You can remove Find My iPhone by signing out of iCloud or turning off the feature in Settings
Find My iPhone is an Apple service that lets you locate, lock, or erase your device remotely if it's lost or stolen. It's tied to your Apple ID and iCloud account. If you want to stop using it — whether you're selling your phone, giving it away, or straightforward don't want the feature active — you have two main paths: turn off Find My iPhone in Settings while keeping your iCloud account, or sign out of iCloud entirely, which removes Find My iPhone along with your email, contacts, and other synced data.
The choice depends on what you're doing with the phone. If you're keeping it and just want to disable the feature, use Settings. If you're handing the device to someone else or selling it, you'll need to sign out of iCloud completely so the new owner can set up their own account.
Key Takeaways
- Turning off Find My iPhone in Settings keeps your iCloud account active but disables remote location and device control.
- Signing out of iCloud removes Find My iPhone, your email, photos, and all synced data from the device.
- If you're selling or giving away your iPhone, you must sign out of iCloud — the new owner cannot use the phone while your account is still linked.
- On a Mac, Find My Mac is managed the same way: through System Settings and the iCloud section.
- After you remove Find My iPhone, Apple's servers may take a few minutes to update, so the device may still show as registered to your account briefly.
How to turn off Find My iPhone while staying signed into iCloud
This method keeps your iCloud email, photos, and other data on the phone but disables the ability to track or control it remotely. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap Find My, then tap Find My iPhone. Toggle it off. You'll be asked to enter your Apple ID password to confirm — this is a security step to prevent someone else from disabling it without permission.
After you toggle it off, the feature is disabled when ready. Your phone will no longer send location data to Apple's servers, and you won't be able to use iCloud.com or the Find My app to locate it. If you change your mind later, you can turn it back on the same way.
How to sign out of iCloud completely
If you're giving the phone to someone else or selling it, you need to sign out of iCloud entirely. This removes your account from the device and lets the new owner set up their own Apple ID. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, scroll to the bottom, and tap Sign Out. You'll see a list of what will be removed: Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, iCloud Drive, Photos, and Find My iPhone. Tap Sign Out again to confirm.
You'll be asked whether you want to keep a copy of your iCloud data on the phone. If you're selling or giving it away, tap Don't Keep — this removes your data from the device. If you're keeping the phone and just want to switch accounts, you can choose to keep the data, though it will no longer sync with your iCloud account. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password one more time to complete the sign-out.
After sign-out is complete, the phone is ready for the new owner. They can turn it on, go through the setup process, and create or sign into their own Apple ID. Find My iPhone will be gone from your account's perspective, though it may take Apple's servers a few minutes to fully update.
What happens to your data when you sign out
When you sign out of iCloud, your email stops syncing to the phone, but the messages already on the device stay there unless you delete them. Your photos in iCloud Photo Library will no longer appear on the phone, though any photos you've already downloaded to the device remain. Notes, Reminders, Contacts, and Calendars that were synced from iCloud will stay on the phone but won't update if you change them on another device.
If you're selling the phone, this is actually what you want — the new owner gets a clean slate. If you're keeping the phone and just switching to a different Apple ID, you can set up the new account after sign-out and choose which data to sync again.
Removing Find My iPhone before selling or giving away your phone
Before handing your phone to someone else, sign out of iCloud as described above. This is the only way to fully remove Find My iPhone and let the new owner use the phone without your account blocking them. If you don't sign out, the phone will be locked to your Apple ID, and the new owner will see an "set up Lock" message when they try to set it up.
After you sign out, the phone will ask you to set it up again. You can either set it up with a new Apple ID, leave it unsigned, or let the new owner do the setup themselves. If you're mailing the phone to someone, sign out before you ship it so they can start using it when ready when it arrives.
How to remove Find My Mac
On a Mac, Find My Mac works the same way. Open System Settings, click your name in the sidebar, then click iCloud. Scroll down, find Find My Mac, and click the toggle to turn it off. You'll need to enter your Apple password. If you're selling or giving away the Mac, click Sign Out at the bottom of the iCloud settings instead, which removes your entire account and lets the new owner set up theirs.
The process is identical to iPhone: turning off the feature keeps your account active, while signing out removes everything and prepares the device for a new owner.
What to do if you forgot your Apple ID password
If you can't remember your Apple ID password and need to turn off Find My iPhone or sign out, go to iforgot.apple.com on any device. Enter your Apple ID email address and follow the steps to reset your password. You can reset it using a trusted phone number, a recovery key, or another Apple device you own. Once you've reset your password, return to your iPhone and complete the sign-out or feature toggle.
If you don't have access to any recovery method, contact Apple Support. They can verify your identity and help you regain access to your account. This process takes longer but is necessary if you've lost all your recovery options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else turn off Find My iPhone on my phone?
No. Turning off Find My iPhone requires your Apple ID password, so someone with physical access to your phone cannot disable it without knowing your password. This is a security feature to prevent theft.
If I turn off Find My iPhone, can I turn it back on later?
Yes. You can turn it back on anytime by going to Settings, your name, iCloud, Find My, Find My iPhone, and toggling it on again. You'll need your Apple ID password.
What's the difference between turning off Find My iPhone and signing out of iCloud?
Turning off Find My iPhone disables only that feature while keeping your email, photos, and other iCloud data on the phone. Signing out removes your entire iCloud account from the device, including email, photos, contacts, and Find My iPhone. Use sign-out if you're giving the phone to someone else.
Will the new owner be able to use my phone if I don't sign out of iCloud?
No. set up Lock will prevent them from setting up the phone or using it. They'll see a message asking for your Apple ID and password. You must sign out of iCloud before handing the phone to someone else.
How long does it take for Find My iPhone to be removed after I sign out?
Sign-out is when ready on the device, but Apple's servers may take a few minutes to fully update. During that time, the phone might still appear in your Find My app, but it will disappear within a few minutes.