Use Find My iPhone to locate your phone on a map
If you turned on Location Services before your iPhone went missing, you can find its location through Find My iPhone — Apple's built-in tracking tool. Open Find My on any Apple device (another iPhone, iPad, or Mac), sign in with the same Apple ID you use on the lost phone, and your device will show up on a map with its current location. If the phone is powered on and connected to the internet, you will see a blue dot marking where it is.
You do not need the lost phone itself to do this. You can use a family member's device, borrow a friend's iPhone, or go to iCloud.com on any computer and sign in there instead. The map will update as long as the phone stays powered on and has a data connection — either cellular or Wi-Fi.
If your iPhone is offline or the battery has died, Find My will show you the last location where it was connected. This last-known location is often enough to narrow down where to search, especially if the phone went missing recently.
Key Takeaways
- Find My iPhone shows your lost phone's location on a map if it is powered on and connected to the internet, or shows the last place it connected if it is offline.
- You access Find My through another Apple device or through iCloud.com on any computer using your Apple ID.
- If you cannot find the phone yourself, you can lock it remotely or erase it to prevent someone else from accessing your data.
- Contacting your carrier and local police gives you a record of the loss and may help recover the phone if someone turns it in.
- If Find My shows the phone in an unsafe location or you believe it was stolen, contact police before attempting to retrieve it yourself.
What to do if Find My shows the phone nearby
When the map shows your iPhone close to you — in your home, car, or a nearby building — retrace your steps to that location. Check under couch cushions, in jacket pockets, between car seats, and in bags you used that day. If the phone is powered on, you can play a sound through Find My to help you hear where it is, even if it is on silent.
If the location is at a business you visited — a restaurant, store, or office — call that location directly and ask if anyone turned in an iPhone. Describe the phone's appearance, including any case or distinctive marks. Many businesses hold lost phones at the front desk or with a manager for a few days before discarding them.
If the phone is in a location you cannot safely reach — on a roof, in a dangerous neighborhood, or somewhere you do not have permission to enter — do not attempt to retrieve it yourself. Instead, move to the next steps: lock the phone remotely and contact the police with the location information.
Lock or erase your phone remotely if you cannot retrieve it
If you believe your iPhone was stolen or you cannot reach the location where it is, you can lock it remotely through Find My to prevent someone from accessing your data. Open Find My, select your phone from the list, and choose "Mark as Lost." This locks the phone with a passcode and displays a message with a phone number where you can be reached. Anyone who finds the phone will see this message but cannot access your photos, messages, or payment information.
If you want to erase the phone completely — to may support no one can access anything on it — you can do that through Find My as well. Select the phone, choose "Erase This Device," and confirm. The phone will wipe all data once it connects to the internet. You cannot undo this action, so only choose it if you are certain you will not recover the phone or if you have already backed up your data to iCloud.
After you lock or erase the phone, you will no longer be able to track its location through Find My. Make a note of the last location shown before you take this step, in case you need to give that information to police or your carrier.
Report the loss to your carrier and local police
Contact your mobile carrier — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever provides your service — and report the phone as lost or stolen. The carrier can disable the phone's ability to make calls or use data on their network, which prevents someone from running up charges on your account. They will also ask for the phone's serial number (IMEI), which you can find on your original receipt, your carrier's account page, or by calling Apple Support.
If you believe the phone was stolen rather than lost, file a report with your local police department. You do not need to do this in person — many departments allow you to file online or by phone. Provide the police with the phone's serial number, the last location where Find My showed it, and the date and time it went missing. Keep a copy of the police report number, as some carriers and insurance companies require it to process a claim.
Reporting to both your carrier and police creates an official record. If someone tries to sell the phone or set up it on another network, the carrier's block will prevent it. If the phone turns up at a pawn shop or is turned in to police, the report helps authorities return it to you.
Check if your phone is covered by insurance or warranty
Look at your carrier's account page or your phone's original paperwork to see whether you have device insurance or AppleCare+. Carrier insurance (like Verizon's Total Mobile Protection or AT&T's Mobile Protect) typically covers lost or stolen phones and will send you a replacement for a deductible fee, usually between $25 and $250 depending on your plan. AppleCare+ also covers loss and theft with a deductible.
To file a claim, contact your carrier or Apple directly and provide the police report number if the phone was stolen. They will verify your coverage, confirm the loss, and either send a replacement phone or credit your account. Processing usually takes five to ten business days. If you do not have insurance, you will need to purchase a new phone at full price or through a payment plan.
Prevent this from happening again
Once you have a new phone or recover the lost one, make sure Find My is turned on before you need it. On any iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, select "Find My," and turn on "Find My iPhone." Also turn on "Find My network," which lets your phone be located even if it is offline by using other nearby Apple devices. Both of these settings require Location Services to be on, which you already learned about in the previous guide.
Consider setting up emergency contact information on your lock screen so that someone who finds your phone can reach you without unlocking it. Go to Settings, tap "Emergency SOS," and add a contact labeled "Emergency Contacts." You can also enable "Medical ID" to display health information on the lock screen.
If you use iCloud, make sure your backup is current. Go to Settings, tap your name, select "iCloud," and turn on "iCloud Backup." This backs up your photos, messages, and app data automatically, so if your phone is lost permanently, you can restore everything to a new phone.
What to do if Find My shows nothing or the phone is completely offline
If Find My does not show your phone at all, it may have been powered off, the battery died, or Location Services was not turned on before it went missing. In this case, you cannot track it on a map. However, you should still contact your carrier and file a police report if you believe it was stolen, because the carrier can block the phone from being used on their network.
If the phone was off when it went missing, it may turn back on later — either because someone charged it or because it had enough battery to power on after sitting for a while. Check Find My periodically over the next few days in case the phone reconnects. You can also ask your carrier whether they have any record of the phone connecting to their network, though they may not be able to provide this information without a police report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my iPhone if I never turned on Location Services?
No. Without Location Services enabled, Find My cannot locate your phone. You can still contact your carrier to block the phone from being used and file a police report, but you will not be able to track its location. This is why turning on Location Services before you need it matters.
Will Find My work if my iPhone is in airplane mode?
No. Airplane mode turns off all wireless connections, including cellular and Wi-Fi, so Find My cannot reach the phone. If the phone is in airplane mode, you will see only the last location where it was connected to the internet.
What if someone else is using my lost iPhone and they turn off Location Services?
Once Location Services is turned off, Find My stops working when ready. However, if you marked the phone as lost through Find My before this happened, the phone remains locked and displays your contact information. The person using it cannot access your data or remove the lost mode without your Apple ID password.
Can I find my iPhone if it is in another country?
Yes, Find My works internationally as long as the phone has an internet connection. The map will show the phone's location anywhere in the world. However, contacting local police or your carrier in that country may be more complicated, so contact your carrier first for guidance.
If I erase my iPhone through Find My, can I still find it afterward?
No. Once you erase the phone, Find My stops tracking it because the phone no longer has your Apple ID on it. Only erase if you are certain you will not recover the phone or if you have already backed up your data to iCloud.