How to disable Find My Phone on your device

The steps to turn off Find My Phone depend on what device you use and which service you want to disable. On iPhones, you turn off Find My iPhone through Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone. On Android phones, the process varies by manufacturer — Samsung devices use Find Mobile, Google Pixel phones use Find My Mobile through your Google Account, and other Android phones may use their own tracking service. Each service stores your location data on company servers, so disabling it stops that tracking immediately.

Before you disable Find My Phone, understand what you lose: you won't be able to locate your phone if it's lost or stolen, and family members or trusted contacts won't see your location if you've set up location sharing. Some services also lock your phone remotely or erase it if it's missing. Disabling the service removes all those protections.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone users disable Find My iPhone in Settings > [Your Name] > Find My, then toggle off Find My iPhone.
  • Android users should check their phone's manufacturer settings — Samsung uses Find Mobile, Google Pixel uses Find My Mobile, and other brands have their own apps.
  • Disabling Find My Phone stops location tracking but also removes your ability to locate a lost or stolen phone remotely.
  • Some services require you to enter your account password before you can turn them off, as a security measure.

Disabling Find My iPhone on Apple devices

On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open Settings and tap or click your name at the top. Select Find My, then tap Find My iPhone (or Find My Mac on a computer). Toggle the switch to off. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. Once it's off, Apple stops tracking your device's location and you can no longer use the Find My app to locate it.

If you're signed out of your Apple ID entirely, Find My iPhone is already disabled. You can check this in Settings > [Your Name] — if you see "Sign in to your iPhone" instead of your name, you're not signed in. Note that disabling Find My iPhone is different from turning off location services entirely; you can keep location services on for maps and weather while turning off Find My specifically.

Disabling Find My Mobile on Samsung phones

Samsung phones use Find Mobile instead of Google's Find My Mobile. Open Settings, go to Accounts and backup, then select Accounts. Tap your Samsung account, then tap Find Mobile. Toggle it off. You'll need to confirm with your Samsung account password. After you disable it, Samsung stops tracking your phone's location through their servers.

Some Samsung phones also have a separate "Find My Mobile" service through Samsung's website. If you want to disable remote access completely, log into findmymobile.samsung.com with your Samsung account and remove your device from the list. This prevents Samsung from being able to locate, lock, or erase your phone remotely.

Disabling Find My Mobile on Google Pixel and other Android phones

Google Pixel phones use Find My Mobile, which is part of your Google Account. Open Settings, tap Security and emergency, then tap Find My Mobile. Toggle it off. You'll need to confirm with your Google password. Once it's disabled, Google stops tracking your Pixel's location through their servers.

Other Android phones may use their manufacturer's own tracking service — Motorola has Motorola Rescue, OnePlus has OnePlus Cloud, and others have similar apps. Check your phone's Settings under Accounts, Security, or the manufacturer's name to find the tracking service. Look for options like "Find My Phone," "Device Tracking," or "Remote Services," then disable it through that app or your account settings online.

What happens when you disable Find My Phone

Once you turn off Find My Phone, you lose the ability to see your device's location on a map. You can't use the manufacturer's app or website to find it if it's lost or stolen. You also can't use remote lock or remote erase features — if someone steals your phone, you won't be able to lock it or wipe your data from a distance.

Location sharing with family members or trusted contacts stops working if you've set it up through Find My Phone. However, disabling Find My Phone does not affect other location-sharing apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or third-party apps you've given permission to see your location. Those continue to work independently.

Re-enabling Find My Phone later

If you change your mind, you can turn Find My Phone back on using the same settings path you used to disable it. On iPhone, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle it on. On Android, return to your manufacturer's settings or your Google Account and toggle the service back on. You'll need to enter your password again. The service will resume tracking your location immediately.

If you've forgotten where the setting is, you can also search for "Find My" or "Find Mobile" in your phone's Settings app — most phones have a search function that will take you directly to the right page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my phone still work if I disable Find My Phone?

Yes. Disabling Find My Phone only turns off location tracking and remote management features. Your phone will work normally for calls, texts, apps, and everything else. You just won't be able to locate it remotely or lock it from another device.

Can I disable Find My Phone without entering my password?

No. Both Apple and Android manufacturers require your account password before you can disable Find My Phone. This is a security measure to prevent someone else from disabling it on your device without permission.

If I disable Find My Phone, can the manufacturer still see my location?

No. When you disable the service, the manufacturer stops collecting and storing your location data. However, other apps on your phone may still track your location if you've given them permission — check your location settings to see which apps have access.

What's the difference between disabling Find My Phone and turning off location services?

Disabling Find My Phone turns off only that manufacturer's tracking service. Turning off location services disables location for all apps on your phone, including maps, weather, and location-based reminders. You can disable Find My Phone while keeping location services on for other uses.

Can I disable Find My Phone on someone else's device?

No. You need the device owner's account password to disable Find My Phone. If you're a parent trying to disable tracking on a child's phone, you'll need their Apple ID or Google Account password, or you can use parental control features instead, which are separate from Find My Phone.