Find my iPhone, sometimes also called Find my iPad or Find my Mac when referring to the same app running on those devices, is a free service offered by Apple as part of iCloud. With it, you can track your iPhone, iPad, or Mac if it ever gets lost or stolen, lock it to make sure no one else can get into it, play an alert sound to help you find it, and even wipe it remotely if you’re sure you won’t be getting it back. It also enabled Activation Lock, which stops anyone without your password for using your device if it’s ever stolen.
To use Find my iPhone all you need is the free app, iCloud.com, and this guide!
- How to enable Find My iPhone on iPhone and iPad
- How to enable Find My iPhone on your Mac
- How to access Find My iPhone via the web
- How to access Find My iPhone on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- How to use Find My iPhone with Family Sharing
- How to remove an iPhone, iPad, or Mac from Find My iPhone and iCloud
- How to turn off Find My iPhone remotely and bypass Activation Lock
- How to find the owner of a lost or stolen iPhone
How to set up and start using Find My iPhone
Before you can start using Find My iPhone, you’ll need to set up the service. As long as you’re signed into your iCloud account on all your devices, it’s as simple as flipping a switch. After that, you can start tracking any devices linked to your account.
- How to enable Find My iPhone on iPhone and iPad
- How to enable Find My iPhone on your Mac
- How to access Find My iPhone via the web
- How to access Find My iPhone on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
How to use Find My iPhone with Family Sharing
Family Sharing is available on devices running iOS 8 and up. Not only can you share purchases with other family members in your household, you can also keep track of each other with Find My iPhone. It works pretty much the same way as tracking your own devices does. As long as the person you’d like to track is a member of your Family Sharing group, you can always track them via Find My iPhone.
- How to use Find My iPhone with Family Sharing
How to remove an iPhone, iPad, or Mac from Find My iPhone and iCloud
If you’re upgrading to a new device and are either getting rid of or passing down your old one to someone else, you’ll want to make sure that you disable Find My iPhone and remove your iCloud account. This does two things: it allows the new owner to link the device to their own iCloud account without any trouble, and it ensures that they don’t have access to any of your information in your iCloud account.
- How to remove an iPhone, iPad, or Mac from Find My iPhone and iCloud
How to turn off Find My iPhone remotely and bypass Activation Lock
If you’ve already gotten rid of an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac and forgot to turn off Find My iPhone, there is a way you can remove it from your account remotely. This is the guide you want if you sold your device and the new owner tried restoring and can’t get past Activation Lock. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t work unless you know the iCloud password for whatever account the device is linked to.
- How to turn off Find My iPhone remotely and bypass Activation Lock
How to find the owner of a lost or stolen iPhone
What happens if you find an iPhone, iPad, or Mac left behind at a coffee shop, park, classroom, or bar? Find my iPhone is great not only for helping you keep track of your own devices, but helping you return a lost device to someone else.
- How to find the owner of a lost or stolen iPhone
How to get more help with Find My iPhone
If you need more help with Find My iPhone, or just want to learn even more, hit the links below!
- Find My iPhone news, tips, tricks, and more
- iMore iCloud forums