Turn off Find My iPhone in iCloud settings on any device

You can disable Find My iPhone from iCloud.com using any web browser, or from the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The fastest route is iCloud.com: sign in with your Apple ID, open Find My, select your device, and choose Remove from Account. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle it off. On a Mac, open System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Find My Mac and uncheck the box.

Turning off Find My iPhone means Apple will no longer track your device's location, and you won't be able to locate it if it's lost or stolen. The setting stays off until you turn it back on. If you're selling or giving away your device, you must disable Find My before the new owner can use it — the device will otherwise remain locked to your Apple ID.

Key Takeaways

  • You can disable Find My iPhone from iCloud.com, your iPhone Settings, iPad Settings, or Mac System Settings.
  • Turning off Find My iPhone prevents Apple from tracking your device location and stops you from locating a lost device.
  • If you're selling or giving away your device, disabling Find My is required before the new owner can set it up.
  • You'll need your Apple ID password to turn off Find My iPhone, and the change takes effect when ready.

Disable Find My iPhone from iCloud.com

Open a web browser and go to iCloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Click Find My in the app grid (it looks like a radar circle). A map will appear showing all devices linked to your Apple ID.

Click the device you want to remove. A panel will open on the right side showing the device name and location. Scroll down and click Remove from Account. Confirm the action when prompted. The device will no longer appear in Find My, and location tracking stops when ready.

Turn off Find My iPhone on your iPhone or iPad

Open Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen. Tap Find My. Tap Find My iPhone. Toggle the switch to off (it will turn gray). You'll be asked to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. Once you do, Find My iPhone is disabled on that device.

If you have multiple Apple devices, this setting controls Find My only on the device you're currently using. You'll need to repeat the steps on each device if you want to disable it everywhere. The setting takes effect when ready — you won't see a restart prompt.

Turn off Find My Mac on your Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. Click [Your Name] in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Click iCloud. Find Find My Mac in the list and uncheck the box next to it. You'll be asked to enter your Apple ID password. Once confirmed, Find My Mac is disabled.

On older Macs running macOS Monterey or earlier, the path is System Preferences > [Your Name] > iCloud instead of System Settings. The process is the same: locate Find My Mac and uncheck it. The change takes effect right away without requiring a restart.

What happens when you disable Find My

Once Find My iPhone is off, you lose the ability to locate that device using iCloud.com or the Find My app on another Apple device. If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you won't be able to track it, send a message to the screen, or remotely erase it. You also won't receive notifications if the device goes offline.

Disabling Find My does not delete your data from the device or from iCloud. Your photos, messages, and other synced content remain intact. If you turn Find My back on later, your device will resume sending location data to Apple when ready.

Disable Find My before selling or giving away your device

If you're selling or giving your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to someone else, you must turn off Find My before handing it over. A device with Find My still active and linked to your Apple ID cannot be set up by a new owner — they'll see an set up lock screen asking for your Apple ID credentials.

After you disable Find My, sign out of iCloud on the device (Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out on iPhone; System Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out on Mac). Then erase the device completely using the factory reset option. This removes all your data and prepares it for the new owner to set up with their own Apple ID.

Re-enable Find My iPhone if you change your mind

You can turn Find My iPhone back on at any time using the same steps you used to disable it. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle it on. On your Mac, go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and check the Find My Mac box. On iCloud.com, open Find My and the device will reappear once you sign in.

When you re-enable Find My, your device will begin reporting its location to Apple again. If the device was offline when you turned it back on, it may take a few minutes to appear in the Find My app or on iCloud.com. You don't need to restart your device or sign out and back in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off Find My iPhone without knowing my Apple ID password?

No. Apple requires your Apple ID password to disable Find My as a security measure. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it at iforgot.apple.com using your Apple ID email address or phone number. Once you've reset it, you can then disable Find My.

Will turning off Find My iPhone delete my data?

No. Disabling Find My only stops location tracking. Your photos, messages, contacts, and all other data remain on your device and in iCloud. The data is not affected by this setting.

What if I disabled Find My and now my device is lost?

You won't be able to locate it through iCloud or the Find My app. Your best option is to contact your mobile carrier to report the device lost, or contact local law enforcement if you believe it was stolen. You can still remotely erase the device by signing into iCloud.com and using Find My if you remember the device's location or last known location.

Does turning off Find My iPhone affect other iCloud features?

No. Disabling Find My only stops location tracking. Your iCloud backup, photo sync, email, and other iCloud services continue working normally. You can use iCloud for everything except locating your device.

Can someone else turn off Find My iPhone on my device?

They would need your Apple ID password to do so. If you're concerned about unauthorized access, change your Apple ID password at appleid.apple.com and enable two-factor authentication on your account.