Find My iPhone is an Apple service that allows you to locate your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch in case you ever lose your device. While this can be useful for finding a lost device, it also means that Apple is continuously tracking the location of your device. If you want to turn off this location tracking, here are the steps.
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Why You May Want to Disable Find My iPhone
There are a few reasons why you may want to disable Find My iPhone and stop Apple from tracking your device’s location:
- Privacy concerns: Not everyone is comfortable with a company continuously tracking their location, even if it is to help locate a lost device. You may want to disable it for privacy reasons.
- Battery life: The constant location tracking can drain your battery faster. Disabling Find My iPhone can help preserve some battery life.
- No longer need the tracking: If you have an old device you no longer use or carry with you, you may wish to disable Find My iPhone since you no longer need the location tracking.
How to Turn Off Find My iPhone
You can turn off Find My iPhone in a few quick steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.
- Tap on your name at the top of the screen (your Apple ID).
- Tap on ‘Find My’.
- Turn off ‘Find My iPhone’. Confirm by tapping ‘Turn Off’ again.
Once Find My iPhone is disabled, your device’s location will no longer be tracked or sent to Apple.
Disabling Find My iPhone on iCloud.com
You can also turn off Find My iPhone by logging into your iCloud account on the iCloud website:
- Go to iCloud.com and login with your Apple ID.
- Click on the Find My iPhone icon.
- Select your device and click on Remove from Account.
- Confirm again that you want to remove it.
This will both disable Find My iPhone for that device and also remove it from your list of registered devices.
What Happens When You Disable Find My iPhone
Once you turn off Find My iPhone, a few things happen:
- Your device’s location is no longer tracked or sent to Apple.
- You will no longer be able to use the Find My app or iCloud.com to locate your device if lost.
- Activation Lock will be disabled. (This lock prevents anyone else from activating your device if lost or stolen.)
So disabling Find My iPhone means giving up the ability to track your device in exchange for more privacy and perhaps better battery life. Just know it comes with some risks if you ever lose your iPhone.
What If You Want to Re-Enable Find My iPhone Later On
You can always re-enable Find My iPhone later if you change your mind. Just toggle it back on in Settings or on iCloud.com.
However, you’ll have to enter your Apple ID password in order to reactivate Find My iPhone. This is an anti-theft measure to prevent someone else from tracking your lost iPhone without your permission.
Other Ways to Locate Your iPhone
If you disable Find My iPhone but still want options to help locate your device if lost, consider these alternatives:
- Tracking apps: Install a third party app like Find My Kids or Life360 to privately track devices without using Apple’s service. Just know they drain battery too.
- Back up location history: Apps like Google Maps Timeline and OwnTracks will store your location history in the cloud, allowing you to view past locations. They offer more limited tracking compared to Find My iPhone though.
So in summary, disabling Find My iPhone means giving up real-time tracking through Apple’s network. But alternatives exist if you still want options to locate lost devices.
