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Find My Service in Apple devices is a unique way to track the device’s real-time location. While users have discovered its security benefits in iOS devices, the problem of operating the service has also been highlighted. Find My Service is an essential feature in many ways. While you understand its importance for securing and controlling the device, you might have to find out why is Find My iPhone not working.
This article addresses the concerns of Find My not working and provides insight into its comprehensive solutions. Follow the reasons and methods below to understand and fix Find My iPhone.
Part 1: Why Is Find My iPhone (Find My) Not Working?
We will first work on the reasons explaining why is Find My iPhone not working on your device. This will help you figure out the appropriate solution that suits your case. Give a good view of the reasons explaining the non-functionality of Find My Service:
Incorrect iCloud Account Signed In
Find My is directly connected to the iCloud account or Apple ID activated across a device. If Find My service operates, it operates because the iCloud account is activated and running on it. However, there might be a case where you are checking the wrong iCloud account for Find My service. The device might be logged in with another iCloud account in other situations.
Connectivity Problems
Your iPhone needs to be connected to the internet for Find My iPhone. If not, the Find My service won’t be updated with its location. If you observe that your iOS device is not connected to the Find My service, it is evident that there might be issues with the internet connection. Connect your iOS device with an operational internet network and re-check your Find My service.
Location Services Turned Off
You are bound to activate the location services in your iOS device to operate the Find My service. If you have discovered that Find My iPhone is not working on your device, check the location services. Turn it on if it is disabled and re-check Find My Service to see if it is operational.
The Device Is Not Working
Devices turned off won’t be updated on Find My in real time as no connectivity source is activated for them. If the device is available with you, check if it works or has a drained-out battery. If so, you might have to recharge your iOS device and turn it on to see if the Find My service works.
Server Disconnection
The Find My service is directly connected to the Apple servers, so it is dependent on their operational status. If the servers show issues in operating Find My service, you will face issues using it. The only way in such a scenario is to wait until the servers are active and running.
Part 2: How To Fix Find My iPhone Not Working?
Do you now seek the suitable method that would suit your case of Find My iPhone not working? Below, we have provided a vast set of methods that can be implemented to fix the service on your iOS device.
1. Check Your Internet Connection
The internet connection is the first thing that needs to be assessed when using Find My. To operate this service, it is essential to have a proper network connection, as the location is updated through them. If you have connected to Wi-Fi and are facing issues with its speed, shift to another Wi-Fi connection or try using cellular data.
2. Make Sure iCloud & Find My Are Enabled
Before leading to a conclusion about a particular problem with your iOS device, it is best to check whether the service is enabled on your device. For that, you should ensure their activation, which is provided as follows:
Step 1: Open the “Settings” app of your iPhone and continue to tap your name to proceed with the iCloud settings.
Step 2: Move into the “Find My” option, and on the next screen, check whether the “Find My iPhone” option is turned on. If not, use the toggle to turn it on.
3. Sign In with the Same Apple ID
Following this, you have to ensure that you are signing with the same Apple ID you check on Find My on another device. It is a widespread understanding that a device operating under an Apple ID can only be checked through it. Thus, if you are not signed in with a similar Apple ID, you will have to sign out of the previous account and log in with the other one:
Open the Settings application on your iPhone and continue to tap on the name. On the next screen that opens, scroll down and find the “Sign Out” option to log out of the existing Apple ID. You need to navigate through the same guided direction to sign in with an Apple ID again on the device.
4. Check Your Battery Levels
If you cannot get anything from the Find My service, your device’s battery may be depleting. If the battery levels are too low, your device may be in Low Power Mode. In other cases, it might not function properly. Thus, to ensure that Find My service starts working again, you must check your battery levels.
5. Check Location Services
A basic perception of conditions where Find My service is not working involves turning off Location Services. If your device’s location is turned off, no GPS will function, and the location of the iOS device will update. To make sure that Find My operates properly, you will have to check and turn on your location services:
Step 1: Launch the “Settings” of your iPhone and proceed to the “Privacy & Security” section from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Follow through to the next screen and select the option of “Location Services” appearing on the top. As you will be propagated into the next screen, turn on the toggle to turn on the location services of your iPhone.
6. Make Sure the Date & Time Are Accurate
Another reason Find My iPhone is not working involves incorrect data and time. If the device is not correctly configured, such services won’t function. Since Find My operates under real-time data, incorrect details will always lead to problems in the functioning of such services. For that, you will have to ensure that the data and time of the iPhone are correct:
Step 1: Access the “Settings” of your iPhone and follow through the “General” settings from the list. On the next window, continue to select “Date & Time” from the list of options.
Step 2: As you navigate to the next screen, check if the “Set Automatically” toggle is turned on or off. Conversely, you can also set the time zone of your iPhone manually.
7. Allow to Fetch New Data
Find My service takes up data from your iOS device under prescribed settings. Since you are operating the service under a specific mail, a feature of fetching data is practiced by the iOS device. In this way, the data across the Find My service is also updated automatically. However, if Find My is not working properly, then it is best to check the function:
Step 1: Launch the Settings app of your iPhone and scroll down into the “Mail” settings. On the next screen, select “Accounts” from the available settings.
Step 2: You will have to select the option of “Fetch New Data” and check whether the “Push” toggle is turned on. You can also change the configured settings to “Automatically,” “Hourly,” or “Manual,” as per convenience.
8. Restart Your iPhone
If your device is not operating properly and is not executing anything that resolves the Find My service issues, it is best to reboot it. There is a possibility that the iPhone might be facing some temporary bugs that can be fixed through a simple reboot. For that, try out using the following steps:
Step 1: Open your iPhone’s “Settings” and select “General” from the list of options. Continue to scroll down to the next screen and select “Shut Down” to turn off the device.
Step 2: Use the “Power” button of your iPhone to turn on the device again.
9. Turn Off Don’t Allow Changes
Many iOS users change their device’s settings to manage their privacy. However, in some cases, they accidentally turn on restrictions for their location settings. In such a scenario, you might have to make proper changes to ensure adequate functionality of the Find My service:
Step 1: Launch your iPhone’s Settings and continue into the “Screen Time” option from the list. Following the next screen, select “Content & Privacy Restrictions” from opening the privacy settings for the iOS device.
Step 2: Look for the “Location Services” option under the “Privacy” section and follow through to the next screen.
Step 3: You will find the check mark adjacent to the “Don’t Allow Changes” option on the next screen. Change it to “Allow Changes” and see if your Find My service starts working.
10. Update iOS
In another scenario, your iOS device might not be updated properly, causing issues with the Find My service. If your Find My iPhone is not working, check if it needs to be updated. For that, use these simple steps described next:
Step 1: Open the “Settings” of your iOS device and continue into the “General” section for more settings. Look for the “Software Update” option on the next screen to check iOS updates.
Step 2: If the device detects an iOS update and displays it on the screen, click “Download and Install” to successfully update your iOS and resolve issues like Find My not working.
11. Repair iOS System
There are certain situations where managing such iOS problems gets extensively tricky. When no other option works, you can consider using third-party solutions such as Tenorshare ReiBoot. This exceptional service provides free iPhone recovery from all kinds of problems. Instead of compromising your data with the other repairing options, ReiBoot turns out to be a wonder in such situations.
Moreover, the platform provides a one-click recovery system, including dedicated support for over 150+ errors on iOS devices. With comprehensive support for the latest iOS versions and devices, ReiBoot gives an excellent result to the user. You are also not bound to reset your iOS device using iTunes and Finder, which saves you from many complicated operations.
12. Check to Find My’s Apple System Status
Apart from all mentioned solutions, there is another situation where the issue may lie in the system’s server instead of the device. You should consider checking the Apple System server status and see if Find My is operating. If it shows a red sign, you will have to wait a while before you can continue using the service on your iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Find My iPhone Not Working
We have also provided answers to some top-rated questions that will help you figure out why is Find My iPhone not working properly on your iOS device. These questions will surely put off great assistance in understanding more about the issue:
Can I track my iPhone if it is off?
For iPhones that are turned off or have run out of battery, their real-time location cannot be tracked on Find My as the devices must be operational. You will only be able to see the last location sent to Apple.
Will Find My Service ideally work if my iPhone runs on iOS 11?
No, the iOS version is too outdated to operate in perfection. If you are facing issues like Find My iPhone not working on your iOS device, the primary reason will be its outdated iOS version.
How long does Find My iPhone take to work?
It takes two minutes for Find My iPhone to update the location on the platform if the device is working properly and has a perfect internet connection.
Conclusion
This article has provided a diverging overview of the problem involving Find My not working. If you are among the users confused about such issues, this article would have helped you thoroughly assess the problem. Secondly, if you seek good results and comprehensive repairs, tools like Tenorshare ReiBoot are the best in the market. We do hope that you will be able to resolve all Find My problems instantly using the solutions provided.
