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User profile for user: D_Loo
D_Loo Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Find iPhone with an eSIM and powered off

I was told by a mobile sales rep that having an eSIM will enable one to track your iPhone even when it's powered off.


When you go into Settings>You ID>Find My>Find My iPhone

Under "Find My network", there is text that states "Participating in the Find My network lets you locate this iPhone even when it's offline and after power off."


So I have an eSIM in my iPhone 12 mini which is running iOS 15.0.2.

However, when I power it off and log into iCloud to use the Find iPhone app, it only gives the last known location when it was powered on. It doesn't show the current/ real time location.


I've spoken to two Apple advisors via chat that said the phone must be powered on to do real time tracking.

They sent me link to read but nothing is covered on this exact topic.


The text I mentioned above would imply that you should be able to see it real time with power off.


Can someone please clarify?

Is my phone/ eSIM just not working properly?


Thanks

iPhone 12 mini

Posted on Jan 23, 2022 4:52 PM

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
123,133 points

Posted on Jan 23, 2022 5:08 PM

Additionally, the use of a SIM or eSIM is utterly and entirely unrelated to any of the rest of this discussion.


When configured to locate while powered down, the iPhone operates very much akin to an AirTag.


This feature works with the UWB Bluetooth support present in iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.


And this stuff is not tied to the eSIM.

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
123,133 points

Jan 23, 2022 5:08 PM in response to D_Loo

Additionally, the use of a SIM or eSIM is utterly and entirely unrelated to any of the rest of this discussion.


When configured to locate while powered down, the iPhone operates very much akin to an AirTag.


This feature works with the UWB Bluetooth support present in iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.


And this stuff is not tied to the eSIM.

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User profile for user: Lawrence Finch
Lawrence Finch
User level: Level 10
208,450 points

Jan 23, 2022 4:56 PM in response to D_Loo

When the phone is powered off it depends on the Find My network, which means other iPhones detect your phone via Bluetooth for a while (until the battery runs down) and report to Apple, which updates the phone’s location. It cannot do real time tracking, and depends on “crowd-sourced” reports when other iPhones are near your powered off phone.

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Find iPhone with an eSIM and powered off

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