How to Turn off or Disable Find My iPhone

Selling your phone or don't want to be tracked? Here's what to do

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on April 6, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Your Name > Find My > Find My iPhone > Find My iPhone toggle > confirm PW and PIN.
  • Use the app to turn it off remotely from another iPhone or iPad.
  • Disable it remotely on any computer: iCloud.com > Find iPhone > All Devices > your iPhone > Erase iPhone.

This article explains how to turn off Find My iPhone with or without the phone itself.

Turning off Find My iPhone remotely will completely erase the phone. If you just want to disable this feature but not erase everything from the phone, you need to turn off Find My iPhone using the phone itself.

How to Turn off Find My iPhone

If you’re ready to sell or give away your old iPhone, then it’s a good idea to turn off Find My iPhone, erase your iPhone’s data, and sign out of iCloud. If you’re afraid that someone might be using your iPhone to track you, but you want to keep using the phone, then turn off Find My iPhone and skip those other steps. Follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap Your Name.

  3. Tap Find My.

    iPhone with Settings app, name box, and Find My highlighted

  4. Where it says Find My iPhone, tap On >.

  5. Tap the Find My iPhone toggle to turn it off.

  6. Enter your password, and tap Turn Off.

    iPhone Find My settings with On, Find My iPhone toggle, and Turn Off highlighted

  7. Enter your iPhone passcode.

  8. Find My iPhone is now disabled on your phone.

    iPhone passcode entry box and Find My iPhone off toggle highlighted

    If you ever want to turn Find My iPhone back on, tap the gray Find My iPhone toggle.

How Do I Turn off Find My iPhone Without My Phone?

If you don’t have access to your iPhone because you’ve already given it away, or your screen is broken, you can turn off Find My iPhone using any other iPhone or iPad that’s signed in to your iCloud account.


Here’s how to turn off Find My iPhone remotely using an iPad or another iPhone:

  1. Open the Find My app on an iPhone or iPad that’s signed into your iCloud account, and tap Devices.

    Devices highlighted in Find My on an iPad.

  2. Swipe up on the collapsed Devices menu.

    Swipe up on the closed Devices menu.

  3. Tap your iPhone.

    J's iPhone highlighted in Find My.

  4. Swipe up again.

    Swipe up on the collapsed iPhone details menu in Find My.

  5. Tap Erase This Device.

    Erase This Device highlighted in Find My.

  6. Tap Continue.

    Continue highlighted in Find My.

    This will erase your iPhone remotely, removing any data you have on the phone. Make sure to back up your iPhone before using this method if you want to preserve any data.

How Do I Turn off Find My Phone From a Laptop or Another Computer?

If you don’t have another iPhone or an iPad that’s signed into the same iCloud account as the phone you want to remove from Find My Phone, you can do it on any laptop or computer through the iCloud website.

Here’s how to turn off Find My iPhone from a laptop or computer:

  1. Navigate to the iCloud website, and log in.

    Apple ID sign in highlighted on the iCloud site.

  2. Click Find iPhone.

    Find iPhone highlighted on the iCloud site.

  3. Click All Devices.

    All Devices highlighted on the iCloud site.

  4. Click your iPhone.

    J's iPhone highlighted in Find My on the iCloud site.

  5. Click Erase iPhone.

    Erase Phone highlighted in Find My on the iCloud site.

  6. Click Erase.

    Erase highlighted in Find My on the iCloud site.

    This method will also erase all of the data from your iPhone. All content stored on the phone and your settings will be erased and will not be recoverable unless you have a backup.

FAQ
  • How do I turn off Find My iPhone without a password?

    If you want to disable Find My iPhone and can't remember your password, try resetting your Apple ID password by going to Settings > Your Name > Password & Security > Change Password, and then follow the prompts. Once you have the new password, turn off Find My iPhone from your device.

  • How do I turn on Find My iPhone?

    To turn on Find My iPhone, go to your iPhone's Settings and tap your name > Find My > Find My iPhone, and then toggle on the Find My iPhone feature.

  • Does Find My iPhone work even when the phone is dead?

    Yes. While you won't get a current, real-time location, Find My iPhone (on another device, such as your iPad) will show you your iPhone's last location before its battery died. If your iPhone is offline, you can select Play a Sound to help you locate the device, If the iPhone is dead, select Notify When Found to receive an update on its location when it's turned on again.

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