Fix Accuracy Detect not working on iPhone

2 hours ago

3 minutes read

Go through these quick tips if you can’t pinpoint the exact location of your AirTag, AirPods case, or people who have shared their location with you.

Using Accurate Find on iPhone

Using Accurate Detection

Before we go any further, here’s a primer on how to use Precision Finding:

Open the Get my app on your iPhone.
Choose an AirTag, AirPods Pro (2 or 3), or someone with an iPhone 15 or newer who shares their location with you.
Tap Find out then follow the instructions to find your item or friend. note that Find out is replaced by Directions if you are too far apart.

Finding people using Precision Finding on iPhone

Accurate Finding shows an arrow and instructions on the iPhone screen that point to where to go to find the AirTag, AirPods, or iPhone user. It also shows how far they are, so you can get an estimate and move accordingly.

Generally, this process works reliably. But in some cases, your iPhone may not be able to establish a connection with AirTag or AirPods. Sometimes, you will see a weak signal message on the screen even though you know you are close to the AirTag. And rarely, buttons (speaker, flashlight, message, again close X) on the Precision Detection screen may be unreliable.

Here are some quick tips to solve these problems.

The basics

Try to go to the room or place where you think the lost item might be placed. Your iPhone can connect to a lost AirTag, AirPods case, or someone’s iPhone when you’re within 30 to 50 feet of it.
Go to iPhone Settings (not Control Center) and turn off Bluetooth. Then wait for 10 seconds and turn on Bluetooth.
Toggle Airplane mode on and off in the iOS Control Center or the Settings app.
Force quit and reopen the Find My app.
Restart your iPhone.
Make sure your AirTag battery is not low.

Check local settings

Precision Finding works even if location services are completely turned off on your iPhone. However, for the best Find My app experience, head over to the iPhone Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services and make sure it’s on. Then, click Find Myand open Direct Location.

Restart the other device

If Accurate Discovery still fails even after restarting your iPhone, restart another device. Of course, you will be able to do this only after you get the item in another way.

Replaces AirTag for GIF battery

AirPods: Keep both AirPods in the case and leave them for a few minutes. Connect the case to the charger if its battery is low.
iPhone: Restart the other phone to ensure that Accurate Find is working reliably.

Review everything

Update the iPhone, AirPods, and AirTag in question if they are not on the latest software or firmware version.

Reset iPhone settings

In case you can’t use Precise Finding, go to iOS Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and reset all settings. This will not delete apps, photos, videos, or other personal data, but will reset all settings.

Reset to factory settings

Finally, if nothing works, consider resetting your AirTags or AirPods Pro. After that, set them up again, and tracking should work fine now.

Precision Finding works on these devices

Apple’s U1 or U2 Ultra Wideband chip enables Precision Finding for location awareness, allowing devices to determine their relative position.

Ultra Wideband chip is available in these devices.

U1 chip (first generation):

iPhone 11 to iPhone 14
iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)
iPhone 16e
iPhone 17e
AirTag (first generation)
MagSafe charging case for AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8
Apple Watch Ultra

U2 chip (second generation):

iPhone 15 and later
iPhone Air
AirTag (first generation)
MagSafe charging case for AirPods Pro (third generation)
Apple Watch Series 9 and later
Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later

Note:

Using Precision Finding to find people is only available on iPhones with the U2 chip.
If you are in Japan, new iPhones with a U2 chip will have U1 chip performance due to the unavailability of other Ultra Wideband frequencies.