What "No Location Found" means and why it happens
Find My shows "No Location Found" when your device cannot reach the person or device you are looking for, or when location services are turned off on their end. This is not a glitch — it is the app telling you that either the target device is not sending its location, the network connection is too weak, or location sharing has been disabled.
The most common reason is that location services are off on the device you are trying to find. If someone shared their location with you but then turned off location services in their settings, Find My cannot see where they are. The second most common reason is that the device is offline — no Wi-Fi, no cellular signal, no location data to send.
A third possibility is that the person you are trying to find has turned off location sharing specifically for you, or has stopped sharing altogether. Find My requires active permission from the other person; if they revoke it, you will see "No Location Found" even if their device is on and connected.
Key Takeaways
- Location services must be turned on on the device you are trying to find, not just on your own device.
- The device you are searching for needs an active internet connection — Wi-Fi or cellular — to send its location.
- The person who owns the device must have actively shared their location with you and not revoked that permission.
- Restarting the device you are trying to find often fixes "No Location Found" when the connection has stalled.
- If the device is offline or powered off, Find My cannot locate it, and you will need to wait until it reconnects.
Check location services on the device you are trying to find
Ask the person who owns the device to open Settings, then go to Privacy or Location Services (the exact name depends on whether it is iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows). Location services must be turned on at the system level — not just in the Find My app itself. If location services are off, Find My cannot work, no matter what else is configured correctly.
On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and make sure the toggle is on. On Mac, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. On Android, go to Settings > Location and turn on location services. On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location and turn on location access.
Once location services are on, ask them to open the Find My app (or Find My Mobile on Android) and confirm that location sharing is turned on for you specifically. They should see your name in their sharing list. If you are not there, they need to add you again.
Restart the device and check the internet connection
A device that is offline cannot send its location. Ask the person to check whether they have Wi-Fi or cellular signal. If they are in an area with no coverage, Find My will show "No Location Found" until they move to a place with a connection.
If they do have a connection but Find My still shows no location, ask them to restart their device. A restart clears temporary glitches that can prevent location data from being sent. On iPhone, hold the power button and slide to power off, wait 10 seconds, then power back on. On Android, hold the power button and tap Restart. On Mac, click the Apple menu and select Restart. On Windows, click the Start button and select Restart.
After the restart, wait 30 seconds to a minute for the device to reconnect to the network and send its location to Find My. Sometimes the location takes a moment to appear after a restart.
Verify location sharing is active and not revoked
Find My requires the other person to actively share their location with you. If they have turned off sharing — either for everyone or for you specifically — you will see "No Location Found" even if their device is on and connected.
Ask them to open Find My (or Find My Mobile on Android), go to the People tab, and check whether they are sharing with you. Your name should appear in their sharing list with a toggle that is turned on. If the toggle is off, they have paused sharing. If your name is not in the list at all, they have not set up sharing with you, or they removed you.
If sharing is off, ask them to turn it back on. On iPhone, they tap their name in the People tab and toggle on "Share My Location". On Android, they open Find My Mobile, go to Share My Location, and add your account. On Mac and Windows, the process is similar — open Find My, go to People, and enable sharing for your account.
Check whether the device is powered off or in airplane mode
A device that is powered off or in airplane mode cannot send location data. Airplane mode disables all wireless connections, including the ones Find My needs to work. If the person you are trying to find has airplane mode on, you will see "No Location Found".
Ask them to check the Control Center (on iPhone and iPad, swipe down from the top right; on Android, swipe down twice from the top). If airplane mode is on, they will see an airplane icon. They should tap it to turn airplane mode off. Once airplane mode is off and the device reconnects to the network, Find My should show their location within a minute or two.
Look for location accuracy issues on older or distant devices
Find My relies on GPS, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular towers to pinpoint a device. In areas with weak signals — underground, in dense buildings, or in rural areas — the location may be inaccurate or slow to update. This is not the same as "No Location Found", but it can feel similar if the location shown is very far from where the person actually is.
If the device is in a basement, a parking garage, or a remote area, ask the person to move to a location with better signal. GPS works best outdoors with a clear view of the sky. If they move to a better location and the signal improves, Find My will update their location more accurately.
On very old devices or devices with low battery, location services may also be slower or less reliable. If the device is below 20 percent battery, location updates may pause to save power. Ask them to charge the device if possible.
Confirm Find My is set up correctly on your device
While "No Location Found" usually means the other device has a problem, it is worth checking that Find My is set up on your end too. On iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My and make sure Find My iPhone is turned on. On Mac, go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and make sure Find My Mac is on. On Android, open Find My Mobile and make sure it is enabled.
Also check that you have location services turned on on your own device. Find My works better when both devices have location services active. If your device does not have location services on, it may have trouble connecting to the other device's location data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find someone's location if they have turned off location services?
No. If location services are off on their device, Find My cannot see their location, and you will see "No Location Found". Location services must be on on their device for Find My to work. You can ask them to turn it on, but you cannot force it remotely.
Does "No Location Found" mean the device is broken?
Not necessarily. It usually means the device is offline, location services are off, or location sharing has been disabled. A broken device would typically show other signs — it would not turn on, or the screen would be damaged. Start by checking the connection and location settings before assuming hardware failure.
How long does it take for Find My to show a location after the device comes back online?
Usually 30 seconds to two minutes. Once the device reconnects to Wi-Fi or cellular, it sends its location to Find My, and the app updates. If it takes longer than five minutes, try restarting the device you are trying to find.
Will Find My work if the person's phone is in airplane mode?
No. Airplane mode turns off all wireless connections, so the device cannot send its location. Ask them to turn off airplane mode in the Control Center. Once airplane mode is off, Find My should work again within a minute or two.
What if the person has blocked me or removed me from their sharing list?
If they have removed you from their sharing list, you will see "No Location Found" and there is no way to see their location without their permission. You would need to ask them to add you back to their sharing list. If they have blocked you, you will not be able to see their location at all.