Some clarifications
Before giving you all the explanations of the case on what needs to be done to try to find a turned off iPhone, it seems to me only right to make some fundamental clarifications. However advanced and performing the Apple smartphone may be, unfortunately when turned off it is unable to emit any type of signal (neither GPS, nor cellular network, nor Wi-Fi). Consequently, locating it becomes very difficult but… fortunately not impossible!
In fact, it is enough to take advantage of the location "signals" emitted previously by the iPhone to know more or less precisely where it was the last time it was on and, if it has not been moved later, also where it is now. which is off.
Whether on or off, an iPhone can be found using Find my iPhone, the special system offered by Apple for its iDevices that allows them to be identified by combining the localization systems of the device used with iCloud (in this regard, I invite you to read my article on how to activate iCloud on iPhone).
Find my iPhone is accessible from any other iOS device connected to the same account (through the appropriate "standard" application installed and if removed by mistake it can be downloaded separately from the App Store) or via the Web (by accessing the iCloud online interface and then to the appropriate tool). In both cases, however, it is necessary to access your iCloud account otherwise the service is not usable.
Preliminary operation
Having made the above clarifications, there is another thing you need to know or rather that you need to do to be able to find your iPhone turned off ... you need to configure the use of Find my iPhone on the device. Unfortunately it is practically an obligatory step. So, if you have not already done so in the past and have already lost your device, I'm sorry to tell you but there is nothing you can do, except rely on the most, so to speak, extreme solutions that you find indicated in the last step of this guide.
In any case, as regards the procedure to be put into practice to configure Find my iPhone, the first thing you need to do is to grab your device, unlock it, it happens on the home screen and tap on the icon of Settings.
In the screen you see at this point, press on you don't know at the top, presses on the wording iCloud and then Find my iPhone. Then bring up ON l'interruttore che trovi accanto alla voce Find my iPhone attached to the next screen and do the same with the lever below, the one next to the item Send last position. Done!
Starting from this moment, the iPhone will begin to periodically send its position to iCloud, in a completely automatic way and also in the event that the battery charge reaches very low levels.
Find the turned off iPhone
When Find My iPhone is correctly configured on the Apple smartphone, locating the iPhone from off (as well as from on) is very simple. You ask me what exactly you have to do? You or I point straight away.
First, connected to the iCloud website (I pointed out the link in the first step of this guide) and log in to your account by typing your Apple ID and the associated password and then pressing the button with the arrow which is to the right. If you have enabled two-factor authentication, please also authorize the use of the service and enter the relevant security code.
Once the main iCloud web screen is displayed, click on the icon Find iPhone (Quella with il radar), if necessary, re-enter the password for your Apple ID and wait a few moments for the localization to take place.
Then click on the entry All devices that you find at the top center, and select the name of your iPhone in order to display its position on the map. To confirm that your iPhone is turned off, next to its icon you will find a circlet color Grey (if instead it is green the iPhone is turned on).
If you want, you can enable the Lost mode to leave a message to those who turn on the device again, receive a notification when it is turned on, and allow it to be unlocked only by means of a personal code. To do this, click on the item Lost mode, in the box on the right and enter (if you want) the telephone number to contact you in the appropriate box. Then press on the voice NEXT, write (if you want) a message to show to whoever will turn the iPhone back on and then press on end.
If you then wish to receive an e-mail notification when the iPhone is turned on again, check the box Notify me when found, always attached to the box on the right.
Please note that the same operations above can also be carried out via another Apple mobile device (e.g. another iPhone or iPad), using the application Find my iPhone of which I gave you the link at the beginning of the article. The operation of the application is practically identical to that of the web variant of the service. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that "clicks" must be replaced by "taps".
Further solutions
Although for what concerns the world of Apple Find my iPhone is the most popular system, there are also other useful tools in circulation to locate the "iPhone by", from switched off as from access, always following criteria similar to those illustrated in the previous lines. Among the various alternative solutions, I personally recommend that you contact Prey.
The application can be downloaded directly from the App Store and allows you to locate your iPhone (as well as various other devices) at regular intervals and median of the detailed reports that are released by e-mail. It is free but with some limitations (a maximum of three devices can be monitored at a time and provides a maximum of 9 reports per device), which can be circumvented by subscribing to a paid plan directly from the app.
To use it, download the app using the link I gave you a moment ago, install it on your device and create a free account to use the service by pressing the button Sign Up, filling out the form with the requested data and tapping the button Create my New account.
Then press on Allow to allow the application to access your location data, on OK to allow Prey to access the camera and press again Allow to enable receiving notifications. Then press the button OK.
At this point, Prey will begin to monitor the location of the iPhone that you can know using any other device on which you have installed the service (the app is available for Mac, Windows, Ubuntu, Linux and Android) and you are logged in to your account.
Prey is also usable via the Web. In this specific case, to monitor the position of the iPhone you just need to log in to your account, press the name of your iPhone from the list on the left and click Set device to missing. Once this is done, by default the service will send you reports via email every 25 minutes with the status of the device, its geographical location and if possible also with an attached photo taken by the front camera of the device.
In case of complications
You did not configure Find my iPhone on your device, the use of Prey proved to be superfluous or in any case, despite having followed my instructions you have not yet been able to find your iPhone turned off? Then all you have to do is go to the authorities and ask for the device to be blocked. In this way, mind you, the chances that you will be able to find your iPhone are not many but in any case you will avoid that the device is used illegally by unauthorized third parties.
The fundamental operations that you must perform in this case are therefore the following.
- Report the theft iPhone to the authorities for loss or theft immediately.
- Request the IMEI code lock of the phone, that is, that code consisting of 15 digits that allows you to uniquely identify mobile phones and that by blocking it makes the device unusable throughout the national territory.
- Request the SIM lock present in the iPhone, so that you can use the associated phone number on another card.
As for the blocking of the IMEI code, you must use the appropriate form made available by your telephone operator. Below you will find the links to download the modules of the main cittàn oprates via the Web. Once the download is complete, print the form, fill it in with the requested data and send it to the address shown on it (by registered letter with return receipt or by fax), at the top, taking care to attach your valid identity document and a copy from the report of the theft issued by the authorities.
- TIM
- Vodafone
- wind
- Three
As for the SIM blocking, you can request it by contacting your telephone operator and answering the questions that will be asked to help you verify your identity. If you don't know how to contact your operator's customer service, you can read my tutorials dedicated to the topic: how to talk to a TIM operator, how to talk to a Vodafone operator, how to talk to a Wind operator and how to contact Tre operator.
And if you want to deepen the question of the IMEI code and device blocking, I strongly suggest you read these dedicated articles of mine: how to block IMEI and stolen cell phone: what to do.
How to find iPhone turned off
