How to turn off Find My iPhone
To turn off Find My iPhone, open Settings, tap your name at the top, select Find My, then tap Find My iPhone and toggle it off. You will need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. The process takes about one minute and works the same way on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Find My iPhone is part of Apple's broader Find My network, which also includes Find My Friends and Find My Mac. Turning off Find My iPhone does not disable other location services on your device — maps, weather, and other apps can still use your location if you have given them permission. It only stops Apple from tracking your device's location through iCloud.
Key Takeaways
- You must enter your Apple ID password when turning off Find My iPhone, even on your own device.
- Turning off Find My iPhone does not affect other location services, maps, or location-based apps on your phone.
- If you forget your Apple ID password, you will need to reset it through Apple's account recovery before you can disable Find My iPhone.
- Turning off Find My iPhone means you will no longer be able to locate your device through iCloud.com or the Find My app if it is lost or stolen.
Step-by-step instructions for iPhone and iPad
Open the Settings app and tap your name or Apple ID at the very top of the screen. This takes you to your account settings page. From there, tap Find My.
On the Find My screen, you will see two options: Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. 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 from green to gray. Apple will ask you to enter your Apple ID password. Type it in and tap Disable or Turn Off (the exact wording depends on your iOS version). That is all — Find My iPhone is now off.
How to turn off Find My on a Mac
On a Mac, the process is slightly different because the menu is in a different location. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner, then select System Settings (on newer Macs) or System Preferences (on older ones). Click your name or Apple ID in the sidebar on the left.
Click iCloud in the settings window. You will see a list of services that use iCloud, including Find My Mac. Uncheck the box next to Find My Mac. A popup will ask for your Apple ID password — enter it and click Turn Off. Your Mac will no longer send its location to iCloud.
What happens when you turn off Find My iPhone
Once Find My iPhone is off, you will not be able to locate your device through iCloud.com or the Find My app. If your phone is lost or stolen, you will have no way to track it using Apple's system. You also will not be able to remotely lock or erase your device through iCloud.
Your device will still show up in the Find My app if other family members have shared their location with you, and you will still be able to see their locations. The change only affects whether your own device broadcasts its location to Apple's servers.
If you forgot your Apple ID password
You cannot turn off Find My iPhone without entering your Apple ID password, even if you own the device. This is a security feature to prevent someone else from disabling the feature on a stolen phone. If you have forgotten your password, you will need to reset it before you can proceed.
Go to iforgot.apple.com on any web browser and enter your Apple ID email address. Apple will walk you through recovery options, which usually include answering security questions, receiving a code by email, or using a trusted device. Once you have reset your password, return to Settings and follow the steps above to turn off Find My iPhone.
Why you might want to turn off Find My iPhone
Some people turn off Find My iPhone for privacy reasons — it means Apple does not store your device's location on its servers. Others disable it because they are selling or giving away their phone and want to remove it from their account first. A few users turn it off because they are troubleshooting a technical problem or because a family member's device is showing a location that seems incorrect.
If you are selling your phone, Apple recommends signing out of your Apple ID entirely rather than just turning off Find My iPhone. This removes all your personal data from the device and makes sure the new owner can set it up with their own account. You can do this in Settings by tapping your name, scrolling to the bottom, and tapping Sign Out.
Turning Find My iPhone back on
If you change your mind, you can turn Find My iPhone back on at any time by following the same steps: Settings > Your Name > Find My > Find My iPhone, then toggle it on. You will need your Apple ID password again. Once it is on, your device will begin sending its location to Apple's servers, and you will be able to track it through iCloud.com or the Find My app.
There is no waiting period or delay — the feature turns on immediately after you enter your password. If you have multiple devices, you can turn Find My on or off for each one separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Find My iPhone stop all location tracking on my phone?
No. Turning off Find My iPhone only stops Apple from tracking your device through iCloud. Other apps like Google Maps, weather apps, and social media can still use your location if you have given them permission. To stop all location tracking, you would need to turn off Location Services entirely in Settings, though this will break many apps that depend on it.
Can I turn off Find My iPhone if I do not remember setting it up?
Yes, but you will need your Apple ID password. Find My iPhone is turned on by default when you set up an iPhone with an Apple ID. If you do not remember your password, use iforgot.apple.com to reset it, then follow the steps to turn off Find My iPhone.
What if someone else's device is showing in my Find My app?
That person has shared their location with you through Find My Friends or Family Sharing. Turning off your own Find My iPhone does not affect their location sharing. If you no longer want to see their location, ask them to stop sharing with you, or you can remove them from your Family Sharing group in Settings.
Does turning off Find My iPhone remove my device from my Apple ID account?
No. Your device remains linked to your Apple ID. Turning off Find My iPhone only disables location tracking. To fully remove a device from your account, sign out of your Apple ID in Settings, or go to appleid.apple.com and remove it from your Devices list.