Apple’s Find My application is one of the major breakthroughs in device tracking technologies. Not only does it continuously track all of your Apple devices, but you can also track your friends and family who have shared their location with you.
However, is it accurate enough? Or can “Find My” give an incorrect location sometimes? Unfortunately, Yes. Like any technology, “Find My iPhone” can be wrong sometimes and provide inaccurate location information.
But why does it happen? Well, factors like Cell tower disruption, Wi-Fi issues, or weak GPS can interfere with Find My’s location tracing services. Follow this post to better understand your iPhone’s Find My application.
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Why Does Find My iPhone Show Incorrect Location?
Apple’s Find My application uses a combination of the GNSS
(a combination of US GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou systems), Cell tower location, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi signals to track any device.
That’s why you can even track the location of any Apple device, even if they are offline, as long as they have enough battery. However, you get an inaccurate location when these sensors can’t work together or cannot upload the location info to your iCloud.
Inaccurate “Find My” location issues can also happen for several reasons, such as:
Your iPhone uses Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth connections to find where your devices are. This is quicker than just using GPS satellites.
But, sometimes, the Find My app can’t get the location perfectly right for factors like the surrounding land, buildings, magnetic metals, etc. In the worst case, the location could even be off by miles.
2. Known Wi-Fi
Another thing that can mess up your phone’s location is the Saved Wi-Fi networks. Your iPhone saves the location of your saved Wi-Fi and uploads it to iCloud. So, when you’re on that Wi-Fi, the “Find My” app thinks you’re at home. Sounds helpful, right?
But, if you move and bring your Wi-Fi, the app will still think you’re at the old place for a bit.
During that time, you or your family members get incorrect location info.
3. Network Issue
If you’ve previously used Find My to track your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, the app saves that location in iCloud.
But if your device couldn’t send the newest location to iCloud for lack of an internet connection, you will see the old location in the App.
And if the location isn’t updated after 24 hours, you won’t even see this last known location again.
4. Quick Movement
The Find My application will show an inaccurate location if you are in a car or train and moving too quickly from one place to another. Because when you are moving too quickly, neither the cell tower nor the GPS can trace your phone.
Also, the app can’t send the location info to iCloud due to not having a proper network.
5. Wrong Date & Time
Messing with your phone’s date and time settings can confuse the Find My app. When the time is incorrect, your phone can’t figure out where you were and when.
So, if you tweak the date and time settings, your location on Find My iPhone can get all mixed up.
How To Get More Accurate Location In Find My App?
There are several settings, like Precise Location, Last Location, etc., that can affect the location preciseness of your iPhone. And if you don’t customize them properly, the Find My app won’t be able to locate your device.
Here’s the process to tweak the location settings properly:
1. Enable Precise Location
The Precise location allows all of your sensors to determine the specific location. So you need to enable this option for the Find My app. Here’s the process:
- Go to your iPhone Settings > Privacy.
- Click on Location Services.
- Toggle on the Location Services option and click on Find My.
- Turn on the Precise Location from the bottom.
And now, Find My can pinpoint your device in the Apple Map.
2. Turn on the Last Location option
When you turn on the Last Location option, your device will send its location to Apple before the battery dies. This is handy if you lose your device and it’s about to run out of battery. To enable it:
- Open “Settings” on your device and tap on your “Account name.”
- Select “Find My” then click “Find My iPhone.”
- Toggle on the “Send Last Location” option.
After completing this process, your family members will get an accurate location of your device through the Find My app.
3. Clear Significant Location History
The Significant Location services allow your iPhone to save frequently visited places and give you location-related information. So you need to turn it on.
However, these histories can provide inaccurate location information when you change places but keep the same connection. To avoid this problem, you need to clear significant location history. Use this process to do so:
- Open your device’s “Settings.”
- Tap on “Privacy.” and select “Location Services.”
- Scroll down and tap on “System Services.”
- Choose “Significant Locations.”
- Scroll to the history section of the page.
- Tap on “Clear History.”
After that, the phone will collect the fresh locations around your surroundings and track you more carefully.
The Share My Location option gives the Find My app access to your position, which helps you get an accurate point of your device in Apple Maps. To enable Share My Location:
- Open Settings and click on your username.
- Touch on Find My and turn on the Share My Location slider.
5. Reset Location Services
When your iPhone continuously gives you incorrect locations, you need to reset the Location Services. It will clear any errors from your iPhone’s positioning sensors. Here are the steps:
- Go to the General menu in your iPhone Settings.
- Click on the Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Select Reset and choose Reset Network settings.
This process will reset all the network drivers. So, the Find My app will get more precise location data from the cell towers.
You should also reset the location & privacy using the same method to remove any errors on those s
6. Set Automatic Date & Time
Changing the time and date on your phone can make Find My iPhone unsure of where and when you are. When you mess with these settings, your location on Find My iPhone might get all mixed up. To avoid this, follow these steps:
- Open your iPhone’s Settings.
- Go to General > Date and Time.
- Turn on the “Set Automatically” option.
When you choose the “Set Automatically” option in the Date & Time section, the location will update as per the time zone.
Can You Mask/Hide Your Location On Find My iPhone?
Find My’s super-accurate location system can pinpoint your device. But sometimes, when people you know have access to your location, they can mess up your plans and privacy.
Suppose You’re having a super romantic dinner with your date, and suddenly, your friends crash the party using Find My’s location sharing. It’s a buzzkill—Neither you can’t have a nice time with your date, nor you can’t ask your friends to leave.
To avoid such situations, you can use iAnyGo. It can constantly change your location, even when you’re at the movies. Here’s the process
- Download and open Tenorshare iAnyGo
on your computer. - Tap the Enter option in the popup window.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB.
- When prompted, tap “Trust.”
- Type in the specific location where you want to pretend you are in the address bar.
- Click “Start to Modify.”
Once you complete these steps, your location in the Find My app will keep changing, keeping your plans and privacy intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here, I’ve gathered some common questions about the iPhone’s Find My app. These answers should clear up the confusing doubts that have been bothering you.
How Accurate Is The iPhone Location?
The iPhone’s “Find My iPhone” feature is pretty accurate. It can pinpoint your device’s location within a few meters. The reason it’s so accurate is that the app combines GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cell signals to figure out where your device is. Then, it displays this precise location on the Maps.
Can My iPhone Be Tracked If The Device Is Off?
Yes, it’s still possible to track your iPhone even if you turn off your iPhone. Because Apple’s Find My app can use Bluetooth waves to find your iPhone, even if it’s not connected to the internet.
Can An iPhone Be Tracked In Airplane Mode?
No, the Find My service won’t work either if airplane mode is on and there’s no Wi-Fi connection. It can only display the phone’s last known location from when it was last connected to the internet.
Conclusion
And there you have it. After reading this article, I’m sure you’ve got your answers. However, when you face location issues with your iPhone, you need to go to an open space like the rooftop or park/side of the road.
Because in the open spaces, the sensors can easily pick up the location without any blockage. Have a good day!