Your iPhone has a very handy option called Notify When Left Behind that automatically alerts you when you leave your Apple devices at an unknown location. Unfortunately, Notify When Left Behind may sometimes stop working. Disabling and re-enabling the feature doesn’t always solve the problem. Let’s explore what else you can do to fix this issue.
Contents
Notify When Left Behind Won’t Work
Check if Your Device Is Supported
Update Your Devices
Share iPhone Location
Remove Exceptions
Unpair Your Devices
Reset Your Apple Devices
Conclusion
Notify When Left Behind Won’t Work
⇒ Note: The separation notification triggers when you’re 300 feet (100 meters) away from the device you left behind. If you haven’t received any notification yet, maybe you’re still too close to your device.
Check if Your Device Is Supported
Keep in mind that not all the devices listed under Find My are supported with Notify When Left Behind. If the option is greyed out and there’s also a “Not Supported” alert, this indicates your device is not supported.
After installing iOS 15 and watchOS 8.0, many users noticed Notify When Left Behind was greyed out. Apparently, Apple Watch 3 devices running watchOS 8 are not supported yet. While Apple hasn’t officially confirmed this information, many users believe the company temporarily removed the feature in the latest watchOS version.
To make things even more confusing, iPhone users who contacted Apple Support were told the feature required iPhone 12 or newer. That could explain why so many iPhone X and iPhone 11 users complained about not receiving Left Behind notifications. Unfortunately, there’s nothing public about this requirement.
Update Your Devices
This could also be a software bug in iOS15.x or watchOS 8.x. Update your devices to the latest version and check if you notice any improvements. As a quick reminder, you need iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8 or newer to use this feature.
Don’t forget to update the firmware for your AirPods, AirTags, and other devices. Simply place them near your iPhone or iPad to install the latest firmware version. Restart your devices after installing the latest updates and try again.
Additionally, go to iCloud Settings, and make sure Find My is on. Check your iCloud storage and free up some storage space if necessary. Disable Do Not Disturb and Focus Mode as well. Additionally, make sure your devices are using the same Apple ID.
Share iPhone Location
Make sure to share the location of your iPhone. If you’re not sharing your iPhone’s location, the Left Behind option won’t work.
Go to Settings, select Privacy, and tap Location Services. Toggle on Location Services and set the option to While Using.
Open the Find My app, tap Me at the bottom of the screen, and enable Share My Location.
Then scroll to the bottom, and select Use This iPhone as My Location.
Toggle on Find Devices on your watch.
If the Notify When Left Behind option is not showing up for your AirPods, go to your iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and enable Find My network.
Remove Exceptions
If you set up Notify When Left Behind exceptions, disable them and check if you notice any improvements. Many users confirmed the feature started working again after disabling all the exceptions.
Open Find My and select Devices or Items.
Select your device and tap Notify When Left Behind.
Go to Notify Me, and under Except At, remove your excluded locations.
Unpair Your Devices
To unpair your watch, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and select My Watch. Then select All Watches, and tap the Info button. Select Unpair Apple Watch.
To remove your AirPods, go to iPhone Settings, select Bluetooth and tap More Info next to your AirPods. Select Forget This Device.
Remove and reconnect your AirPods from the Bluetooth settings.
Restart your devices, pair them again, and check the results.
Reset Your Apple Devices
On your iPhone, go to Settings, select General, and tap Reset. Then select Reset All Settings, and restart your device.
Make sure to reset your Apple Watch or AirPods as well. To reset your watch, tap Settings, select General, and go to Reset. Then select Erase All Content and Settings.
To reset your AirPods, put the earbuds in the charging case, close the lid and wait for 30 seconds. Then go to iPhone Settings, select Bluetooth and tap More Info next to your AirPods. Select Forget This Device.
Open the lid of your charging case, and then press and hold the setup button until the status light flashes white. Reconnect your AirPods to your iPhone and check if you notice any improvements.
If none of the solutions above work, contact Apple Support.
Conclusion
If the Notify When Left Behind feature is greyed out or stopped working, check if your device is supported. Then update your devices, and share your iPhone’s location. Additionally, remove Notify When Left Behind exceptions. If the issue persists, unpair your devices and reset all your Apple devices.
Did you manage to solve the problem? Did you find other ways to troubleshoot this issue? Do share your ideas in the comments below.
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Madalina Dinita
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies — AI and DNA computing in particular.
Madalina Dinita