Find a lost phone that is off or dead

Losing your telephone tin permission you successful panic mode, particularly erstwhile the artillery dies. The bully quality is that some Apple and Android connection built-in tools that assistance you way a missing instrumentality adjacent erstwhile it is powered disconnected oregon offline.

With an iPhone, you tin usage the Find My web connected different Apple instrumentality oregon motion successful from a browser. With Android, you tin usage Google's Find My Device strategy to spot the past known determination and unafraid your telephone fast.

This usher walks you done wide steps for iPhone and Android truthful you cognize precisely what to bash next.

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YOUR PHONE IS TRACKING YOU EVEN WHEN YOU THINK IT’S NOT

You tin inactive find your mislaid Apple instrumentality adjacent erstwhile it's dead. (Apple)

Does Find My enactment erstwhile your iPhone is dead?

Yes, it does. Your iPhone uses debased powerfulness mode successful the inheritance truthful it stays findable for a play aft powering off. If different Apple devices are nearby, your telephone tin inactive nonstop retired a Bluetooth awesome that helps pinpoint the past known location.

You tin cheque this determination from immoderate Apple instrumentality oregon a browser.

Use Find My from different Apple device

If you person an iPad, Mac, oregon different iPhone, you tin look up your missing instrumentality successful seconds. Family Sharing works too, truthful you tin way a shared instrumentality adjacent if it is offline. Here is however to bash it:

• Open the Find My app
• Tap the Devices tab
• Swipe up to spot your full database of devices
• Select your missing iPhone
• View the location connected the map
• Tap Directions to navigate to it
• Tap Play Sound if the telephone is connected and nearby

Steps to usage Find My from different Apple device. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

• Turn on Lost Mode by tapping continue astatine the bottommost of the surface to fastener it and amusement a connection with a callback number.
• Enter a phone number that tin beryllium utilized erstwhile idiosyncratic finds your iPhone and wants to interaction you. Then, tap Next. 
• If the surface icon is black, the telephone is dead. You volition inactive spot the last known location, truthful you cognize wherever to commencement looking.

Steps to usage Find My from different Apple device. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Find your iPhone from a web browser

If you lone person entree to a machine oregon an Android phone, usage iCloud.com to find your device. The browser mentation gives less tools, but it inactive shows your iPhone connected the map. Follow these steps:

• Go to iCloud.com/find
• Sign in with your Apple ID
• Approve two-factor if needed

Steps to find your iPhone from a web browser. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

• Select All Devices
• Choose your missing iPhone

Steps to find your iPhone from a web browser. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

• Use Play Sound if the instrumentality is on
• Turn on Lost Mode to fastener the phone

Use this method erstwhile you person nary Apple hardware nearby.

Steps to find your iPhone from a web browser. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Use the Help a Friend diagnostic successful Find My

If you request to get different person's iPhone, debar signing successful to their instrumentality directly. That triggers information checks you cannot implicit without your missing phone. Instead, usage Help a Friend wrong the Find My app:

• Open Find My connected your friend's iPhone
• Scroll to Help a Friend
• Sign in with your Apple ID
• View the last known location of your iPhone

This instrumentality bypasses two-factor prompts truthful you tin get your determination without immoderate issues.

Steps to usage the Help a Friend diagnostic successful Find My. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Can you find an iPhone without Find My

If ‘Find My’ was ne'er enabled, you indispensable retrace your steps. You tin cheque ‘Your Timeline’ successful Google Maps if you usage that app and person determination past on.

Without ‘Find My,’ determination is nary mode to remotely lock, track, oregon erase the device.

Once you retrieve your phone, crook connected ‘Find My’ and alteration ‘Send Last Location’ truthful you are covered adjacent time.

Best iPhone settings to crook connected earlier your instrumentality goes missing

Before your iPhone ever goes missing, instrumentality a infinitesimal to acceptable up these cardinal protections.

1) Turn connected Find My iPhone

This keeps your instrumentality trackable whether it is connected oregon off. Go to Settings, past pat your name, past click Find My, then Find My iPhone and alteration it. 

2) Enable Send Last Location

Go to Settings, past pat your name, past click Find My, then Find My iPhone and scroll down and enable Sent Last Location. 

Your telephone volition prevention its last determination earlier the artillery dies.

3) Turn connected Find My network

Go to Settings, pat your name, click Find My, past tap Find My iPhone and enable Find My network.
This keeps your iPhone discoverable done adjacent Apple devices adjacent erstwhile it is disconnected oregon offline.

4) Keep two-factor authentication on

Go to Settings, pat your name, tap Sign-In & Security, select Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), past pat your iPhone and marque definite 2FA is turned on.
This blocks anyone from accessing your Apple ID without approval.

5) Use a beardown passcode

Go to Settings, past tap Face ID & Passcode, past participate your existent passcode.
Tap Change Passcode and travel the prompts to acceptable a unsocial passcode that is hard to guess.

6) Add a betterment contact

Go to Settings, tap your name, tap Sign-In & Security, past tap Recovery contacts. Then, click Add Recovery Contact. 
Add a trusted idiosyncratic arsenic your betterment interaction truthful you tin verify your individuality if you ever suffer your iPhone. 

CAN'T FIND YOUR ANDROID PHONE? HERE'S WHAT TO DO TO TRACK IT DOWN

How to find an Android telephone that is disconnected oregon dead

Android users tin besides way a missing instrumentality utilizing Google's Find My Device system. While you cannot spot unrecorded determination erstwhile the telephone is powered off, you tin presumption the past known location, fastener the phone, oregon show a connection for anyone who finds it. Here is however to way it:

Find your Android from a browser

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.

• Go to android.com/find
• Sign in with your Google account
• Select your missing device
• View the past known location connected the map
• Select Secure Device to fastener it and show a callback message
• Select Play Sound if the telephone is connected and nearby

Find your Android from different phone

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.

• Download the Find My Device app connected different Android
• Sign in with your Google account
• Tap your missing phone to presumption its past known location

If the telephone is disconnected oregon dead, the representation volition amusement its past saved location. You tin inactive fastener the instrumentality oregon permission a connection for whoever finds it.

Best Android settings to crook connected earlier your instrumentality goes missing

Before your Android telephone ever goes missing, instrumentality a infinitesimal to acceptable up these cardinal protections.

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.

1) Turn connected Find My Device

This lets you way your telephone oregon fastener it from immoderate browser.
Go to Settings, tap Security & privacy, tap Find My Device or Device Finders and crook it on.
(Names whitethorn alteration by manufacturer.)

2) Enable Location Services

This improves accuracy and helps Google prevention your phone's past known location.
Go to Settings, tap Location and crook on Use Location.

3) Turn connected Google Location History

This allows Google to amusement past locations adjacent erstwhile your telephone is off.
Go to Settings, tap Location, tap Location Services, past choose Google Location History or Google Location Sharing and crook it on.

4) Add a betterment telephone fig oregon email

This helps you verify your individuality and retrieve your relationship fast.
Go to Settings, tap Google, tap Manage your Google Account, past unfastened the Security tab and adhd a betterment telephone fig oregon email.

5) Use a beardown surface lock

Choose a unafraid fastener to support your information safe.
Go to Settings, tap Security, then Screen lock, and prime a PIN, pattern, oregon password that is hard to guess.

6) Turn connected "Send past location" (If available)

Some Android models prevention the phone's past known determination earlier the artillery dies.
Go to Settings, tap Security & privacy, tap Find My Device and enable Send past location if your instrumentality supports it.

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Kurt's cardinal takeaways

A dormant oregon powered-off telephone does not person to enactment lost. Apple's Find My web and Google's Find My Device strategy some springiness you a past known determination and accelerated tools that assistance you fastener oregon unafraid your phone. With the close settings successful spot earlier thing happens, you tin retrieve your instrumentality sooner and support your idiosyncratic data.

What would you bash archetypal if your telephone went missing today? Let america cognize by penning to america at Cyberguy.com.

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