MacBook Air M5 location disappears from Find My when offline

Based on your description, I would investigate this systematically before concluding that your MacBook Air M5 has a hardware problem or that macOS 26.6 contains a bug.

Your MacBook is located correctly while connected to Wi-Fi, but its location disappears completely when it goes offline. You have tested this in busy public places, with the MacBook powered on in your car or backpack, and have already confirmed that Find My Mac, Find My network, Location Services, and Bluetooth are enabled.

The most important question is whether this is a limitation of iCloud.com or a genuine problem with the MacBook's participation in the offline Find My network.

First, I would check Apple's documentation regarding offline finding. Apple distinguishes between Find Devices on iCloud.com and the Find My app. The website displays the last known location for up to 24 hours, whereas the Find My app can retain locations reported through the Find My network for up to seven days.

Locate a device in Find Devices on iCloud.com - Apple Support (CA)

This distinction is important because the absence of a location on iCloud.com does not necessarily prove that the offline Find My network is malfunctioning.

Next, I would verify that the MacBook is genuinely offline. Disconnect it from Wi-Fi and any other internet connection, including Ethernet or a hotspot, while keeping Bluetooth enabled. For the initial test, leave the MacBook powered on and awake. Check whether it remains listed in Find My but displays Offline or No location found.

The next step would be to test the MacBook using the Find My app rather than relying exclusively on iCloud.com. You do not need to own an iPhone for this. If possible, use a trusted person's Apple device, with their permission, to check whether the MacBook's offline location appears in Find My.

If the location appears in the Find My app but not on iCloud.com, this would suggest that the discrepancy is related to the website rather than the MacBook's participation in the network.

If the location is missing from both, I would proceed with further testing.

Although you have already checked the relevant settings, I would verify them again under System Settings > your Apple Account > iCloud > See All → Find My Mac. Confirm that both Find My Mac and Find My network are enabled.

Then check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Make sure Location Services is enabled and that Find My has permission to access location information. Also check System Services for Find My Mac.

Apple's setup instructions are available here:

Set up Find My on Mac - Apple Support (CA)

I would then perform a controlled test. Connect the MacBook to Wi-Fi and confirm that Find My displays its correct location. Disconnect Wi-Fi, leave Bluetooth enabled, and take it to a busy public location. Keep it powered on and awake for approximately 15–30 minutes.

Afterward, reconnect it to Wi-Fi and check Find My again. Repeat this experiment in different locations.

Nearby Apple devices must be participating in the Find My network and successfully detect and relay the MacBook's Bluetooth signal. Therefore, even a busy public place does not guarantee that a location report will be received.

I would also repeat the test with the MacBook asleep and its lid closed. Find My is designed to locate offline Macs, including sleeping devices, but testing while awake first helps eliminate sleep-related variables.

If the MacBook never receives an offline location report, I would restart it and install any newer macOS update available under System Settings > General > Software Update.

If the problem persists, I would contact Apple Support and specifically ask whether they can investigate the MacBook's participation in the offline Find My network, rather than simply confirming that Find My Mac is enabled.

Contact - Official Apple Support

My conclusion is that I would not immediately assume the MacBook is defective. The fact that you use iCloud.com is particularly relevant because its offline-location behavior differs from that of the Find My app.

If the location is missing only from iCloud.com, this may be an expected limitation of the website. If it is also missing from the Find My app after repeated controlled tests, despite the correct configuration, then a macOS 26.6 issue or a problem with the MacBook's Find My network participation becomes a reasonable possibility.

The most useful next step is to test the MacBook's offline location using the Find My app on another Apple device. This should help distinguish a website limitation from a genuine problem with offline finding

Your concern is understandable, and I think there is an important distinction here that Apple's documentation does not  explain particularly well: Find My on iCloud.com does not offer the same functionality as the Find My app on Apple devices.

There are three different things worth distinguishing:

1. Current location: Your MacBook reports its location directly to Apple while connected to the internet.
2. Last known location: Apple retains the last reported location so you can see where your Mac was before it went offline.
3. Offline Find My network location: Nearby Apple devices detect your offline MacBook via Bluetooth and anonymously relay its approximate location to Apple's Find My network.

The third feature is what you are having trouble with.

What does Apple actually support?

Apple's documentation makes a clear distinction between the web interface and the Find My app.

According to Apple's iCloud User Guide – Locate a device in Find Devices on iCloud.com:

• iCloud.com: Shows your Mac's location while it's online. If it goes offline, its last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours.
• Find My app: If Find My network is enabled, you can see your device's location even when it's offline. The last known location is retained for up to seven days.

So, unfortunately, iCloud.com does not provide access to the same offline location functionality as the Find My app.

This is a rather frustrating limitation for someone who owns a Mac but uses Windows or Android as their other devices. Apple provides a web interface, but it does not  expose all the functionality of its Find My network.

Should your MacBook Air M5 be detectable offline?

Yes. The MacBook Air M5 supports the Find My network, which is designed to locate Apple devices even when they're offline.

As explained in Apple's Set up Find My on Mac documentation, the Find My network is an encrypted, anonymous network of Apple devices that can help locate your Mac even when it isn't connected to the internet.

Nearby Apple devices should be able to detect your MacBook over Bluetooth and anonymously report its approximate location.

However, there are two separate things to consider:

• Is your MacBook actually broadcasting Bluetooth signals that nearby Apple devices can detect?
• Are those devices successfully relaying its location, and is that information being displayed in a compatible Find My app?

Since you are only been checking through the website, it is difficult to establish whether the offline Find My network is actually working.

One thing that still does not quite add up

Even though iCloud.com does not support displaying offline Find My network reports, Apple's documentation specifically states that it should retain a device's last known location for up to 24 hours.

In other words, if you use your MacBook on Wi-Fi, leave it somewhere, and check iCloud.com five hours later, you should generally still be able to see its last reported location.

If that location disappears as soon as the MacBook loses its internet connection, that is a separate issue and not simply a limitation of the offline Find My network.

I would also recommend looking at Apple's Use Find My to locate your lost Apple device or AirTag article. It explains how the offline network works and clarifies the difference between a device being offline and having no location available.

How I would ‘nvestigate this further

Before assuming there is a hardware or software problem, it is suggested one simple test:

1. Borrow an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac.
2. Sign into Find My using your Apple Account.
3. Take your MacBook somewhere busy.
4. Disconnect it from Wi-Fi while leaving it powered on.
5. Check whether its location gets updated in the Find My app on the borrowed device.

If the location updates, you will know that the offline Find My network is working and that the main limitation is the web interface.

If it does not, despite repeated tests in places with plenty of Apple devices nearby, I  would contact Apple Support and specifically ask them to investigate offline Find My functionality on your MacBook Air M5.

For reference, Apple's article If your Mac is lost or stolen also confirms that you may still be able to see your Mac's location in the Find My app even when it does not have an internet connection.

My take: Your expectations are perfectly reasonable. The MacBook Air M5 is supposed to support offline finding, and the fact that you do not own an iPhone should not make the underlying feature any less capable.

Apple's web interface is clearly more limited, but that alone does not explain why your last known location disappears immediately after the Mac goes offline. These are two separate issues worth investigating.

Edit...

"MacBook Air M5 location disappears from Find My when offline"

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Troubleshooting Find My on a Mac:

Update your Mac:

Determining which Update(s) will Install:

I. Verify Compatibility:

A. Start Here: Find your Mac Model Name and Serial Number - Apple Support

B. How to Verify:

II. Reveal your Model:

What is the Model of your Mac? To find out...

1. Go to: Apple menu
2. Click: About this Mac
3. View: Second Line-Down

then...

C. See if it is shown here: macOS 27 Golden Gate is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support

then...

D. If Compatible:

1. Back Up your Mac First:  Be certain you Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, so that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reconfiguration.

then...

2. Install the update, restart the Mac, and then back up the Mac once more after the installation is complete: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support

"MacBook Air M5 location disappears from Find My when offline"

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Troubleshooting Find My on a Mac:

Be certain Find My is set up correctly.

1. Set Up: Set up Find My On your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac - Apple Support

2. Add: How to Turn On Find My for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

3. Use: Locate a Device in Find My On Mac - Apple Support