iPad not updating location in FindMy, until turned on

Question

Level 1

8 points

iPad not updating location in FindMy, until turned on

I track many devices (ipads, iPhones, AirTags) using FindMy.

Repeated attempts to locate one of our ipads today resulted in “no location found” (or similar). As soon as we turned the ipad on, it showed up.

Oh, and the ipad had been used just a few hours earlier

I assumed there was a setting that needed to be adjusted, but I don’t see anything.

This can’t be the intended functionality.

Can anyone advise?

Also, I’m absolutely blown away that Apple only displays last known location for 24 hours! Terrible IMO (even thought this isn’t the issue in my case above).

iPad Pro, 12.9-inch, 6th Gen, Wi-Fi

Posted on Feb 17, 2023 4:28 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Chris_V89

Community Specialist

Feb 19, 2023 2:47 PM in response to digihomer

Hey there digihomer,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities.

To get started, do you have Find My Network enabled on your iPad in Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPad? If not this setting would need to be enabled to allow your iPad to be seen on the Find My app while it's powered off, or offline.

For more details, check out this link here: Set up Find My on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac - Apple Support

How to turn on Find My for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name, then tap Find My.

3. If you want friends and family to know where you are, turn on Share My Location.

4. Tap Find My [device], then turn on Find My [device].

5. To see your device even when it's offline, turn on Find My network.*

6. To have the location of your device sent to Apple when the battery is low, turn on Send Last Location.

If you want to be able to find your lost device on a map, make sure that Location Services is turned on. To do this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and turn on Location Services.

Let us know if that's able to help, or if you already have these settings enabled. We'll continue from there.

Have a great day!

Reply

Answer 2

Feb 19, 2023 3:05 PM in response to digihomer

Apple does NOT track you or your devices continuously.

It “Finds” your device ONLY when FindMy - or a friend with whom you’ve shared your location - explicitly asks it to do so.

If your device is turned off, it generally can’t be “found.”

IF there is a properly-configured “cooperative relaying” Apple device VERY close-by AND it has network connectivity AND your iPad is properly configured as well … it MIGHT be found for 24 hrs after it’s turned off using the “offline finding” technology (it depends on a lot of “IF’s”)

The “Last Known Location” is a special marker placed by the device itself on Apple’s FindMy servers when it’s battery reaches critical low when the device it turned-on.

Since you’re “blown away” by this longstanding - privacy-protecting - behavior of FindMy, you can always let Apple know at https://feedback.apple.com/

Reply

iPad not updating location in FindMy, until turned on

Similar questions