Use Find My iPhone to locate your device on a map
Find My iPhone is built into every iPhone and works through iCloud, Apple's cloud service. If you turned on location services (which you learned about in the previous guide), your iPhone broadcasts its location to Apple's servers. When you need to find it, you log into iCloud.com from any computer or use the Find My app on another Apple device, and you see your iPhone's location on a map in real time.
The map shows you where your phone is right now. If it is in your house, you can narrow down which room. If it is across town, you see the street. The accuracy depends on whether your phone has a GPS signal, a cellular signal, or only Wi-Fi — GPS is most precise, Wi-Fi is least. Even if your phone is off, Find My can sometimes show you its last known location before it powered down.
Key Takeaways
- Find My iPhone works only if you turned on location services and signed into iCloud before your phone went missing.
- You access Find My through iCloud.com on any computer, or through the Find My app on another iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
- Once you locate your phone, you can play a sound to help you find it nearby, lock it remotely, or erase it to prevent someone else from accessing your data.
- If your phone is offline or powered off, Find My shows you the last place it was seen, which can help you retrace your steps or report the location to police.
Check whether Find My iPhone is turned on before you need it
Find My iPhone only works if you set it up ahead of time. Go to Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and look for Find My iPhone. If the toggle switch is green, it is on. If it is gray, tap it to turn it on. You will need to enter your Apple ID password.
You also need to be signed into iCloud on that same iPhone. In the iCloud settings screen, you should see your Apple ID email address at the top. If you see "Sign In" instead, tap it and enter your Apple ID and password. Without both of these — location services on and iCloud signed in — Find My iPhone will not work.
Access Find My from iCloud.com on any computer
When your iPhone is missing, go to any computer with internet access and open a web browser. Type iCloud.com into the address bar and press Enter. Sign in with your Apple ID email and password. You may see a two-factor authentication screen asking you to confirm your identity — check your other Apple devices or your phone number for a code, enter it, and continue.
Once you are logged in, look for an icon that looks like a compass or a grid of dots. Click on it and select Find My iPhone from the menu. A map will load showing your devices. Your missing iPhone should appear as a dot on the map with its name next to it. Click on the iPhone's name to see more options.
Use the Find My app if you have another Apple device
If you have an iPad, Mac, or another iPhone, you can use the Find My app instead of going to a computer. Open the app (it comes pre-installed on newer devices; if you do not see it, search for "Find My" in the App Store). Sign in with your Apple ID if prompted. You should see a list of your devices on the left side of the screen. Tap or click on your missing iPhone to see it on the map.
The Find My app works the same way as iCloud.com — it shows you the location of your device and gives you the same options to play a sound, lock it, or erase it. The app may be faster to open than a web browser if you are already on another Apple device.
Play a sound to find your iPhone nearby
If your iPhone is in your house or car but you cannot find it, click or tap the Play Sound button. Your iPhone will make a loud beeping noise for two minutes, even if it is on silent mode. This works best if your phone is within earshot — you can follow the sound to locate it.
The sound will play whether or not your phone is locked. If someone else has your phone, they will hear it too, so this option works best when you think your phone is lost rather than stolen. If you believe your phone was taken, skip this step and move to the lock or erase options instead.
Lock your iPhone remotely if you think it was stolen
If you believe someone else has your phone, click or tap Lost Mode (on some older devices it may say Lock). This locks your iPhone with a passcode that only you know. The person holding your phone cannot unlock it or access your photos, messages, banking apps, or any other data. They also cannot turn off location services or remove the phone from your iCloud account.
When you set up Lost Mode, you can add a message that appears on the lock screen — for example, "This phone is lost. Call me at 555-0123." This gives an honest person a way to contact you. Lost Mode also stops Apple Pay from working on that phone, so someone cannot use it to make purchases. Your phone will continue to send its location to iCloud, so you can keep tracking it.
Erase your iPhone if you cannot recover it
If your phone has been missing for days, you cannot find it, and you are certain it will not be returned, you can erase all the data on it remotely. Click or tap Erase iPhone. This deletes everything on your phone — all photos, messages, contacts, and apps. The phone will be wiped clean as if it came from the factory. After erasing, you will no longer be able to track its location.
Erasing is permanent and cannot be undone. Only choose this option if you are sure you want to destroy all the data on your phone and you have already backed up anything important to iCloud or another service. Once you erase, the person with your phone will not be able to access your personal information, but you also will not be able to find it anymore.
Report your phone to police and your carrier if it was stolen
If you believe your iPhone was stolen rather than lost, file a report with your local police department. Bring the location information from Find My iPhone — police can use this to investigate. You should also contact your phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever provides your service) and tell them your phone was stolen. They can block your phone from being used on any network, which makes it much less valuable to a thief.
Your carrier can also help you get a replacement phone and transfer your number to a new device. If you have insurance through your carrier or through a third-party company like AppleCare+, now is the time to file a claim. Keep your police report number and any documentation from Find My iPhone — you may need it for the insurance claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if Find My iPhone shows my phone offline?
Offline means your phone is not currently connected to the internet or has been powered off. Find My will show you the last location where your phone was seen before it went offline. This location can still be useful — it tells you where to search or where to tell police to look. If your phone comes back online, the location will update automatically.
Can I find my iPhone if location services are turned off?
No. If location services were off when your phone went missing, Find My iPhone cannot track it. This is why turning on location services before you need it matters. If location services are off, you can still use Lost Mode to lock the phone remotely, but you cannot see where it is.
Does Find My iPhone work if my phone has no battery?
Not in real time. Once your phone's battery dies, it stops sending location data. However, Find My will show you the last place your phone was before the battery ran out. If your phone is stolen and the thief charges it, it will start sending location data again as soon as it powers on.
What if someone else has my Apple ID password?
If someone knows your Apple ID password, they can sign into iCloud and see your Find My location, or they can erase your phone remotely. Change your Apple ID password when ready by going to appleid.apple.com. You should also turn on two-factor authentication, which requires a code from one of your devices every time someone tries to sign in from a new computer.
Can I find my iPhone if I never set up iCloud?
No. Find My iPhone requires iCloud to be set up and signed in on your phone before it goes missing. If you never signed into iCloud, there is no way to track your phone through Apple's system. Your carrier may be able to help locate your phone if it is stolen, so contact them directly.