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How to Deactivate Find My iPhone Feature

Kamal Kaur
How to Deactivate ‘Find My iPhone”
How to Deactivate ‘Find My iPhone”

Deactivate Find My iPhone feature is a feature found in iOS and macOS that enables users to locate lost or missing iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. Once Find My iPhone is activated on a device, it is linked to that user’s Apple ID. You can then locate the iPhone, iPad or Mac by logging on to iCloud.com (on a Mac) or using the Find my iPhone app on an iPhone or iPad. With Find My iPhone enabled, the owner of a device can see its location on a map, remotely lock it, wipe its contents or send a message to a lost device encouraging a finder to return it.

Apple’s Find My iPhone service can be useful in a variety of situations – if you’ve lost a device or had it stolen. More importantly, there are specific circumstances when Find My iPhone stops being useful and becomes a potential inconvenience or danger. When you wish to sell a device, of course, you need to remove it from Find My iPhone; the same is true when you send it to Apple for repair.

Deactivate Find My iPhone Feature

Therefore Find My iPhone is a tremendously useful service and was implemented in part to discourage the theft of highly prized Apple devices. Because of this you cannot disable Find My iPhone without the Apple ID password used to set it up. Furthermore, if you cannot turn off Find My iPhone, you cannot completely restore the iPhone or iPad to its original factory settings.

Because of this you must disable Find My iPhone before selling, or passing on, your iPhone. If you have purchased an iPhone second-hand and do not have the Apple ID and password requested by Find My iPhone, you will need to contact the original owner to retrieve it or hand them the iPhone or iPad and get them to enter the password.

Deactivate Find My iPhone Feature

If you want to deactivate the Find My iPhone feature on an iOS device, you can do so through the device’s settings. However, keep in mind that deactivating Find My iPhone requires entering your Apple ID password. Here are the steps to turn off Find My iPhone:

  1. Open Settings:
    • Unlock your iOS device and go to the “Settings” app.
  2. Tap on your Apple ID:
    • At the top of the Settings menu, you’ll see your Apple ID. Tap on it to access your Apple ID settings.
  3. Go to iCloud:
    • Scroll down and tap on “iCloud.”
  4. Find Find My iPhone:
    • Look for “Find My iPhone” in the list of iCloud services. Tap on it.
  5. Disable Find My iPhone:
    • Toggle the switch next to “Find My iPhone” to the OFF position. You may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password.
  6. Enter Apple ID Password:
    • If prompted, enter your Apple ID password to confirm and disable Find My iPhone.

Once you’ve completed these steps, Find My iPhone will be disabled on the device. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to locate the device using Find My iPhone after it’s turned off. If you plan to sell or give away the device, it’s a good practice to deactivate Find My iPhone to ensure a smooth transition for the new owner.

Note: If you are trying to turn off Find My iPhone on a device running iOS 14 or later and you’ve activated the Activation Lock, you will need to enter your Apple ID password and disable the Activation Lock before erasing or restoring the device. This is an additional security measure to prevent unauthorized use of your device.

Luckily it’s very easy to remove an iPhone from Find My iPhone. Follow the step-by-step guide below as to how to do it

How to turn off Find My iPhone (on iOS 13 or later)

  1. Go to Settings on your device’s home screen.
Settings menu

2. Click on your name at the top of the menu. Once done, click the Find My option.

2. Select your name at the top of the menu. Then select the Find My option.
2. Select your name at the top of the menu. Then select the Find My option.

3. Tap Find My iPhone which can be seen at the top of the next page, and turn the Find My iPhone setting off. You can also toggle the Find My network option off too, as well as the Send Last Location option (which instantly sends the location of your phone to Apple whenever you are low on battery).

4. Put in your Apple ID password and then click Turn Off.

5. And if you can’t turn your phone on at all

How to switch off Find My iPhone on iOS versions 12 or earlier

How to switch off Find My iPhone on iOS versions 12 or earlier
How to switch off Find My iPhone on iOS versions 12 or earlier

1. Click on the Settings menu. 

2. At the topmost part of the menu, click on your name. 

3. Go to the iCloud menu, and then type in your password. 

4. Pick the Turn Off option to disable Find my iPhone.

Conclusion

These are a few ways in which you can easily turn off the Find my iPhone option on your iPhone for both versions 13 and above as well as 12 and below.