iPhone Viral Hack: How To Track Your Mobile Even When It's Switched Off

Many iPhone users believe that once their Apple iPhone is switched off, it becomes impossible to locate. That is no longer strictly true, it seems, thanks to the inner workings of Find My, Apple's device-tracking service.

This means an iPhone can remain findable even after a shutdown or theft. So, this can offer a crucial helping hand to those who have lost their handset or are worried about potential theft. Here's how the technology works, and what you can do to make sure you are protected.

How an iPhone Can Be Tracked When Powered Off

Since the release of iPhone 11, Apple has built into its devices a low-power Bluetooth and wireless chip architecture that remains partially active even after the device is switched off. The Find My network leverages this, and if the feature is enabled, your offline iPhone can still broadcast a secure, encrypted signal that nearby Apple devices (be it iPhones, iPads, Macs or the user's own Apple Watch) detect. These devices then anonymously relay the approximate location back to Apple's servers and, ultimately, to the owner.

Moreover, your iPhone behaves somewhat like an AirTag after shutdown: it is silent and powerless to perform everyday functions, but still capable of showing its presence. Because the broadcast is encrypted and anonymised, the relaying device's owner will not know whose phone they helped locate.

It is not magic, though, as the tracking works only under certain conditions. First and foremost, Find My must have been enabled on the device before it was switched off. If a thief or finder disables Find My, or if someone chooses not to allow the device to join the network, the phone will not be relayed.

Secondly, you must verify that the settings 'Find My iPhone', 'Find My network' and 'Send Last Location' are all turned on. On modern iPhones, when you press the power button to switch off the phone, you should see a message 'iPhone Findable After Power Off' because this indicates that powered-off tracking is active.

Having these features configured correctly definitely increases the chances of tracking your phone, even if it is switched off or stolen.

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What to Do If Your iPhone Is Lost or Stolen

If you discover your iPhone is missing, the first and easiest step is to open the Find My app on another Apple device (for instance, your iPad or Mac). Under the 'Devices' tab, you should see your missing iPhone listed even if it is switched off. Tap on it, and its last reported location should appear on the map. If the device is nearby, you can even choose 'Play Sound' to make it ring. This is very useful if it is lost around the home or office.

However, if theft is suspected, the 'Lost Mode' feature can be turned on. This immediately locks the iPhone with your passcode, disables Apple Pay and shows a custom message on the lock screen, for instance, instructions on how to return the phone if found, or a contact number. You can also erase the device remotely, or at least ensure that your data remains protected.

Furthermore, for those without another Apple device on hand, you can log in to iCloud.com/find from any browser. From there, you can still view your linked devices, locate the missing iPhone, place it in Lost Mode, or erase it, though two-factor authentication may require access to a trusted device.

One additional precaution, as per Tom's Guide, you need to keep in mind is that a malicious person might try to disable tracking from the lock screen (for instance by toggling Airplane Mode), it is advisable to go into Settings and then to Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and disable Control Centre access from the lock screen. That way, changes to connection settings which could stop Find My from relaying location cannot be made without unlocking the phone.

However, while the ability to track a switched-off device is powerful and valuable, it is not foolproof. Generally speaking, if the required settings were disabled before the phone was lost or if the phone never belonged to the supported lineup (the feature is available from iPhone 11 onwards), then Find My cannot help. But if you have a new iPhone model, you should definitely make these changes in settings.