A lost iPhone can be found with another device – even without having to identify yourself using two-factor authentication.
Question: Recently we had the big drama in the family: A child lost his beloved iPhone together with the bunch of keys, which even had an AirTag attached to it. But neither of us could start with “Where is?” locate because we didn’t have a third device with the same Apple ID.
Mac & i replies: In such a case, of course, Apple’s “Where is?” app works. Not. However, you can log in to icloud.com with another device using a web browser and the appropriate Apple ID. If, like in your case, there isn’t another device nearby that allows you to verify two-factor authentication with a passcode, tap “Or quick access: Find iPhone” below.
You can then select the device you are looking for from all Apple-registered devices that are linked to the Apple ID and then have it play a sound as usual, mark the device as lost and so on. However, this method does not work with AirTags, which can only be located using the where-is app due to the integrated encryption.
By the way: Add the Apple IDs of your children and other parents under “Apple ID > Family Sharing”, you can use the devices with your Apple ID in “Find My?” locate directly in the future.
