Most people never need to touch Find My iPhone until the moment they are selling the phone, handing it in for a repair, or passing it on to someone else. Turning off Find My seems easy till it asks you to turn off Stolen Device Protection or requests your Apple account credentials. This is when the confusion starts. So, in this guide, we will show you how to turn off Find My iPhone, including what to do if things do not go as expected.
How to Turn Off Find My iPhone
Find My lets you track your iPhone when it is stolen or lost. In fact, iPhone 11 and newer models can be located when your Apple iPhone is switched off. It also lets you erase your data in case the device is not recoverable. This is why Apple requires multiple security checks before allowing you to turn off Find My iPhone. But now that you know what it does, let's take a look at how to disable it.
Disable Find My via iPhone Settings
The straightforward way to turn off Find My for your iPhone is through the Settings app. Let me show you how:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone, go to your name > Find My.
- Here, tap on Find My iPhone and turn off the Find My iPhone toggle.
- You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password.
- After entering your password, tap on Turn Off to save changes.
Once turned off, Apple will send an email to your Apple ID confirming the change.
Note: Turning off Find My iPhone also removes Activation Lock, which is required before selling, trading in, or handing the phone in for service.
Remotely Turn Off Find My for iPhone
If your iPhone is lost, away from you, or you have already sold it to someone and forgot to turn off Find My iPhone, and then here is how you can disable it remotely.
- Go to icloud.com, and sign in with your Apple ID.
- You will be sent an Apple Account Verification code. Use another Apple device signed in with the same account to get the code.
- Here, scroll down and click on Find My. You might be required to sign in again.
- Next, select your iPhone from the list of devices.
- If you want to delete your saved data first, click on Erase.
- Once erased, click on Remove to unregister the iPhone from your Apple account.
You have successfully turned off Find My iPhone and disabled Activation Lock on your Apple iPhone.
Sign Out of Apple Account
Another way to turn off Find My iPhone is by signing out of your Apple account entirely. Since Find My requires an active iCloud sign-in to work, it disables automatically when you log out of your account. This is what I did when I wanted to sell my old iPhone 13, and this is how you can do it too.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to your name at the top > Sign Out.
- Here, select between Erase this iPhone or Sign Out But Don't Erase, depending on your preferences.
- Tap on Continue and select Erase iPhone.
- Then, enter the iPhone screen passcode when required.
Only Turn Off Find My Network on iPhone
In case you want to only turn off Find My Network, which allows your iPhone to be detected by the broader Apple Find My network even when the phone is switched off or offline, then follow these steps.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to your name > Find My.
- Here, go to Find My iPhone and turn off the Find My network toggle.
- In the confirmation prompt, select Disable.
Disable Send Last Location
Send Last Location is another feature in the Find My settings that lets your friends and close ones see your last active location in the Find My app. The good thing is that it can be disabled independently without turning off Find My iPhone.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to your name at the top of the page.
- Then go to Find My > Find My iPhone.
- Here, turn off the Send Last Location toggle.
- It will stop location sharing immediately.
What to Do If You Cannot Turn Off Find My iPhone
In case any of the above methods are not helping you out and you are unable to turn off Find My iPhone, then I suggest you try these troubleshooting tips to fix the hurdle.
- Forgot the Apple ID password: If you have forgotten your Apple ID password, then you can reset it from iforgot.apple.com before you can turn off Find My iPhone.
- Used phone still linked to owner: If you bought a used iPhone and it is still linked to the previous owner, then you need to contact them to disable it. In case that is not possible, then contact Apple Support with the proof of purchase.
- Don't trust any unofficial tools: Third-party tools that claim to bypass Activation Lock are not legitimate and don't bypass Apple's protection. Do not use them to disable Find My.
- Find My iPhone toggle is greyed out: A greyed-out Find My toggle means Screen Time is preventing you from changing this setting. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content and Privacy Restrictions > Account Changes and make sure it is set to Allow.
- Restart iPhone: It is also likely that you are unable to turn off Find My iPhone due to a software glitch or a random iOS bug. In this case, you should restart your iPhone as it often fixes those issues. To do this, simply switch off your iPhone and then press the side key to turn it on again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does turning off Find My iPhone remove Activation Lock?
Yes. Turning off Find My iPhone also removes Activation Lock from the device. This is why Apple repair services ask users to turn it off before any service or trade-in.
Q. Can Find My iPhone be turned off without a password?
No. Apple requires you to enter your Apple ID password to turn off Find My iPhone. In case you have forgotten your password, then you need to create a new one via iforgot.apple.com.
Q. Will turning off Find My iPhone notify anyone?
Apple sends an email automatically to the email ID the Apple account is associated with. So, only the owner of that email ID will be notified when you turn off Find My iPhone.
Q. Does turning off Find My iPhone affect other Apple devices?
No. Find My is managed on a per-device basis. Turning it off on one iPhone only affects that specific device and does not change the Find My status of any other devices linked to the same Apple ID.
That is all we have on how to turn off Find My iPhone and all the different ways that we can do it. Disabling it can be intimidating for many users, especially the ones doing it for the first time. But it is quite a simple process given you know what you are doing and you understand the right way to do it, too. I hope I was able to help you out and provide all the necessary information required.
