, will help you determine the location of your device.

One of the most useful features is the Send Last Location that is available in Find My iPhone on iOS 8 or later. With this feature, your iPhone will send its last location to Apple Servers whenever it goes off. You can view your iPhone’s last location by logging in to iCloud.

Read Also: How to sign out of iCloud on your iPhone

How to set up Find My iPhone’s Send Last Location feature on your iPhone

The Send Last Location feature doesn’t come enabled with your iPhone. You have to set it up yourself. Here is a quick step-by-step guide:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select iCloud and log in with your Apple ID
  3. Go to Find My iPhone
  4. Go to the bottom of the screen and toggle Send Last Location ON

How to set up Find My iPhone’s Send Last Location feature using iCloud

You can also set your iPhone to send its last location directly from iCloud. Follow these steps:

  1. Login to iCloud.com using your Apple ID. Make sure to use the same Apple ID that has your lost iPhone.
  2. Select Find My iPhone and select your lost iPhone from All Devices
  3. A map showing detailed information about the iPhone should appear. You can play a sound, erase the iPhone, or switch to Lost Mode. All these features are explained below.

iCloud’s Find My iPhone features

  • Play Sound: Enabling this mode will make your lost iPhone play a specific sound
  • Erase iPhone: This feature will delete all the data from your iPhone. It comes in handy when you have personal or confidential information on your device that you wouldn’t want to land on another person’s hands. It pays to have an iCloud backup of it.
  • Lost Mode: This option locks your iPhone, displays a custom message, and turns on location so you can see where it is.’

READ: This wallet has a built-in tracker

What if Find My iPhone is enabled, but the lost iPhone is off?

The main issue with Find My iPhone and its features is that it doesn’t work when your iPhone isn’t connected to the internet. The only option you have in this case is to turn on any of the above-mentioned features, which will take effect when the iPhone is one and connected to the internet.

For example, turning on Send Last Location will notify you of the iPhone’s last location on the map. However, you must have enabled Location Services on your iPhone for it to work. Finally, check the Notify Me When Found option so that your iPhone will send a notification when it is turned on.

Other options

Some third-party software, such as Prey Find my Phone, claims to offer better alternatives for recovering your iPhone when lost. However, they also rely on an internet connection, and their services are more or less similar to what Find My iPhone offers. However, there are extras such as taking a photo of the thief if the iPhone is stolen, tapping the microphone, and listening to whoever has your iPhone.

Finally

Besides third-party software, the best option is to enable Find My iPhone and back up your data or even to insure your iPhone through Apple Care if you have extra funds. This is because, in most cases, chances of recovery are usually low.