How to Set Up and Use Find My iPhone
Find My is Apple's service for locating lost or stolen iPhones, iPads, Macs and AirPods. It can even find devices that are offline. Set it up now so it's ready if the worst happens.
Turn on Find My
- Go to Settings → [your name] → Find My → Find My iPhone.
- Turn on Find My iPhone.
- Turn on Find My network, so the phone can be found even when offline or switched off (on supported models).
- Turn on Send Last Location.
Turn on Stolen Device Protection
In Settings → Face ID & Passcode, turn on Stolen Device Protection. When the iPhone is away from familiar places, sensitive actions like changing your Apple Account password require Face ID and a security delay, even if a thief knows your passcode.
Find a lost iPhone
On another Apple device, open the Find My app. On any computer, go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account. You can:
- See it on a map.
- Play Sound, even if it's on silent.
- Mark As Lost (Lost Mode): locks the phone, shows your message and number, suspends Apple Pay.
- Erase This Device as a last resort.
If it's stolen
- Turn on Lost Mode immediately.
- Don't try to recover it yourself; share the location with the police.
- Contact your mobile network to block the SIM and get a replacement with the same number.
- Change your Apple Account password and important passwords.
- Don't remove the phone from your account; that removes Activation Lock protection.
Activation Lock
With Find My on, nobody can erase and reuse your iPhone without your Apple Account password. This makes stolen iPhones much less valuable.
Share location with family
In Find My, use the People tab to share your location with family members, useful for keeping track of children or elderly parents with their consent.
Find other items
AirPods, Apple Watch and AirTags also appear in Find My.
Finding other things with AirTags
AirTags and compatible trackers attach to keys, bags, wallets or luggage and appear in the Items tab of Find My. Nearby, iPhones with Precision Finding show an arrow and distance to the item. Far away, the Find My network of Apple devices reports its location anonymously.
Unwanted tracking protection
If an unknown AirTag or compatible tracker travels with you, your iPhone alerts you with "AirTag Found Moving With You". You can play a sound to find it and see instructions to disable it. Android phones also detect unknown trackers. If you feel unsafe, contact local authorities.
Using Find My as a family
- Family Sharing: family members can help locate each other's devices.
- Location sharing: share your location with trusted people and set notifications, such as when a child arrives at school.
- Elderly parents: location sharing can be reassuring, but set it up together and with their agreement.
Macs, iPads and AirPods
Turn on Find My on all Apple devices. Lost AirPods can play a sound (remove them from your ears first) and, on supported models, show precise location. Lost Macs and iPads can be locked and erased remotely just like iPhones.
Review everything you share in Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check. See iPhone privacy settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find my iPhone if it's switched off?
On iPhone 11 and later, Find My may still locate it for several hours after it's powered off.
Using Android?
See finding a lost Android phone.
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