If you have an iPhone and need to locate it, the Find My iPhone app is a great way to do so. It can help you find your device if it’s been misplaced, stolen, or just lost in the house. But what does “live” mean when you use the app? Let’s take a look.
What is Find My iPhone?
Find My iPhone is an app created by Apple that allows users to locate their iOS device on a map in real-time. Its functions including
- Tracking down the device’s current location
- Displaying its battery level
- Playing sounds through their phone
What Does “Live” Mean?
When using the Find My iPhone app, you will see two different statuses for your device – “Live” and “Offline.”
When your device is labeled as live, this means that your phone is currently connected to the internet via either WiFi or cellular data connection. It can be located on the map with relative accuracy. When your device is labeled as offline, this means that it has been disconnected from any form of internet connection. You may not be able to local it until it reconnects to a network.
How to Enable Live Location on Find My iPhone?
To enable Live Location on the Find My app for iPhone, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap Privacy.
- Tap Location Services.
- Make sure that Location Services is turned on by toggling the switch at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap Find My.
- Tap Find My iPhone.
- Ensure that the Find My iPhone toggle is turned on.
- Turn on Share My Location by toggling the switch.
Now that you’ve enabled Live Location, you can use the Find My app to share your location with friends or family members.
How to Find People with Live on Find My?
If someone has shared their location with you but you don’t see them in the People tab, you can also search for them using the following steps:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Start Sharing Location or the “+” icon at the top right corner.
- Enter the name, phone number, or email address of the person with whom you want to share your location.
- Select the person from the search results, and tap Send.
- Choose the duration for which you want to share your location: one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.
- Tap OK to confirm.
Keep in mind that you can only view the live location of people who have explicitly shared their location with you through the Find My app.
Please note that location sharing depends on the other person’s consent, and they can stop sharing their location with you at any time.
How to Turn Off Live on Find My?
To stop sharing your live location on the Find My app, follow these steps:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Find your name or icon at the top of the list. Tap on it to open your profile.
- In your profile, tap Stop Sharing My Location.
- A confirmation message will appear. Tap Stop to confirm that you want to stop sharing your live location.
After completing these steps, your live location will no longer be visible to those with whom you previously shared it.
How to Deactivate Friend Requests for Live on Find My？
Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct option to deactivate friend requests for live location sharing in the Find My app. However, you can control who can see your location by managing your location-sharing preferences.
If you don’t want to share your device location with anyone, you can turn off your “Share My Location”.Then no one will be able to send you location-sharing requests via the Find My app.
If you receive a location-sharing request from someone you don’t want to share your location with, you can simply decline their request:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
- If you have a pending location-sharing request, you’ll see a notification at the top of the screen.
- Tap the notification to view the request details.
- Choose Decline to reject the request.
If you want to stop sharing your location with a specific person, follow these steps instead:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Find the person with whom you want to stop sharing your location and tap on their name.
- Scroll down in their profile and tap Stop Sharing My Location.
- A confirmation message will appear. Tap Stop to confirm that you want to stop sharing your live location with this person.
Remember that you always have control over who you share your location with. And you can stop sharing your location with specific people or everyone at any time.
What Does No Location Found Mean on Find My?
When you see “No Location Found” on the Find My app, it means that the app is unable to determine the current location of the device or person you are trying to locate. This can occur due to several reasons:
The device is turned off or offline
If the device you’re trying to locate is switched off, in Airplane mode, or has no internet connection, the Find My app won’t be able to determine its location.
Location Services disabled
If Location Services are turned off on the device you’re trying to locate, the Find My app cannot access its location data.
Share My Location is disabled
For people, if the person you’re trying to locate has disabled the Share My Location feature in their settings, you won’t be able to see their location in the Find My app.
Insufficient GPS signal
The device’s location may not be found if it’s in an area with a poor GPS signal, such as indoors, underground, or surrounded by tall buildings.
Privacy settings
The person you’re trying to locate may have stopped sharing their location with you, either temporarily or permanently.
Battery saving mode
If the device you’re trying to locate is in a battery-saving mode like Low Power Mode on iPhones, the Find My app may not be able to update the device’s location as frequently as usual.
How to Resolve the “No Location Found” Issue?
To resolve the “No Location Found” issue, you can try the following:
- Ask the person you’re trying to locate to check their device’s settings. And make sure Location Services are enabled and Share My Location is turned on.
- Ensure that the device you’re trying to locate has an active internet connection.
- Wait for some time and try again, as the device might regain the GPS signal or reconnect to the internet.
- If you’re trying to locate your own device, sign in to your Apple ID on another device. Or use iCloud.com to see if the location becomes available.
Conclusion:
The Find My iPhone feature of Apple devices provides users with an easy way to locate their phones. Knowing what “live” means when using this app helps users understand which devices are currently connected to the internet. Therefore, it is easier to locate them in real-time if they become misplaced or stolen.