Can iphone be located if turned off

According to academics at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, the location of an iPhone can still be tracked even if the device is out of power or turned off through the use of malware. Since Apple's flagship smartphones are used for many vital tasks, they can still utilize essential functions even without power. One of these functions is locating a device through the company's Find My Network, which can be used when an iPhone is shut down or is out of power. The Find My app shows the location of a lost device on a map and identifies the time it was last connected to the network and can be accessed from another person's phone or on the web. For this reason, it's critical to be able to find an iPhone when it is turned off — but it might pose a security and privacy risk.

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Apple made it possible to locate an iPhone that has been powered down or has a drained battery with a software update in iOS 15. By using the web client mentioned above — accessible through the company's iCloud website — or a secondary device, an offline iPhone can be found on a map for up to 24 hours after it is shut down or runs out of power. That's enough time to realize a device is missing and locate it on the Find My network, making the feature extremely useful. It also provides peace of mind to users who constantly misplace their items or forget to keep their devices fully charged. Unfortunately, however, it's only available on the iPhone 11 lineup or later since it requires Ultra-wideband — and could be exploited with malware.

Related: How To Turn iPhone Location Services On Or Off

A research study conducted by the Technical University of Darmstadt in May 2022 explored a new type of low-power mode found on iPhones running iOS 15. It's common knowledge that some Apple devices come with a Low Power Mode feature that limits the product's power consumption to conserve battery. Users can enable this low power mode feature in an iPhone's settings or through the Control Center, but people might not know there's another kind of low power mode that enables critical functions when a device is out of battery or is shut down. For example, the device does not respond to taps on the screen or movements in this mode. "This mode is either activated when the user switches off their phone or when iOS shuts down automatically due to low battery," the study explains. "If the iPhone was switched off by the user, it turns on when pressing the power button."

Malware Can Run While An iPhone Is Shut Down

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About the Author

Benjamin Mayo

@bzamayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.