Lost iPhone? With iOS 15 you can track it even when the battery is empty
Is your iPhone missing? Then you can already trace it via the Find my app, but then your device must be switched on. As of iOS 15, this is no longer a requirement. Even if your iPhone is turned off or the battery is empty, you can track its location. At least: with the latest iPhones.
Track Disabled iPhone in iOS 15
Starting with iOS 15, Apple devices that are disabled are also tracked by the Find My Network. This network is made up of the hundreds of millions of Apple devices that exist worldwide. Anonymously they communicate the location of the device, even if they are not connected to the internet.
Unfortunately, the new feature only works with iPhones equipped with the U1 chip. These are the iPhone 11 (Pro) and iPhone 12 (Pro). The U1 chip uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, which is needed to locate iPhones that are turned off.
Find iPhone when the battery is empty
The fact that even an empty iPhone is able to communicate its location is because the battery of the iPhone is in fact not completely empty after switching off. As a result, the screen still shows the empty battery icon – and the very energy-efficient UWB can still do its job. It is unclear for how long this is possible, because there will come a time when the iPhone battery is really empty.
What is certain is that it is a great iOS 15 feature. There have been many situations where people lose their iPhone but can’t find it because the battery is dead – or the thief quickly turned it off. The Find My app will then only show the location that was the last known. From iOS 15, the map shows the live location in these cases.
Find iPhone when it’s erased
Another new feature is that iPhones from iOS 15 can also be found after they have been wiped. It has always been possible to remotely wipe your iPhone (via www.icloud.com) to prevent the finder from stealing your sensitive data. However, this had one major drawback: from this point on, you could no longer track the location of your iPhone.
From iOS 15 you will continue to see the location even after you have erased the iPhone. In addition, the iPhone is still traceable to you. If a thief tries to sell your iPhone, the Hello screen will tell the potential buyer that the device is yours and can be traced.