How to disable Find My on your device

Find My is Apple's location-tracking system that helps you locate lost devices and find friends. You can turn it off entirely, turn off specific features within it, or remove individual devices from the service. The steps differ depending on whether you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and whether you want to disable it completely or just stop sharing your location with certain people.

Disabling Find My does not delete your Apple ID or affect other services like iCloud backup or Messages. It only stops the location-sharing and device-finding features. If you turn it back on later, your settings will remain as they were.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings, tap your name, select Find My, then toggle off Find My iPhone or Find My iPad.
  • On Mac, open System Settings, click your name, select iCloud, then uncheck Find My Mac.
  • You can disable just the "Share My Location" feature while keeping device-finding active, or vice versa.
  • Turning off Find My requires your Apple ID password to prevent someone else from disabling it without permission.
  • If you forget your password, you will need to reset it through Apple's account recovery process before you can disable Find My.

Disable Find My on iPhone or iPad

Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen. Tap Find My, then tap Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad if you are using a tablet). Toggle the switch to off. Your device will ask you to enter your Apple ID password to confirm.

If you only want to stop sharing your location with specific people but keep the device-finding feature active, stay in the Find My menu and tap Share My Location instead. Toggle that off, or tap the names of individual people you no longer want to share with and select Stop Sharing My Location.

After you disable Find My, your device will no longer appear on anyone else's Find My app, and you will not be able to locate it if it is lost. You also will not see other people's locations unless they are sharing through a different method.

Disable Find My on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. Click your name in the sidebar (or at the top if you are using an older macOS version), then click iCloud. Find Find My Mac in the list and uncheck the box next to it. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.

Like on iPhone and iPad, you can also disable just location sharing while keeping Find My active. In the same iCloud menu, look for Share My Location and uncheck it if you want to stop sharing your Mac's location with others.

What happens when you disable Find My

Once Find My is off, your device stops broadcasting its location to Apple's servers and to anyone you were sharing with. If your device is lost or stolen, you will not be able to track it, lock it remotely, or erase it through Find My. You also will not receive notifications if someone tries to locate you.

Your other Apple services continue to work normally. iCloud backup, Messages, FaceTime, and your Apple ID account remain active. Disabling Find My only affects location tracking and device recovery features.

If you change your mind later, you can turn Find My back on by following the same steps and toggling it on instead. You will need your Apple ID password again.

Turn off location sharing without disabling Find My

If you want to keep the ability to find a lost device but do not want to share your location with friends and family, you can disable just the sharing feature. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Share My Location and toggle it off. On Mac, go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and uncheck Share My Location.

This keeps Find My active so you can still locate your own device if needed, but stops broadcasting your real-time location to other people. Anyone you were previously sharing with will see that your location is no longer available.

If you forgot your Apple ID password

Disabling Find My requires your Apple ID password for security reasons. If you do not remember it, you will need to reset it before you can turn off Find My. Go to iforgot.apple.com on any web browser and follow Apple's account recovery process. You will need access to a trusted phone number or email address associated with your account.

After you reset your password, return to your device's settings and disable Find My using the steps above. The password reset can take a few minutes to take effect across all your devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable Find My on one device but keep it on others?

Yes. Each device has its own Find My setting. You can turn it off on your iPhone while keeping it on your iPad and Mac, or any combination you choose. Go to each device's settings separately to control them individually.

Will disabling Find My affect my iCloud backup?

No. Find My and iCloud backup are separate services. Turning off Find My does not stop your photos, contacts, or other data from backing up to iCloud. Your backups will continue as normal.

What if someone else has access to my Apple ID?

If you suspect someone knows your Apple ID password, change it immediately at iforgot.apple.com. Then disable Find My on all your devices. You can also check which devices are linked to your account by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security and reviewing the list of devices.

Can I disable Find My temporarily and turn it back on later?

Yes. Disabling Find My is not permanent. You can turn it off whenever you want and turn it back on later by following the same steps. Your settings and device list will be preserved when you re-enable it.

Does disabling Find My stop Apple from tracking my location?

Disabling Find My stops Apple's Find My service from tracking your location. However, your device still collects location data for other purposes like Maps, Weather, and system services. If you want to limit all location tracking, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle that off instead, though this will affect many apps.