How to Turn Off Find My iPhone: Complete Guide for iOS 13 and Later

Find My iPhone is Apple’s powerful security feature that helps you locate lost devices, but there are legitimate reasons you might want to disable it temporarily—whether you’re transferring your iPhone, troubleshooting iCloud issues, or changing your privacy settings. We’ll show you exactly how to turn it off in just a few taps.

What is Find My iPhone?

Find My iPhone (now integrated into the Find My app since iOS 13) is Apple’s built-in location tracking and device management feature that works through iCloud. When enabled, it allows you to locate your iPhone using the Find My app or iCloud.com, remotely lock your device, or perform a factory reset if your phone is lost or stolen. The feature automatically activates when you set up your iPhone with an Apple ID and requires your Apple ID credentials to reactivate a device or perform a factory reset—this security measure is called Activation Lock. [Current as of: iOS 13–iOS 18 - January 2025]

Why You Might Want to Disable Find My iPhone

• Transferring your device: When you’re giving or selling your iPhone to someone else, disabling Find My (and turning off Activation Lock) makes the transition seamless for the new owner
• Troubleshooting iCloud conflicts: Sometimes Find My settings can interfere with other iCloud services; temporarily disabling it helps isolate problems
• Privacy preferences during offline use: If you want to use your iPhone offline without location tracking for a period, you can disable this feature
• Simplifying device setup: During complex device setups or repairs, disabling Find My temporarily can remove potential technical barriers

Things to Consider Before Disabling

• You lose remote tracking: Once disabled, you won’t be able to locate your iPhone through Find My or find it on iCloud.com. Your device is still protected by Face ID/Touch ID and your passcode, but remote management is gone
• Location Services should be enabled: While not strictly required, having Location Services turned on before disabling Find My prevents potential issues. If you encounter problems toggling Find My off, enabling Location Services first often resolves them
• Managed or corporate devices: If your iPhone is managed by an employer or organization through Mobile Device Management (MDM), you may not be able to disable Find My without administrator approval. Contact your IT team before attempting this process

How to Turn Off Find My iPhone – Step by Step

Before you start: Make sure Location Services is enabled on your device, and have your Apple ID password ready.

1. Open Settings and access your Apple ID profile

   • Tap the Settings app on your home screen
   • Tap your name at the top of the screen to open your Apple ID profile menu

2. Navigate to Find My settings

   • Tap ‘Find My’ (you’ll see it directly under your profile information—note: in current iOS versions, this appears as ‘Find My’, not under a separate ‘iCloud’ section)

3. Open Find My iPhone settings

   • Tap ‘Find My iPhone’ to view the detailed settings for the location tracking feature

4. Turn off the Find My iPhone toggle

   • Look for the ‘Find My iPhone’ toggle switch (it will be green/enabled)
   • Tap the toggle to switch it to the OFF position (it will turn from green to gray)

5. Enter your Apple ID password

   • A popup will appear asking for your Apple ID password
   • Type your password carefully and tap ‘Turn Off’ to confirm
   • If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it at iforgot.apple.com before proceeding

6. Confirm the process is complete

   • Wait for the confirmation message (usually appears within a few seconds)
   • The toggle will remain gray, confirming Find My iPhone is now disabled
   • Important note for iOS 18 users: If you have Stolen Device Protection enabled, you may be asked to verify with Face ID or Touch ID before the change is confirmed

Special situations:

• If you use iCloud.com instead: You can also disable Find My by visiting iCloud.com in a web browser, signing in with your Apple ID, selecting Find My, choosing your device, and managing the settings there. This sometimes provides additional options if you’re having trouble on the device itself.
• For iPhone X users: Your device maxes out at iOS 16.7.5, but the disabling process works identically on that version.
• If you can’t toggle it off: Ensure Location Services is enabled (Settings > Privacy > Location Services), and if you’re on a managed device, contact your IT administrator.

Disabling Find My iPhone is straightforward and takes less than two minutes—just remember that you’ll lose remote tracking until you turn it back on. Once disabled, the feature can be re-enabled anytime by returning to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggling it back on with your Apple ID password.