Open Find My on your Mac to locate your iPhone
Find My is built into macOS and works across all your Apple devices. To start, open Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space, type "Find My", and press Enter. The app opens to a map showing your devices.
If you have multiple Apple devices signed in with the same Apple ID, they all appear on this map. Your iPhone shows as a blue dot with a label. Tap or click on your iPhone's name in the left sidebar to center the map on it and see its exact location.
Find My requires that your iPhone has location services turned on and is signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID as your Mac. If your iPhone is offline or location services are disabled, Find My will show its last known location instead.
Key Takeaways
- Open Find My from Spotlight (Command + Space, then type "Find My") to see your iPhone's location on a map.
- Your iPhone must be signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID as your Mac and have location services enabled.
- You can play a sound on your iPhone, lock it remotely, or erase it from the Find My app if your phone is lost.
- If your iPhone is offline, Find My shows the last location it reported before going offline.
- Find My works even if your iPhone is in Do Not Disturb mode, but not if it is powered off.
Play a sound to find your iPhone nearby
If your iPhone is close by but you cannot see it, use Find My to make it play a sound. Click on your iPhone's name in the left sidebar, then click "Play Sound". Your iPhone will play an increasing tone for two minutes, even if it is set to silent.
This feature works best when your iPhone is in the same building or nearby. The sound is loud enough to hear from another room, but not so loud that it will disturb others if you are in a public place. If you do not hear anything after two minutes, the sound stops automatically.
Lock or erase your iPhone remotely
If you believe your iPhone is lost or stolen, Find My lets you lock it or erase it without having it in your hands. Click on your iPhone's name, then click the information button (the circle with an "i"). You will see two options: "Lock" and "Erase iPhone".
Locking your iPhone remotely sets a new passcode that only you know, preventing anyone else from accessing your data. The phone remains on the map so you can still track it. Erasing removes all data from your iPhone and returns it to factory settings, which also removes it from your Find My list.
Choose locking first if there is any chance you will recover your phone. Choose erasing only if you are certain the phone is gone and you want to protect your data. Once you erase, you cannot track the phone anymore.
Check if Find My is set up on your iPhone
For Find My to work, your iPhone must have Find My enabled in its settings. On your iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap "Find My". Make sure "Find My iPhone" is toggled on (the switch will be green).
Also check that "Find My network" is enabled in the same menu. This allows your iPhone to be located even if it is offline, by using other nearby Apple devices to relay its location. Without this setting, Find My can only track your phone when it is connected to the internet.
If you see "Find My" is already on, your iPhone is ready to be tracked from your Mac. If it is off, turn it on now and wait a few seconds for the setting to sync to iCloud.
Understand what Find My can and cannot do
Find My shows your iPhone's location on a map, but the accuracy depends on what type of location data is available. If your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, the location is usually accurate to within a few hundred feet. If it is using Find My network (offline), the location may be less precise.
Find My cannot unlock your iPhone if you have forgotten your passcode, and it cannot retrieve data that has been erased. It also cannot work if your iPhone is powered off completely. If your phone's battery dies, Find My will show the last location it reported before the battery ran out.
Find My is not a real-time tracker that updates every second. The map refreshes every few minutes when your iPhone is online, so there may be a slight delay between where your phone actually is and where the map shows it.
Set up notifications when your iPhone location changes
You can ask Find My to send you a notification when your iPhone arrives at or leaves a specific location. Click on your iPhone's name, then click the information button. Scroll down to "Notifications" and toggle on "Notify When Left Behind" or "Notify When Arriving".
For "Notify When Left Behind", you set a location (like your home or office) and Find My alerts you if your iPhone leaves that area. For "Notify When Arriving", you set a location and get alerted when your iPhone arrives there. These notifications appear on your Mac and on any other Apple devices signed in with your Apple ID.
Troubleshoot when Find My is not showing your iPhone
If your iPhone does not appear in Find My on your Mac, first check that both devices are signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID. On your Mac, open System Settings, click your name at the top, and verify you are signed in. On your iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, and check the same thing.
Next, make sure your iPhone has location services turned on. Go to Settings on your iPhone, tap "Privacy", then tap "Location Services" and toggle it on. Also verify that Find My iPhone is enabled in Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone.
If both devices are set up correctly but your iPhone still does not appear, restart both your Mac and your iPhone. Wait a few minutes after restarting for the devices to reconnect to iCloud. If the problem persists, sign out of iCloud on both devices and sign back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Find My on Mac if my iPhone is turned off?
No. Find My cannot locate a powered-off iPhone. However, if your iPhone was on when it lost power, Find My will show its last known location until you turn it back on.
Does my iPhone need cellular service for Find My to work?
Not always. If your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi, Find My works without cellular. If your iPhone is offline entirely, Find My network can still locate it using nearby Apple devices, though the location will be less precise.
What happens if someone else has my Apple ID password?
They could use Find My to locate your iPhone. Change your Apple ID password immediately in System Settings on your Mac or in Settings on your iPhone. You should also review your Apple ID security settings and enable two-factor authentication if you have not already.
Can I track my iPhone from someone else's Mac?
Yes, if you sign into iCloud on another person's Mac with your Apple ID, you can open Find My and see your devices. However, you should sign out of iCloud when you are done to protect your account.
Will Find My work if my iPhone is in airplane mode?
No. Airplane mode turns off all wireless connections, so Find My cannot reach your iPhone. Your iPhone will show its last known location on the map, but it will not update until airplane mode is turned off.