Precision Finding Not Working With AirTags? Here’s How to Fix

Are you unable to get Precision Finding to work on your iPhone? Maybe, you’re seeing the Directions option instead of “Find” in the Find My app? These are potential issues that new AirTags owners may come across, but it’s a fairly simple fix.

One of the standout features of Apple’s new AirTags is the Precision Finding feature. It gives iPhone users a unique way to pinpoint the location of their AirTag with the Find My service. What a lot of users seem to overlook is the fact that this particular feature relies on the Apple U1 chip isn’t available on all iPhones. Apart from that, their location settings can also prevent them from taking advantage of Precision Finding.

Trying to figure out what you can possibly do to get out of this sticky situation? No problem. Here, we’ll be guiding you through two troubleshooting steps that can potentially fix the Precision Finding issues that you’re facing with the AirTags.

Troubleshooting AirTags Precision Finding on iPhone

To keep this simple, there are two possible reasons why you’re unable to use Precision Finding on your device. You either don’t have a compatible device or your location settings aren’t configured correctly for the feature to work. Let’s take a look:

Check if You Have a Compatible Device

Let’s get one thing out the way. None of the iPad models pack the Apple U1 chip and this applies to the latest M1-powered iPad Pros as well. When it comes to iPhones, here are the supported models, basically any iPhone 11 or newer:

• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11

Didn’t find your iPhone in this list? Well, you’re out of luck. If you really want to use this feature, you’ll need to upgrade your iPhone. Also, some of you may be wondering if the Apple Watch Series 6 is supported since it packs the U1 chip. Unfortunately, it’s not supported too at the moment, but it’s very likely that this may in a future watchOS update.

Turn On  Precise Location

As mentioned earlier, your location settings matter the most when it comes to using Precision Finding on your iPhone. You may be a privacy buff who stops apps from using your precise location and share the approximate location instead. This means that Find My won’t be able to precisely track your AirTag’s whereabouts. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to “Settings” from the home screen of your iPhone or iPad. In the settings menu, scroll down and tap on “Privacy”.
   
   
2. Next, tap on “Location Services” right at the top. Just make sure this is turned on as well before you go to the next step.
   
   
3. Here, scroll down below and select the Find My app located along with the rest of the installed apps.
   
   
4. Now, make sure the option “While Using the App” is selected for Allow Location Access and enable the toggle for “Precise Location”.
   
   

You’re all set now. Find My app will now have full access to your location whenever you’re using it.

Now, all you need to do is launch the Find My app and check if you can see the “Find” option upon selecting your AirTag from the Items section. Try it out and see if it’s functioning as intended now. You should’ve technically fixed the issue at this point.

However, if you’re still not able to get Precision Finding to work, it’s highly likely that you’re not within the Bluetooth range of the AirTag which is roughly about 10 meters (or 33 feet). So double-check this before you try it out.

Apple’s Precision Finding feature is what makes the AirTags stand out from the rest of the competition. It works seamlessly most of the time and almost feels natural when you use it to find your missing AirTag that’s nearby.

We hope you finally managed to use Precision Finding on your iPhone to locate your nearby AirTag. How many AirTags do you have right now? What all accessories do you use them with? Share with us your first impressions, experiences, and make sure to drop your personal opinions in the comments section down below.