Find my iPhone without wifi or data question

Question

Find my iPhone without wifi or data question

I'm aware that if you put an iPhone in lost mode when the iPhone is not connected to the internet, it will not be put into lost mode or be trackable until it is connected to the internet again, but what if it is connected to my network (EE), bearing in mind that a data pack/addon is not turned on, what if I buy data for it while it's lost and in lost mode (so buying say a £1 addon from EE), would it then connect to the internet and be locatable then?

To put simply:

iPhone is lost with no wifi connections, but has a signal to EE,

I am at home and visit EE on my laptop to buy a data pack for the phone, thus giving it internet,

I then visit icloud.com and turn on Lost Mode, now that my phone has internet, I should then be able to locate it?

Even if I am right and this is possible, I think FMiP would work better without having to rely on an internet connection, and just be trackable via a phone signal connection. But then I suppose Apple wouldn't be allowed/have access to something only accessible through a phone network(?)

iPhone 6s, iOS 10.3.1

Posted on Apr 27, 2017 1:09 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Michael Black

Level 10

80,521 points

Apr 28, 2017 10:34 AM in response to luvipodbutexpensive

The only way your scenario will work is if the phone is actively connected to the carrier's network, and they can push out the settings to enable data. But if you've never had a data plan, your cellular data setting will be off, and I don't believe the carrier can remotely enable that.

And no Apple cannot possible track a phone by its cellular voice telephone connection. It requires a data connection since the location information is data - there would be nothing for find my iPhone to transmit and no means to send it over a voice telephone connection. Data transmissions require a data connection.

Keep in mind that Apple's server side of find my iPhone does nothing but listen. It is the device itself that actively connects to and sends data to the servers. On the server side, there is no active process seeking out your device - the server side of the system simply waits passively until the device initiates a connection and sends it data.

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

208,896 points

Apr 27, 2017 1:12 PM in response to luvipodbutexpensive

Maybe.

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Answer 3

Apr 28, 2017 10:37 AM in response to Michael Black

I have bought data addons a couple of times, although this was on my previous Android phone. I have not yet bought a data pack for my iPhone yet, although the same sim card is used. I do have the data settings enabled in Settings, but I won't be able to access internet until I buy a data addon 🙂

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