Q: How do we make Find My Phone show Macs at new address?

Location Services (including Maps and "Find My Mac") relies on a database of known Wi-Fi access points. You don't have to be connected to a wireless network, but Wi-Fi must be turned on and within range of one of those access points. Otherwise the machine won't be located at all, or the location will be wrong. Sometimes the location will be wrong because the database contains inaccurate data. According to reports, if you connect to a network with an iPhone, its location will be reported to Apple and added to the database after a delay. I can't confirm.

Are you saying connect to the internet using an iPhone's hot spot?

No. An iPhone, unlike other Apple devices, has built-in satellite navigation, and so can locate itself independently of Wi-Fi. It can also send data back to Apple about Wi-Fi base stations in its vicinity. That data is added to the Location Services database. That database now has stale data about your Wi-Fi base station, from when it was at your old location. Until that data is updated, you'll continue to get a false reading from "Find My Mac" when you're at home. But if the computers were to be stolen, they would no longer be in your home and so the readings would probably be accurate.

I've told you all I know. Eventually the database should be updated. I don't know how long it will take, and I don't know of anything else you can do to make it happen sooner. In any case, it doesn't matter much, because when the computers are in your home, you already know where they are without having to use "Find My Mac."

pattyfrompahrump wrote:

 

I thought someone might be able to tell me how to correct the issue.  Thank you for your time and input!!

There’s nothing you can do to correct the issue. Desktop and Laptop Macs do not have GPS radios in them so they have no way of finding out where they are. They can only get their approximate locations using the database Linc described. If WiFi networks in proximity to your new location are not in this database then location services cannot approximate your location. It’s a hit or miss and imperfect solution but it’s the only way a desktop or laptop can know where they are.

And as Linc also implies, if your Macs are stolen there’s no way to locate them using Find My Mac anyway because they don’t have GPS but rely on WiFi. Using locations services on a Mac is mainly for mapping, shopping, etc., not as a security feature.

On your iOS devices check the settings 'General > About > Diagnostics & Usage'.

Allow Apple to receive diagnostic data.

That is used by Apple to see what wifi stations are around your device that is combined with the GPS from the device & it eventually should cause Apples database of wifi locations to update.

When you moved did you take your wifi access point with you - that would explain why the location is incorrect for devices that only have wifi to use for locations. It's just a waiting game I'm afraid.

Contrary to what you were just told, you can locate a stolen Mac if the thief connects to Wi-Fi, or even just turns on the machine when Wi-Fi is active and in range of a known access point. Otherwise it wouldn't be of much use.