With iOS 15, we can locate an iPhone even if it is turned off

The search network, which allows us to locate our devices and accessories, is progressing by leaps and bounds. The features Apple incorporates into compatible devices make locating a lost device even easier and preventing it from being found even more difficult. On iOS 15 we can locate an iPhone even if it is turned off or all of its contents have been deleted.

An iPhone that never turns off and always discoverable

Until now, a turned off iPhone could not be located in any way, which could be used to prevent a phone from being tracked. Now with iOS 15 IPhones never turn offInstead, they go into a very low power mode similar to that used by AirTags. With this mode, the phone emits the necessary Bluetooth signal for the surrounding devices to pick up the message and transmit the location to the cloud of the search network.

And if that new system wasn’t enough, Apple took it a step further by ensuring that a fully factory-restored iPhone remains detectable as long as we keep Activation Lock on. This means that As long as we don’t manually remove an iPhone from the search app we can locate it.

While Apple does not recommend using the Finder System to prevent device theft, the truth is, this system will deter any friend on the outside looking for a strange phone. Without a doubt the inability to prevent the iPhone from remaining discoverable that’s something to keep in mind.

In just a few months, we have seen great advances in device localization. First, the opening of the search network to third parties, with which more and more manufacturers can join the system, then we saw the launch of AirTags, which allow us to locate any device, and now with iOS 15, currently in beta, the localization of our iPhones has reached a new level. There is no substitute for always keeping in mind where you carry or leave the iPhone, but it is undoubtedly an important step forward so that being forgotten is a scare.