It’s never nice to lose an Apple device. With Find My, you have an added assurance of finding it again.
Everyone knows that moment of panic: you reach for your iPhone, and it’s nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Apple has come up with a solution to that with the Find My feature. This handy system, which comes standard on your iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices, helps you locate lost Apple devices. Even if they are offline.
But how exactly does this work, and what can you connect to it? We explain how Find My works and why you’ll want to enable it if you have an Apple device.
Here’s how to set up Find My on your iPhone
The Find My feature is designed specifically to help users find their Apple devices. Think of a lost iPhone, a MacBook you left somewhere, or accessories like AirPods and AirTags. Apple uses GPS and Bluetooth, and through other Apple devices nearby, you can locate your device even if it’s offline.
The feature is tremendously easy to set up. The first thing you need to do is make sure Find My is enabled on your device. To do this, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name at the top to go to your Apple ID settings. Here, scroll down and select Find My.
Find my on an iPhone. (Image: Apple)
Next, choose the Find My iPhone option and make sure the switch is on. It’s also important to turn on Send Last Location. This will automatically send your iPhone its last known location when its battery is low. That way you still have a chance to find your device even if it fails.
Now that you’ve enabled Find My, you’re well prepared if you ever lose your iPhone.
How to find your Apple device again.
The Find My app allows you to see the location of your Apple device. If you don’t have an Apple device on hand, you can log in with your Apple ID through iCloud.com. There you will get instant access to all your devices and can select the lost device.
The Find My app offers a number of options to locate or secure your iPhone. These include viewing its location on a map, playing a sound if you think your phone is somewhere in the house, or marking your phone as lost. The latter locks your device and displays your contact information so a finder can reach you. If you suspect your iPhone is permanently lost, you can choose to reset it remotely to protect your privacy.
Apple’s trackers (Image: Mark Hofman / OMT)
Search My doesn’t just work for iPhones, by the way. You can also link other devices and accessories, such as AirPods and your Apple Watch, to this feature. AirPods are often hard to find, but through Find My you can see their location and even play a sound to track them down.
In addition, you can use AirTags to find valuables such as your keys or wallet. You can attach these little trackers to almost anything, and the Find My app shows you where they are. With an iPhone 11 or newer, you can even be directed to their exact location with arrows. You can also link larger devices like your MacBook and iPad to Find My. That way you can find them just as easily, play a sound or lock them remotely if needed.
The best feature of Find My
One of the most useful things about Find My is the Find My network. It allows you to find your devices even when they are offline. Other Apple devices nearby, such as other people’s iPhones, can detect your lost device and anonymously and securely send a signal to your app. This keeps your device appearing on the map even if it’s somewhere without an Internet connection.
Moreover, you can easily share your location with family and friends through the app. Add each other so you can always see where the other is – ideal if you lose each other on an outing. You can also set up notifications to see when someone arrives or leaves.
In short, with Find My, you can be sure that your stuff is never really gone. Whether it’s your iPhone, your AirPods, or your keys with AirTag. You always have a way to track them down.
