How to turn off Find My iPhone

Apple's "Find My" feature allows users to locate their devices if they have misplaced them. Whether you're selling, trading, repairing, or no longer using your iPhone, you want to make sure it's removed from your list of devices. This way you protect your privacy and avoid unnecessary notifications.

Fortunately, disabling this feature is relatively easy.

In this article, we will see how to turn off Find My iPhone in different ways.

How to Disable Find My iPhone Directly on iPhone

Before moving on to the instruction steps, let's talk more about this app. The “Find My iPhone” application is an older version of “Find My”. It has the same functionality, except that it was integrated into "Find My Friends" in 2022 with iOS13. For this to work, you need to set up your iCloud account and use the same Apple ID on all the devices you want to track. Additionally, you should keep your location services enabled.

If you are using iOS12 or earlier, you will still have the “Find My iPhone” service. We'll show you how to disable it on earlier and later versions.

Now let's see how to disable "Find My" if you are using iOS13 or later:

1. Go to settings.
   
2. Tap your name at the top.
   
3. Tap "Find My".
   
4. Disable “Find My iPhone”.
   
5. Enter your Apple ID password.
   
6. Toggle the button next to "Find My iPhone."
   

If you are using iOS12 or earlier, follow these steps to disable the "Find My iPhone" service:

1. Open Settings.
   
2. Select your name at the top.
   
3. Open the iCloud menu and turn off "Find My iPhone". You will need to enter your Apple ID password.
   
4. Disable “Find My iPhone”.
   

How to Disable Find My iPhone from Computer

You can also choose to disable “Find My” on your computer. Here's what you need to do:

If you're running macOS 10.15 or later, follow these steps:

1. Tap the Apple icon.
   
2. Tap "System Preferences".
   
3. Select "Apple ID".
   
4. Tap "iCloud".
   
5. Find your iPhone in the list and turn it off. You will be asked to enter your password.

If you're using macOS 10.14 or earlier:

1. Select the Apple icon.
   
2. Tap "System Preferences".
   
3. Tap "iCloud".
   
4. Disable "Find My iPhone" and enter your passcode.

These methods will only work if you use the same Apple ID for your Mac and iPhone. If not, you will not be able to access your device and disable the feature.

How to Disable Find My iPhone When Phone is Broken

If your iPhone is broken and you can't use it to turn off the feature, the good news is that you can still access iCloud to turn it off. Here's what you need to do:

If you want to temporarily remove the iPhone from your account, you can follow the steps below:

1. Open your browser and go to https://www.icloud.com/.
   
2. Enter your Apple ID.
   
3. Select the “Find iPhone” option.
   
4. Choose your iPhone from the list of all devices.
   
5. Tap "Remove from Account".
   

Whenever your iPhone is online again, it will reappear on your account.

The second method is to erase your iPhone completely from the device list. Also, if your iPhone has been stolen or lost, follow the same steps:

1. Open your browser and go to https://www.icloud.com/.
   
2. Enter your Apple ID.
   
3. Locate the "Find My" feature.
   
4. Go to All Devices, then select your iPhone.
   
5. Tap "Erase iPhone".
   

You will need to enter your Apple ID password or a verification code. If your iPhone is stolen or lost, you will need to enter a phone number and a message that will appear on your device screen.

If your iPhone is currently online, erasing will begin once the process is complete. If offline, erasing will begin when the device reconnects.

It's important to note that you can only disable Find My iPhone remotely if you use the same ID to sign in to iCloud.

Additional FAQs

What happens when I turn off Find My iPhone?

Find My iPhone lets you quickly track your device or play a sound to locate it. Once you turn off this feature and lose your iPhone, you won't be able to track it. This will make it harder to find your device, especially if it's been stolen.

If you sell, trade, or give away your iPhone, you should disable this feature. But if not, we recommend that you keep this feature because you never know what might happen.

Can I track my family members with Find My App?

Apple's "Family Sharing" feature lets you track up to five other devices. This option allows you to quickly check the location of your family members. Of course, your family members will also have to accept this from their side.

Here are the steps to enable this feature:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.

2. Select your name at the top.

3. Tap "Family Sharing".

4. Tap "Add Family Member".

5. Choose how you want to invite your family members to join you. The options available are to invite them via iMessage or have them enter their Apple ID directly on your phone.

6. When your family members accept the invitation, they will need to turn on location services.

Now, you will be able to track the location of your family members through the Find My app. If one of the devices is lost or stolen, you will be able to track it in the app. Whenever you want to stop sharing your location, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap your name at the top.

3. Toggle the button next to "Share my location".

Turn off Find My in a snap

While it's useful to be able to locate your iPhone, you may want to turn it off. If you sell, trade, give away, or repair your iPhone, you should disable this feature. Luckily, it's easy to turn off the option, and you can do it from your iPhone or computer.

We hope we were able to provide more useful information about the app, including how to turn it off and what happens when you do.

Have you ever had to disable Find My on your iPhone? What method did you use? Tell us in the comments section below.