Locate iPhone XR while offline

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Level 1

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Locate iPhone XR while offline

Hi, my iPhone XR with iOS 15 got stolen, I made a call to my number and it is unavailable.

I assume the thief turned airplane mode or turned the phone off.

When I locate my iPhone on FindMy on my MacBook, I can see that my request to mark it as lost is pending since the night it was stolen but I do see a specific address (which is not far from the place it was stolen) with a line that says "X minutes ago".

How is that possible that possible that my iPhone is offline but still reporting its location? I know that the new AirTags and iPhones has this ability but I'm nut sure my iPhone XR has it. I have iOS 15 installed but I don't remember I turned report locations when battery is low feature on.
If I see such location reports, does it mean that my iPhone is on airplane mode and not turned off?
Does the location reported reliable? I see a very small light blue circle around my iPhone on the map and it doesn't seems like an estimation, plus I see a specific building street name and address.

I need to figure this out in order to get the help of the police.

iPhone XR, iOS 15

Posted on Mar 18, 2022 7:30 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Michael Black

Level 10

80,430 points

Mar 18, 2022 9:35 AM in response to aradg

The ability for a device to be located offline has nothing to do with the model of device. It has to do with that device running the latest iOS. Find my in iOS 15 allows a device to be located offline if other apple devices are nearby -> iCloud - Find My - Apple

In your iCloud account Find My settings, you do have to enable the setting for the “Find My Network” for offline location to work.

”You can even find devices that are offline.

If your missing device can’t connect to the internet, the Find My app can still help you track it down using the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world. Nearby devices securely send the location of your missing device to iCloud, then you can see where it is in the Find My app. It’s all anonymous and encrypted to protect everyone’s privacy.“

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

174,018 points

Mar 18, 2022 8:51 AM in response to aradg

for electronics to have a function they need to have power

for devices to communicate a location they needs to be connected to the internet

for devices to get a location fixture they need to be powered on and have a line of sight to the gps satellites and or have a connection to a router which can provide them with a location.

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Locate iPhone XR while offline

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