With the release of iOS 15, Apple is offering iPhone users a way to locate their lost or stolen smartphone even if it’s been switched off. While this particular feature is only available on select iPhone models, Apple‘s Find My network lets users locate other lost devices like an iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTags and more. By using the Find My app or signing into iCloud on a web browser, users can view the location of their device, play a sound to help find it, and even remotely erase it to prevent misuse.

Find My has other applications apart from just locating lost devices. With the help of the app, iPhone and iPad users can share their location with friends, family and contacts. Depending on the situation, users can choose to share their location for one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. Apart from this, users also have the option to share location-based notifications to know if a friend or family member has reached or left a particular location.

Related: How To Find Lost AirPods Using Find My App On iOS 15

Apple took its Find My network a step further with iOS 15 by enabling select iPhones to display their location even when turned off or offline. This is particularly useful when a person misplaces an iPhone that runs out of battery, or if their iPhone has been stolen and turned off or put in Airplane mode. The first step to using this feature is making sure the Find My app is set up. To do this, open Settings and click on the user name. Tap on ‘Find My’ and then ‘Find My iPhone’. Enable the toggles next to Find My iPhone, Find My Network and Send Last Location. The Find My Network option is the feature that lets users locate their iPhone when it is switched off. Once these options are enabled, users will see a banner when switching off their iPhone that says ‘iPhone Findable After Power Off‘. The iPhone will then be visible in Find My on the user’s other devices, as well as by those the user has chosen to share their location with through Family Sharing.

How To Find A Lost iPhone

To locate an iPhone that’s been switched off, users need to use the Find My app on any other Apple device they own, like a Mac, iPad or another iPhone. Alternatively, they can log in to iCloud on any browser. A map will appear displaying the location of the iPhone, and the user can then choose to play a sound to locate it, get directions to the iPhone’s location or even remotely erase it. In addition, users can also enable Lost Mode, which lets them enter a phone number or email address where they can be contacted in case someone finds the iPhone.

The ability to find offline iPhones is only available on models that support Ultra Wideband. These include the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 series models. It’s important to note that users can only locate an iPhone for up to 24 hours after it is powered off, or for up to five hours when it’s in power reserve mode.