Why Find My stops working and how to turn it back on

Find My on your MacBook Pro 2014 stops working most often because Location Services got turned off, your iCloud account disconnected, or the app itself needs to be restarted. The fastest fix is to restart the Find My app first — close it completely and open it again. If that does not work, check that Location Services is on in System Preferences, then sign out and back into iCloud. Most people get Find My working again within five minutes using one of these three steps.

Your MacBook Pro 2014 can find other Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) and let those devices find your Mac, but only if both your Mac and the other device are signed into the same iCloud account and Location Services is enabled. If you share your Mac with other users, each person needs their own iCloud account for Find My to work for their devices.

Key Takeaways

  • Restart the Find My app completely by closing it from the Dock and opening it again from Applications.
  • Turn on Location Services in System Preferences under Security & Privacy, then check the box next to Find My.
  • Sign out of iCloud in System Preferences, wait 30 seconds, and sign back in with your Apple ID.
  • Your MacBook Pro 2014 and the device you want to find must both be signed into the same iCloud account.
  • If Find My still does not work after these steps, restart your Mac completely and try again.

Step 1: Restart the Find My app

The Find My app sometimes freezes or stops responding without crashing. Closing it completely and reopening it fixes this in most cases.

Click the Finder icon in your Dock (the blue and white face icon). In the menu bar at the top, click Finder, then click Preferences. Click the Sidebar tab. Make sure "Applications" is checked. Close this window and click Applications in the Finder sidebar. Scroll down to find the Find My app. Right-click on Find My and click Quit. Wait 10 seconds, then double-click Find My to open it again.

If you cannot find Find My in Applications, your Mac may not have it installed. MacBook Pro 2014 models came with OS X Mavericks or later, and Find My was added in macOS Catalina (2019). If your Mac is running an older system, you will need to update macOS first before Find My is available.

Step 2: Check that Location Services is turned on

Find My cannot work if Location Services is disabled. Your Mac needs permission to know its own location before it can report that location to other devices.

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Preferences. Click Security & Privacy. Click the Lock icon in the bottom left and enter your Mac password to make changes. Click the Privacy tab. On the left side, click Location Services. Check the box next to "Enable Location Services" at the top. Scroll down in the list on the right and find Find My. Make sure the checkbox next to Find My is checked. Close System Preferences.

If you do not see Find My in the list, your macOS version is too old. Find My requires macOS Catalina or newer. Check your macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac. If you see anything older than 10.15, you will need to update your system.

Step 3: Sign out and back into iCloud

When your iCloud connection drops or becomes corrupted, Find My loses the link to your account and cannot communicate with your other devices. Signing out and back in rebuilds this connection.

Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click iCloud. Click the Sign Out button. A dialog will appear asking what you want to do with your data — click Keep a Copy. Wait 30 seconds. Click Sign In. Enter your Apple ID email address and password. If you use two-factor authentication, follow the prompts to verify your identity. Once you are signed back in, open Find My again and check whether it now shows your devices.

Do not worry about losing data when you sign out — clicking Keep a Copy saves everything on your Mac. Your photos, documents, and other files stay exactly where they are.

Step 4: Restart your Mac if Find My still does not work

Sometimes Find My needs a full system restart to reconnect properly. This clears temporary files and resets connections that may have become stuck.

Click the Apple menu and select Restart. Let your Mac shut down and start back up completely — this usually takes two to three minutes. Once your Mac is back on, open Find My and check whether it is working. If you see your other devices listed, the problem is fixed.

If Find My still shows no devices after restart, make sure you are signed into iCloud on the other device you are trying to find. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, and check that you are signed in with the same Apple ID as your Mac. Both devices must use the same iCloud account.

What to do if Find My is not installed on your Mac

MacBook Pro 2014 models do not come with Find My pre-installed because they shipped with older versions of macOS. Find My was introduced in macOS Catalina, released in 2019. If your Mac is running Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, or any earlier version, you will not see Find My in Applications.

You have two options: update macOS to Catalina or newer, or use the older Find My Mac feature that comes built into iCloud. To use Find My Mac, go to iCloud.com, sign in, click Find My, and select your Mac from the list. This works on any Mac running OS X Lion or later and does not require an app.

To update macOS, click the Apple menu, select About This Mac, and click Software Update. If an update is available, click Update Now. Your Mac will download and install the update, which may take 30 minutes to an hour. You will need to restart your Mac during this process.

Troubleshooting when Find My shows no devices

Even when Find My opens and runs, it sometimes shows an empty list of devices. This usually means your other devices are not signed into iCloud, or they are signed into a different iCloud account than your Mac.

On the device you want to find (iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch), go to Settings, tap your name at the top, and verify you are signed in. Check that the email address shown matches the Apple ID you use on your Mac. If it does not match, sign out and sign back in with the correct account. Wait two to three minutes for the device to appear in Find My on your Mac.

If the device is signed into the correct account but still does not appear, restart that device. Turn it off completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Once it finishes restarting, open Find My on your Mac again. The device should now appear in the list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Find My on my MacBook Pro 2014 if I do not have other Apple devices?

No. Find My is designed to locate other Apple devices from your Mac, or to let other devices locate your Mac. If you only have a MacBook Pro and no iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Find My has nothing to find. You can still use Find My Mac through iCloud.com to locate your Mac if it is lost, but the app itself will show an empty list.

Why does Find My say my iPhone is offline?

Your iPhone appears offline in Find My when it is turned off, in airplane mode, or not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. Turn on your iPhone, make sure airplane mode is off, and connect to Wi-Fi. Wait 30 seconds for Find My to update. If it still shows offline, restart your iPhone and try again.

Do I need to pay for Find My?

No. Find My is free and comes built into macOS Catalina and newer. You only need an iCloud account, which is also free. There are no subscription fees or hidden charges.

Will Find My work if my MacBook Pro 2014 is in sleep mode?

Yes. Your Mac can be found by other devices even when it is asleep, as long as it is plugged in or has battery power. If your Mac is completely shut down or the battery is dead, other devices cannot locate it.

What if I forgot my Apple ID password?

Go to iforgot.apple.com and enter your Apple ID email address. Follow the steps to reset your password using your recovery email or phone number. Once you have a new password, sign out of iCloud on your Mac and sign back in with the new password.