Apple re-released Find My iPhone two years ago, giving it a new name and additional features. It learned to search for iPhones, and other devices, including those Apple did not release. With its help, it became possible to find even lost headphones, a bicycle, and much more. The iPhone, for example, didn’t even need to have an active Internet connection to be found. It was enough to enter it into the lost mode remotely, as it communicated with smartphones of people passing by, sending through them their location to the owner. It was an incredible and brilliant invention, and now it doesn’t even have to be charged to find a missing iPhone.
Now you can find your iPhone, even if it is turned off or has a low battery.
In iOS 15.2, it is now a unique mechanism called the Power Reserve, which allows iPhone as early as within a few hours after a complete discharge to file a distress signal. To do this, the smartphone reserves a small amount of energy so that it will be enough to send a distress signal, hoping that someone will pass by and receive it.
This is such an insignificant volume that you will not notice its disappearance. Apple did not explain exactly how much battery the iPhone reserves, but this is clearly less than 1%. Nevertheless, this will be enough to broadcast a signal to devices of passing users via Bluetooth Low battery for 5 hours.
How to turn on Find iPhone
For users’ convenience, Apple did not require the inclusion of Power Reserve forcibly. It will turn on by itself as soon as you update your iPhone to iOS 15.2. The innovation is included in this particular version of the OS. If you refuse to update, the new chip will not appear.
- Go to “Settings” – “Software update”;
- Search for updates and wait for iOS 15.2;
- When the update appears, click “Download and Install”;
- Confirm the installation, if required, and wait for the update.
After installing the update, the search mode, when fully discharged, will turn on automatically. It will work whether you want it or not. Another thing is that in order for the search to be possible in principle, it will be necessary to enable the Find iPhone mechanism, which connects the iPhone to the search infrastructure.
- Go to “Settings” and open your profile;
- In the window that opens, select the “Find my” section;
- Here at the very top, open the “Find iPhone” tab;
- Turn on Find My iPhone as well as “Find my network” and “Send my location”.
How to find your iPhone if it’s turned off
Keep in mind that the Power Reserve mechanism, which allows the iPhone to send a distress signal in case of loss, is forced to turn on not only if the smartphone is discharged on its own. It will start even if you turn off the device forcibly, and in this case, it will be possible to find it without forcibly turning it on.
To find your lost iPhone if it is updated to iOS 15.2 and uses the Power Reserve mechanism, you can do exactly the same as usual:
- Launch Find My on any Apple device;
- Open the “My devices” tab on the left;
- Select your lost iPhone and wait for the download;
- Mark him as missing and wait for information about him.
If the lost iPhone was your only device, the search is done through iCloud.com. You will need to log in and perform the same actions as in Locator. If you are lucky, and someone passes by your smartphone, it will give a distress signal; the devices of passers-by will determine its location and send it to you.
All left for you is to move to the intended place of loss and pick up the iPhone if it is still there. The main thing is to have time to do this in 5 hours, during which the iPhone can broadcast a signal about its location in real-time. When 5 hours are up, all you have left is the point of the last place where it was discovered.
