Apple's Find My app has been a very helpful (and reassuring) feature, allowing you to locate a misplaced (or stolen) phone so you can retrieve it (or contact the authorities, if it is safer). With Find My expanding to a variety of other objects, particularly through Apple's AirTags, it's become even more useful.
And now that iOS 15 offers the possibility of locating your phone even if the battery is drained or if it has been turned off – if you have the right phone – the usefulness of Find My has become even bigger.
You will be able to locate a dead phone if you have the following:
You will know this feature is active if, when you turn off your phone, you see the phrase "iPhone found after power off" under the power off button.
If you're new to iPhone or have never set up the Find My app, here's how to get started:
And that's it! After that, if you can't find your iPhone, you can track it using the Find My app on a Mac (or another iPhone, if you have one) or on any browser by going to iCloud.com /find and sign in using your Apple ID.
If you're using the web version, you'll see a green dot that locates your iPhone. Select the dot then the circled “i” (for information), and you will have the choice to play a sound on your phone, erase it or put it in “lost mode”. In "Lost Mode", you can enter a phone number you can be reached at and a message ("Please return this phone as soon as possible!"). After that, the phone will be locked until you enter its password again.
If you use the Find My app, you'll get essentially the same functionality (except in a more aesthetic form), plus map directions for accessing your phone.
And yes, if you are using iOS 15 on your iPhone, you will be able to locate it even if it has run out of battery or has been turned off.
(Note:You can also use the Find My app to help with your own safety - to share your location with individuals and send recurring notifications when you leave and arrive. You can find instructions for setting this up in our article "How to Use iPhone Location Tracking.")
Updated September 29, 2021 3:30 PM ET: Updated to add information about iPhones that can be found after powering off.
