How accurate is the Find my IPad app?

There are many factors that can influence accuracy of position information displayed within Apple's Find My App.

Apple's Find My network uses many sources of data with which to locate a device - including, but not limited to, position data reported by the device itself while the device has an active WiFi or Cellular network connection. Apple's Find My Network also uses other Apple devices, in close proximity (typically within 10m) with which to anonymously detect and report to Apple the location of devices that have been set to "lost mode" by their owner.

Unlike WiFi Only models of iPad, WiFi+Cellular models have GNSS/GPS positioning capabilities - which, with good satellite reception, has the capability of providing accurate location to within a few metres (m); with poor geometry, computed accuracy may be tens-of-metres from the actual location.

WiFi+Cellular models can also use detected Cellular networks to derive approximate location data - whether or not the device has an active Cellular plan with a Cellular Operator. All Cellular base-sites transmit unique identifiers that can help with computing an approximate derived location.

All iPad models, WiFi+Cellular and WiFi Only alike, can also infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of the public IP address with which they have an Internet connection. For static applications in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate. However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be grossly inaccurate. 

When using the Find My App, device location will be shown with an associated circle - within which the device is very likely to be located while the device itself has an active network location with which to report its location data. If the device does not have an active network connection, you will see the last known inferred/reported location.

A useful feature of the Find My App is the ability to have a device "play a sound". Assuming that the lost device is turned-on, when close proximity of where the device is believed to be located, playing a sound can aid with location of the device - this being particularly helpful when locating a device that may be concealed.

If you can hear the device when your trigger sound, you know its close. For devices that are already in "lost mode", this feature can be triggered though other devices Apple devices that are in close proximity that are themselves anonymously participating in Apple's Find My Network.

Locate a device in Find My on iPad - Apple Support

Here is Apple’s advice for lost or stolen devices:

If your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch is lost or stolen – Apple Support

Use the Find My app to locate a lost or stolen device – Apple Support

If the Find My iPad feature was enabled prior to it being “misplaced”, then if active, you would stand a good chance of locating it. 

However, if the feature was not activated prior to being misplaced - or the iPad has been inactive for more than 24 hours, the last known location will not be available - and the opportunity to use technical means to recover the iPad have been lost.

if it's the wifi only ipad then it does not have gps so it has to ask the wifi router it's connected to if it has a location and if it does not then it has to ask the router it itself is connected to if it has a location and so forth

so not that accurate

if the cellular model then it has gps but gps really needs a line of sight to the satellites pref 3 in order to have maximum accuracy, if it's inside a concrete building without being close to a window this can make it less accurate.

Thanks so much, this response was really helpful as ****. My ipad (only with wifi) is missing and I just put Find My Ipad, and it’s near my office, on the parking lot just 3/4 metres behind. When I saw “precise accuracy of the signal by the satellite”, I thought it was on the parking lot. So it can really be inside because 3/4 metres and the ipad is inside my office 😂. I can be assured and avoid rushing back there to be sure