How to turn off Find My on your device
Find My is Apple's location-tracking system that helps you locate lost devices and share your location with family. Turning it off stops Apple from tracking your device's location and removes it from the Find My network. You can turn off Find My entirely, or disable just the parts you don't want — like location sharing with specific people or the ability for others to locate your device.
The steps differ slightly between iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the principle is the same: you go into Settings, find the Find My section, and toggle off the features you want to disable. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm the change, because Find My is tied to your account for security reasons.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone and iPad, Find My lives in Settings under your Apple ID name, then Find My, then Find My [Device Name].
- Turning off Find My removes your device from Apple's tracking network and stops location sharing, but you can disable individual features instead of turning it all off.
- On Mac, Find My is in System Settings under your Apple ID, then iCloud, then Find My Mac.
- You need your Apple ID password to turn off Find My, and the change takes effect when ready.
- If you turn off Find My and then lose your device, you won't be able to locate it through Apple's system.
Turning off Find My on iPhone or iPad
Open Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen. Tap Find My, then tap Find My [your device name] — for example, "Find My iPhone" or "Find My iPad". You'll see a toggle switch next to "Find My [Device Name]" at the top of the screen. Tap it to turn it off. Apple will ask you to enter your Apple ID password to confirm.
If you only want to turn off location sharing with specific people instead of disabling Find My entirely, stay in the Find My section and look for People. Tap the person's name and select Stop Sharing My Location. This keeps Find My active for your own device but stops that person from seeing where you are.
You can also turn off Find My network in the same section, which prevents your device from being located through other Apple devices nearby if it goes offline. This is a separate toggle from Find My itself and is useful if you want to keep Find My active but prevent location tracking through the broader network.
Turning off Find My on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. Click your name in the sidebar (or look for Apple ID if you're on an older version of macOS). Click iCloud in the left sidebar. Scroll down and look for Find My Mac and click the toggle to turn it off. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.
Like on iPhone and iPad, you can manage location sharing with specific people without turning off Find My entirely. In the iCloud section, click Manage next to Find My Mac, then look for the people you're sharing your location with and remove them individually.
What happens when you turn off Find My
Once Find My is off, your device will no longer appear in the Find My app on your other Apple devices or on iCloud.com. If you lose your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you won't be able to locate it, lock it remotely, or erase it through Apple's system. You also won't be able to see the location of family members or friends who have shared their location with you through Find My.
Turning off Find My does not affect other location services on your device. Maps, weather apps, and other services that use location will continue to work normally. Find My is a separate system designed specifically for device tracking and location sharing.
Turning Find My back on
If you change your mind, you can turn Find My back on by following the same steps and toggling the switch back to the on position. You'll need your Apple ID password again. Your device will reappear in the Find My app within a few minutes, and any location-sharing agreements you had before will need to be set up again if you had deleted them.
If you turned off Find My because you were concerned about privacy, remember that you can keep Find My on but disable specific features — like location sharing with certain people or Find My network — instead of turning it off completely. This gives you more control over which parts of the system are active.
Why you might want to turn off Find My
Some people turn off Find My for privacy reasons, especially if they don't want Apple or other people to know their location. Others disable it when they're selling or giving away a device and want to remove it from their account first. If you're concerned about battery life, turning off Find My can help slightly, though the impact is usually minimal on modern devices.
If you're having technical problems with Find My — like it not working correctly or draining your battery unusually fast — turning it off and back on again often fixes the issue. This forces the system to reconnect and refresh its settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Find My affect my Apple ID or other services?
No. Turning off Find My only disables location tracking and sharing. Your Apple ID, iCloud, email, and all other Apple services continue to work normally. You can turn Find My back on anytime without affecting anything else.
Can I turn off Find My for just one person instead of everyone?
Yes. In the Find My section, look for People and tap the person's name, then select Stop Sharing My Location. This removes only that person's access to your location while keeping Find My active for your own device and other people you're sharing with.
What if I turn off Find My and then lose my device?
You won't be able to locate it through Apple's Find My system. You can contact your carrier or local police, but Apple's tracking tools won't be available. This is why many people keep Find My on even if they don't actively use it.
Does turning off Find My stop all location tracking on my device?
No. Find My is separate from general location services. Turning off Find My stops Apple's device-tracking system, but Maps, weather, and other apps can still use your location if you have location services enabled in Settings. To stop all location tracking, you would need to turn off location services entirely, which affects all apps.
Will my family members know if I turn off Find My?
If you were sharing your location with family members through Find My, they will see that your location is no longer available once you turn it off. The app will show your device as offline or unavailable rather than showing your location.