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Pagemakers

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 28, 2008
2,899
1,196
Manchester UK
Do location services need to be on for 'find my iphone' to work or can it use the cellular network to locate the phone?

I am finding this service very hit and miss.
 

JNB

macrumors 604
Yes. It uses the GPS.

Found me in my house no probs.

It uses cell triangulation, WiFi location, and/or GPS, depending on which is in use and available at the time. GPS is useless indoors unless the receiver can "see" four or more satellites (generally meaning outdoors or near a southern window), and the receiver/antenna combination in the iPhone is nowhere near the most sensitive available.
 

Pagemakers

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 28, 2008
2,899
1,196
Manchester UK
I'm confused.

If you turn location services off, it would appear to turn find my iphone off in the iphones mobile me settings.

Can you confirm this.

I have had locations services off all day - I've been on wifi and cellular but my phone has never appeared in find my iphone.

The second I turn location services on - like now, it works in seconds. Surely, though Apple can't expect us to leave this service enable 24/7? We'd have no battery life after lunchtime.
 

JNB

macrumors 604
As I understand it, Location Services is not an active broadcast, but rather allows your position to be relayed back to any app that utilizes it when requested. With Edge/3G, WiFi, and/or GPS on, your location is always available. It's just a matter of whether you want that position sent to the requesting app. More of a privacy thing, really.
 

michaelb82

macrumors newbie
Jun 11, 2009
16
0
SYD
Do location services need to be on for 'find my iphone' to work or can it use the cellular network to locate the phone?
Won't let you enable Find My iPhone unless it's on.

IMG_0003.PNG
 

wackymacky

macrumors 68000
Sep 20, 2007
1,546
53
38°39′20″N 27°13′10″W
Which sort of defeats the whole purpose.

You can set a pass-code for content restrictions but not for turning on and off location services.

Surely though, if the Apple server can push a message to the phone they could push a key to the phone to use the GPS chip momentarily to provide information to MobileMe?

Privacy here is not an issue in that 1.) by turning on the feature in Mobile Me you'd accept that apple could track you and 2.) Only you should know your MobleMe account details.
 

nein

macrumors newbie
Apr 16, 2008
20
0
my question is. what if they just shut your phone off. does the find my iphone feature only work if the phone is on?
 

nein

macrumors newbie
Apr 16, 2008
20
0
ah ok here:

"MobileMe will tell you if the iPhone is on or off, if it’s off, then you’ll never find it until it’s turned back on again."
 
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