Find My iPhone settings live in two places depending on what you want to change
The Find My iPhone feature is built into Apple's ecosystem, so its settings are split between your iPhone itself and iCloud.com. Most people adjust Find My iPhone through the Settings app on their phone — that's where you turn the feature on or off, manage which devices show up in your account, and control whether your location is shared with specific people. If you need to locate a lost device or erase it remotely, you'll use iCloud.com instead, which is the web version of Find My.
The reason for this split is practical: your phone's Settings app controls what your device does locally, while iCloud.com is where you manage your account across all your devices at once. Both are straightforward to navigate once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then select Find My to turn the feature on or off and manage sharing settings on your iPhone.
- iCloud.com's Find My app is where you locate a lost device, see all your devices on a map, or erase a device remotely.
- You must have Location Services turned on for Find My iPhone to work at all, regardless of other settings.
- Sharing your location with family members or friends happens in the Find My app on your phone, not in iCloud.com.
How to access Find My iPhone settings on your phone
Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone. At the very top of the screen, you'll see your name and Apple ID photo — tap that. You'll enter your Apple ID settings page. From there, look for Find My and tap it. This opens a submenu with two options: "Find My iPhone" and "Find My Friends" (or "People" on newer iOS versions).
Tap Find My iPhone to see the toggle switch that turns the feature on or off. When it's on, the switch appears green. Below that toggle, you'll see options to manage which devices are linked to your account and whether you want to allow others to locate you. This is also where you turn on or off the "Send Last Location" feature, which automatically sends Apple your phone's location when the battery is critically low.
If you want to share your location with family members or close friends, stay in this same menu and look for the "Share My Location" option. Tap it to add people who can see where you are in real time.
How to use Find My on iCloud.com to locate or erase a device
Go to iCloud.com in any web browser on a computer or another device. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Once you're logged in, look for the app grid icon (it looks like a square made of smaller squares) in the top left corner of the page. Click it and select Find My from the list of apps.
The Find My app on iCloud.com shows you a map with all your devices marked on it. Click any device to see its exact location, the last time it was seen, and its battery level. If you've lost a device, you can select it and choose to play a sound on it (so you can hear where it is), put it in Lost Mode (which locks it and displays a message), or erase it completely. Erasing removes all your data from that device but also means you won't be able to locate it anymore.
What to check if Find My iPhone isn't working
The most common reason Find My iPhone stops working is that Location Services is turned off. Even if Find My iPhone is toggled on in Settings, your phone can't report its location if Location Services itself is disabled. Go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Location Services, and make sure the toggle at the top is green.
Next, check that Location Services is turned on specifically for Find My. In that same Location Services menu, scroll down until you find "Find My" in the list of apps. Tap it and make sure "While Using" or "Always" is selected, not "Never."
If both of those are on and Find My iPhone still isn't working, sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in. Go to Settings, tap your name, scroll to the bottom, and tap "Sign Out." Then sign back in with your Apple ID. This refreshes your connection to Apple's servers and often fixes temporary glitches.
Understanding Find My Friends versus Find My iPhone
These are two separate features that work together. Find My iPhone is about locating your own devices — it's what you use when your phone is lost or stolen. Find My Friends (called "People" on newer iPhones) is about sharing your location with other people so they can see where you are.
Both are managed in the same Settings menu under your name, but they do different things. You can have Find My iPhone turned on without sharing your location with anyone. You can also share your location with specific people without having Find My iPhone enabled. They're independent toggles, so adjust each one based on what you actually want.
Why Find My iPhone needs both your phone settings and iCloud.com
Your phone's Settings app controls what happens on that specific device — whether it reports its location, whether it shares that location with others, and how much battery information it sends to Apple. iCloud.com is where you manage your account across all your devices and take action on lost devices from anywhere, even if you don't have access to another Apple device.
This design means you can turn off location sharing on your phone to protect your privacy, but still be able to locate that phone from a computer if it goes missing. It also means you can erase a stolen device from iCloud.com even if the thief has your phone in their hands and you can't access it directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off Find My iPhone without affecting other location services?
Yes. Turning off Find My iPhone in Settings only disables that specific feature. Your other apps can still use Location Services to get your location for maps, weather, or other purposes. Location Services itself is a separate toggle, so you can have one on and the other off.
What happens if I turn off location sharing with a family member?
They will no longer see your location in their Find My app. The change takes effect when ready. They won't be notified that you've turned off sharing, but they'll notice your location stops updating in their app.
Do I need to be signed into iCloud on my phone to use Find My iPhone?
Yes. Find My iPhone works through your iCloud account, so your phone must be signed into iCloud with your Apple ID. If you're not signed in, the Find My iPhone toggle won't appear in Settings at all.
Can someone else access my Find My iPhone settings from iCloud.com?
Only if they have your Apple ID and password. iCloud.com requires you to sign in, so your account is protected by your Apple ID credentials. If you're concerned about security, enable two-factor authentication on your Apple ID.
Will Find My iPhone work if my phone is turned off?
No, but newer iPhones have a feature called "Find My network" that can locate your phone even when it's off or the battery is dead, as long as it's within range of other Apple devices. This works automatically if Find My iPhone is turned on.