Start with Find My iPhone before you do anything else
Find My iPhone is built into every iPhone and is your fastest way to locate it. If you turned on Location Services before your phone went missing, you can use Find My iPhone from another device — a computer, iPad, or someone else's iPhone — to see your phone's location on a map in real time.
Go to iCloud.com on any web browser and sign in with your Apple ID and password. Click Find My, then select Find My iPhone from the menu. Your missing phone will appear as a dot on the map if it is powered on and connected to the internet. If it is offline, the map shows where it was last seen before the battery died or it lost connection.
This works even if you do not remember turning Location Services on. Apple enables Find My iPhone by default on most newer devices unless you specifically turned it off in Settings.
Key Takeaways
- Find My iPhone shows your phone's location on a map if it is powered on and connected to the internet, accessible from iCloud.com on any computer.
- If your phone is offline, the map shows the last location it reported before losing power or connection.
- You can play a sound on your phone, lock it remotely, or erase it from Find My iPhone to prevent someone from accessing your data.
- If your phone is truly gone and Find My iPhone shows no location, contact your carrier and file a police report to document the loss.
- Turning on Location Services and enabling Find My iPhone before you lose your phone makes recovery much more likely.
Play a sound to locate your phone nearby
If your phone is in your home, car, or somewhere close by, use Find My iPhone to play a sound. From the Find My menu, select your phone, then tap Play Sound. Your iPhone will play a loud alert for two minutes, even if it is on silent mode.
This works whether your phone is locked or unlocked, and it does not require you to know your passcode. The sound is loud enough to hear through couch cushions, under car seats, or in a backpack across the room.
Lock your phone remotely if you cannot find it
If your phone is lost and you cannot locate it with the sound feature, lock it when ready to prevent someone from accessing your data. From Find My iPhone, select your phone and tap Lock. You can set a new passcode that only you know, and the phone will lock even if someone is using it.
A locked phone cannot be used to make calls, send messages, or access your email, banking apps, or photos. The person holding it will see a message on the screen that says the phone is locked and directs them to contact you if they have it.
Erase your phone if you believe it is stolen
If you are certain your phone is stolen and you do not want to recover it, you can erase all data from Find My iPhone. Select your phone from the Find My menu and tap Erase This Device. This removes all your photos, messages, contacts, and apps from the phone permanently.
Erasing your phone is a last resort because you cannot undo it. Once erased, you also cannot locate the phone again using Find My iPhone. Only erase if you have decided the phone is gone for good and you want to protect your personal information.
Contact your carrier and file a police report
If Find My iPhone shows no location and you believe your phone is stolen, contact your mobile carrier — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever provides your service — and report it lost or stolen. The carrier can disable your phone on their network so no one can make calls or use data on your account.
File a police report in the city or county where you lost your phone. You will need the report number for your insurance claim and for your carrier's records. Bring your phone's serial number (IMEI), which you can find on your original receipt or by calling Apple Support.
If your phone was stolen from a specific location — a store, restaurant, or transit station — report it to that location's management or security as well. Some businesses keep footage and can help identify who took it.
Check your backup and change your passwords
If your phone is gone, assume someone may have access to your accounts. Change the passwords for your email, banking, and any other sensitive accounts from a different device as soon as possible. This prevents someone from using your email to reset passwords on other accounts.
If you backed up your iPhone to iCloud before it went missing, you can restore your data to a new phone later. Go to iCloud.com, sign in, and check your backup date under Account Settings. Your photos, messages, and app data are safe even if your phone is not.
Order a replacement and restore from backup
Once you have locked or erased your phone and reported it to your carrier, order a replacement. You can buy a new iPhone from Apple, your carrier, or a retailer. When you set up the new phone, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and sign in with your Apple ID. Your photos, messages, contacts, and most of your apps will transfer to the new phone automatically.
This process takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have and your internet speed. You will need to re-enter passwords for some apps, but your personal data is restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I never turned on Find My iPhone before my phone went missing?
If Find My iPhone was never enabled, you cannot locate your phone using that feature. Contact your carrier to report it lost or stolen, and file a police report. Your carrier can still disable the phone on their network to prevent unauthorized use.
Can I find my iPhone if it is turned off?
Find My iPhone cannot locate a phone that is powered off. However, if your phone has low battery and shuts down, it reports its last known location to Apple's servers. The map will show where it was when it lost power, which can still help you search.
Will Find My iPhone work if someone removes my SIM card?
Yes. Find My iPhone uses internet connection, not your phone's SIM card. As long as your phone connects to WiFi or cellular data, it can be located. Removing the SIM card does not disable Find My iPhone.
Can I find my iPhone if someone else is using it?
Yes, Find My iPhone shows the phone's real-time location regardless of who is using it. If someone is actively using your phone, the location updates as they move. This information is useful for police if you file a report.
What happens to my data if I erase my phone remotely?
Remote erase removes all photos, messages, contacts, apps, and settings from your phone permanently. If you backed up to iCloud before the phone went missing, your data is safe in the backup and you can restore it to a new phone later.