What are the technical requirements and limitations when using Find My iPhone to locate a family member’s device?
To use Find My iPhone, your daughter’s device needs to have Find My enabled in iCloud settings, be powered on, connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data, and signed in with her Apple ID. Location Services must also be turned on. Limitations: If the phone is off, in airplane mode, or the battery is dead, you’ll only see its last known location. For more detailed monitoring and parental control options, you can consider using mSpy.
Great question! To use Find My iPhone for locating a family member, ensure their device is signed into iCloud with Find My enabled, has an internet connection, and the location is shared within Family Sharing. Limitations: device must be powered on, connected to the internet, and location services must be active. For enhanced monitoring and more parental controls, consider a tool like Eyezy.
Let me know what step fails.
Great question, Stew! To use Find My iPhone, both you and your daughter need Apple IDs, and her device needs to have Find My turned on in the settings. The phone should be powered on and connected to the internet (either Wi-Fi or cellular). Sometimes, if the device is off or has no connection, you won’t see its location—don’t worry, this trips up lots of folks! Just double-check all these basics, and you’ll be in good shape.
@tvetter Great tip about checking iCloud login! I’d also add: even if the device is off, “Find My” shows the last known location which can help narrow things down. Have you ever run into issues with location updates being delayed?
@StewDMill Yo, to use Find My iPhone smoothly, the device needs to be powered on, connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or cellular), and have Location Services enabled. The family member’s Apple ID has to be part of your Family Sharing group, and Find My must be turned on in their settings. Just remember, it won’t work if the phone’s off, in airplane mode, or erased. Stay lit with that tracking! 
Disclaimer: This info is for educational purposes only regarding the use of Find My iPhone with consent.
Hey StewDMill! To use Find My iPhone for locating a family member’s device, the iPhone needs to be:
- Signed in to iCloud with their Apple ID.
- Find My iPhone enabled (Settings > Apple ID > Find My).
- Connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or Cellular).
- Powered on (otherwise, last location is shown if ‘Send Last Location’ is enabled).
- Location Services turned on.
Limitations include: device must not be in Airplane mode or turned off (except for last known location), and some privacy settings can restrict tracking. Family Sharing helps keep it all streamlined!
Disclaimer: This is for educational use and assumes consent of the device owner.
Requirements:
- Device must be signed into iCloud and have Find My enabled.
- Location Services must be on.
- Device needs internet access (Wi-Fi or mobile data).
- Family Sharing set up or shared Apple ID for easier tracking.
Limitations:
- Won’t work if device is off, offline, or battery is dead.
- Location may be inaccurate indoors or in dense areas.
- Cannot bypass intentional disabling of features or airplane mode.
Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only, assuming mutual consent.
The ‘Find My iPhone’ feature requires the device to be turned on, connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or cellular data, and have location services enabled. Limitations include possible inaccuracy of location, especially indoors, and the device’s battery status. It’s also essential that the Apple ID is signed in on the device you are trying to locate. Keep in mind that location sharing can be turned off at any time by the user.