How to disable Find My iPhone

You turn off Find My iPhone in Settings by going to [Your Name] > iCloud > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggling it off. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. The toggle will turn from green to gray, and the feature stops working immediately — Apple stops tracking your device's location.

This is different from signing out of iCloud entirely. Disabling Find My iPhone leaves your other iCloud features (email, photos, backups) running. It only stops the location-tracking part. If you later want to turn it back on, you use the same path and toggle it on again.

Key Takeaways

  • Find My iPhone is disabled in Settings under your Apple ID name, then iCloud, then Find My, then Find My iPhone — you toggle it off and enter your password.
  • Turning off Find My iPhone does not sign you out of iCloud or affect your email, photos, or backups.
  • Once disabled, Apple stops tracking your device's location, and you lose the ability to locate a lost iPhone using Find My or iCloud.com.
  • If you sell or give away your iPhone, you must disable Find My iPhone before handing it over, or the new owner cannot use it without your Apple ID password.
  • You can turn Find My iPhone back on at any time by following the same steps and toggling it on.

Why someone might disable Find My iPhone

The most common reason is selling or giving away an iPhone. If Find My iPhone stays on, the device is locked to your Apple ID. The new owner will see "Activation Lock" — they can turn it on and use it, but they cannot sign out of your account, reset it, or restore it without your password. Disabling Find My iPhone before transfer removes that lock.

Some people disable it for privacy reasons. Find My iPhone means Apple (and anyone with access to your Apple ID) can see your device's location. If you share an Apple ID with a family member or have concerns about account security, turning it off stops that tracking. You can always re-enable it later if your situation changes.

Occasionally someone disables it because a device is malfunctioning or lost and they want to stop Apple's location services from running. This is rare — Find My iPhone uses very little battery — but it is a valid choice.

Step-by-step: disabling Find My iPhone on your device

Open Settings on your iPhone. Tap your name at the top of the screen (the one that shows your Apple ID email). Tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap Find My. Tap Find My iPhone. You will see a toggle switch next to "Find My iPhone" — tap it to turn it off. The switch will turn gray.

Your phone will ask you to enter your Apple ID password. Type it in and tap Turn Off or Disable (the exact wording varies by iOS version). That's it. Find My iPhone is now off. You can close Settings.

If you have multiple Apple devices (iPad, Mac, Apple Watch), each one has its own Find My toggle. Disabling it on your iPhone does not affect the others. You would need to disable it separately on each device if you want to turn it off everywhere.

What happens after you disable Find My iPhone

You lose the ability to locate your iPhone if it is lost or stolen. You cannot use the Find My app on another Apple device, and you cannot go to iCloud.com and use Find My there either. If your phone goes missing, you will not be able to see where it is.

The device also becomes easier to sell or give away. Without Find My iPhone running, there is no Activation Lock, and the new owner can set it up with their own Apple ID immediately. This is why disabling it before transfer is important — it saves the new owner from being stuck.

Your other iCloud services keep working normally. Your email still syncs, your photos still back up to iCloud, and your device still backs up automatically. Only the location-tracking part stops.

Disabling Find My iPhone before selling or giving away your phone

If you are transferring your iPhone to someone else, disable Find My iPhone first, then sign out of iCloud completely. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > scroll to the bottom and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password. Choose whether to keep or delete a copy of your data on the phone (usually you want to keep it so you have a backup). Tap Sign Out again to confirm.

After you sign out, the phone will ask if you want to turn off Find My iPhone. Tap Turn Off. Then you can erase the phone entirely if you want the new owner to start fresh. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This removes everything and prepares the phone for the new owner to set up.

The new owner will then see the setup screen when they turn on the phone, and they can create their own Apple ID or sign in with theirs. No Activation Lock will block them.

If you forgot your password or cannot access your account

If you want to disable Find My iPhone but cannot remember your Apple ID password, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Password and Security > Change Password. Follow the prompts to reset it. You will need access to a trusted phone number or email address associated with your account.

If you do not have access to any recovery method, you can visit Apple Support online or go to an Apple Store. Bring a photo ID. Apple can verify your identity and help you regain access to your account. This process takes time, so plan ahead if you are selling the phone soon.

If you are trying to disable Find My iPhone on a phone that belonged to someone else (a used phone you bought, for example), you cannot do it without their Apple ID password. The phone is locked to their account. You would need to contact the previous owner and ask them to disable it remotely, or contact Apple Support with proof of purchase.

Turning Find My iPhone back on

If you change your mind, you can re-enable Find My iPhone anytime. Open Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Find My > Find My iPhone. Tap the toggle to turn it on. It will turn green. Enter your Apple ID password to confirm. That's all — Find My iPhone is active again, and Apple can track your device's location.

This is useful if you disabled it temporarily for troubleshooting or privacy reasons and now want the protection back. There is no penalty for turning it on and off — you can do it as often as you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling Find My iPhone affect my iCloud backup?

No. Find My iPhone and iCloud backup are separate features. Disabling Find My iPhone only stops location tracking. Your photos, messages, app data, and device settings will still back up to iCloud automatically. You can disable Find My iPhone and keep all your other iCloud services running.

Can I disable Find My iPhone remotely from another device?

No. You must disable it on the iPhone itself, in Settings. You cannot turn it off from iCloud.com or from another Apple device. If you have lost the phone and cannot access it, you can use Find My to erase it remotely, but that erases everything on the phone, not just Find My iPhone.

What is Activation Lock and how does it relate to Find My iPhone?

Activation Lock is a security feature that ties your iPhone to your Apple ID. It turns on automatically when Find My iPhone is enabled. If someone tries to erase or set up your phone, they need your Apple ID password. Disabling Find My iPhone removes Activation Lock, so the phone can be set up with a different Apple ID.

If I disable Find My iPhone, can someone else locate my phone?

Not through Find My. However, your phone still has location services running for maps, weather, and other apps. If you want to stop all location tracking, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle it off. This is separate from Find My iPhone and affects all location-based features on your phone.

Do I need to disable Find My iPhone before I factory reset my phone?

It is not required, but it is a good idea. If you factory reset while Find My iPhone is on, the phone will still be locked to your Apple ID after the reset. Disabling Find My iPhone first, then signing out of iCloud, then erasing the phone ensures the new owner has no barriers to setting it up.