Find My iPhone which was introduced by Apple in iOS 5 helps you locate and track your lost or stolen iPhone using iCloud website or using the Find My iPhone app (also known as Find iPhone on the Home screen).
It is also known specifically for other devices as Find My iPad, Find My iPod and Find My Mac.
Find My iPhone also includes Activation Lock—a feature that’s designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch if it’s ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock is enabled automatically when you turn on Find My iPhone.
So if you plan to sell your iPhone, give it away or send it in for repair, then you should ensure to turn off Find My iPhone (Find My iPad, Find My iPod, Find My Mac) on your device. Otherwise, your device is locked and anyone that you give the device to can’t use it normally and Apple technicians can’t perform service repairs.
How to Turn Off Find My iPhone
You can turn off Find my iPhone or remove your iPhone you’re no longer using from Find My iPhone by following these steps:
• Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud
• Tap Find My iPhone
• Then turn off Find My iPhone.
You can also remove your iPhone from Find my iPhone by turning off iCloud on that device. Turning off iCloud turns off all iCloud features on the device.
If you are selling or giving away your iPhone, I would strongly recommend erasing your content and settings (in Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings). When you use the Erase All Content and Settings option to erase all the information and settings from your device, Find My iPhone and Activation Lock are also turned off.
How to Turn off Find My iPhone Remotely
If your iPhone is no longer with you because you either sold it or gave it away or if your iPhone’s screen is broken or it is not turning back on because of a dead battery then the good news is that you can turn off Find My iPhone or remove iPhone remotely from Find my iPhone using iCloud.com by following these steps.
- Go to iCloud.com
- Enter your Apple ID and password or your family member’s Apple ID and password.
- If you’re not using a trusted browser, then you will be prompted to answer your security questions or enter the verification which is sent to your other devices. If the device you’re erasing has iOS 8 or later, enter a phone number and message.
- Click Find iPhone.
- Then click All Devices at the top, then select the device you want to remove.
- Select your iPhone from the list.
- Then click on Remove from Account option.
That’s it, all the content will be erased and someone else can now activate the device.
Turn Off Find My iPhone Without Password?
Can I turn off Find My iPhone without the password? It has been one of the most frequently asked questions.
Find My iPhone is a security feature to prevent someone who has stolen or found your lost iPhone accessing your device. So you need the password to turn it off. As you can see in the guide above, you can turn it off either on the device using the Settings app or iCloud.com. In both cases, you need to enter the password for your Apple ID, so you can’t turn off Find My iPhone without a password. If you have forgotten it, then you should reset your password.
Let us know if you’ve any questions in the comments below.
