How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (2024)

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| How-To

How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (2)

While every iPhone comes with the iCloud Find My app, users often neglect setting it up on their devices. Some don’t understand the feature, while others feel it’s unnecessary. Speaking from experience, you’ll regret not having Find My during emergencies—you never know when you’ll need it. Here’s how to enable it on all your Apple devices.

How to Activate Find My on Your iCloud Devices

Find My is Apple’s device-tracking service. The company introduced it as Find My iPhone in 2009 but rebranded it to Find My once it started supporting other gadgets. You can use it on iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs, AirPods, and AirTags.

How to Set Up Find My on Your iOS or iPadOS

  1. Open Settings > [your Apple ID profile] > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (3)
  2. Toggle on the buttons for Find My iPhone/iPad.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (4)
  3. Next, go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Find My and set Allow Location Access to While Using the App.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (5)

How to Set Up Find My on Your macOS

  1. Click the Apple Menu > System Settings > [your Apple ID profile] > iCloud.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (6)
  2. Select Find My Mac > Turn On and enter your administrator profile’s login credentials. If you don’t see Find My Mac, look for it in Show More Apps… under Apps using iCloud.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (7)

How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (8)NOTE

You can only use Find My on Apple devices logged in to the same iCloud account. To track third parties and their devices, they must actively share their location with you.

How to Add Devices to Find My Manually

  1. Open Find My on your iPhone or iPad > Devices and tap the plus symbol (+) on the right side of the screen.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (9)
  2. Select Add AirTag, Add MagSafe Accessory, or Add Other Item.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (10)
  3. Wait for Find My to find your gadget—make sure it’s nearby—and add it to the Devices list.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (11)
  4. You can also remove paired items. Go to Devices, tap the device you need to remove, then select Remove This Device.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (12)

How Do I Track My Lost iPhone, iPad, or Mac?

Find My shows your registered devices on a map. Your iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirTag, and Apple Watch will show their real-time locations if they’re turned on, while AirPods must be out of their charging case. Unfortunately, you won’t see your offline devices. Here are several ways to track your lost Apple device if it’s not showing up on the Find My map.

  • Play a Sound: Open Find My > Devices > [your device name] > Play Sound—your missing gadget will play a fairly loud sound. It’s a good option if the item is just nearby.
    How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (13)
  • Set as Lost: Open Find My > Devices > [your device name] > Mark as Lost, set your Activation Lock, then turn on Notify When Found. Your device will remain locked until you find it and enter your unique activation lock.
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  • Erase Device Remotely: If you still can’t find your gadget, erase it remotely to prevent your personal data from leaking. Open Find My > Devices > [your device name] > Erase This Device.
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How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (16)NOTE

Erase This Device is different from Remove This Device. It will clear everything on your gadget and force it into Recovery Mode—be careful not to click it by accident. But if you do, call Apple Support. Don’t attempt to force it out of Recovery Mode unless you have experience because you might cause permanent damage to its logic board.

Does Find My Tell You When Someone’s on Their iPhone?

Find My tells you if someone is using your lost iPhone, Mac, or iPad if you turn on Mark as Lost. It’ll notify you when your device goes online. However, Find My doesn’t say the online status of friends and family members sharing their locations.

Can I Find a Lost iPhone That’s Turned Off?

Find My can find a lost iPhone that’s offline or turned off if you enable Find My network. Go to Settings > [your Apple ID profile] > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad and toggle on the button for Find My network. Likewise, enabling Send Last Location shares your device’s location with Apple whenever it’s low on power.

If Find My keeps turning off without your permission, check your iCloud settings, power mode, GPS signal, and app permissions. You should enable it on all your Apple devices to utilize its features.

How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices (2024)

FAQs

How to Use Find My on iCloud to Locate Your Apple Devices? ›

Easiest: Log in to iCloud.com in a browser, select Find My, then tap the iPhone to locate it. Next easiest: If Google Maps Timeline is enabled on the iPhone, visit timeline.google.com on the Android. Other location trackers work, too, such as Life360.

Can you locate a phone from the iCloud? ›

Easiest: Log in to iCloud.com in a browser, select Find My, then tap the iPhone to locate it. Next easiest: If Google Maps Timeline is enabled on the iPhone, visit timeline.google.com on the Android. Other location trackers work, too, such as Life360.

How to locate lost iPhone using iCloud? ›

Find your Apple device or AirTag
  1. Open Find My.
  2. Choose Devices or Items.
  3. Select your lost device or item to find it on a map. If you belong to a Family Sharing group, you can also find your family members' devices or shared items. Choose Directions to open its location in Maps. If you're close, tap Play Sound.
May 15, 2024

Can iCloud be used to track iPhone? ›

You can use Find Devices on iCloud.com to find the approximate location of your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats product if Find My is set up on the device and the device is online. To sign in to Find Devices, go to icloud.com/find.

How do I locate my phone from another device? ›

Can I use Find My Device to find a lost Pixel, Samsung and/or other Android phones? You can find Android devices with OS 9 and up with the Find My Device network. Head over to android.com/find to locate them on the Web or use the Find My Device app on a friend's phone or tablet by signing into the app as a guest.

How to find a device on iCloud? ›

Locate your device

In Find Devices on iCloud.com, select the device in the All Devices list on the left. If the device can be located: It appears on the map so you can see where it is. If the device can't be located: You see Offline below the device's name. The last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours.

Can I locate someone else's lost iPhone? ›

You can use the Find My app to locate friends, Apple devices, AirTags, or third-party items.

How to find a lost Apple phone? ›

You can find your device, mark it as lost or erase it remotely at iCloud.com/find. When you sign in, you may be asked to enter a verification code sent to a trusted device. If you've lost your only trusted device or otherwise can't receive the code, select the Find Devices button instead of entering a code.

Can I use Find My iPhone to locate my husbands phone? ›

Locate a family member's device

See Locate a device in Find My on iPhone. Your devices are at the top of the list, and your family members' devices are below yours.

How can I find my device location? ›

  1. Open android.com/find.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account. If this device has more than one user profile, sign in with a Google Account that's on the main profile. Learn more about user profiles.
  3. If you have more than one device, at the top of the screen, select your device.

How to ping someone's iPhone? ›

Use Find My from another computer to locate it, or is you know it's nearby, call it from another phone and follow the ring. If you you have setup Family Sharing, it's possible “Find, Play a Sound, and “Mark as Lost” each other's devices straight from you own “FindMy”.

Can you track an iPhone if iCloud is off? ›

Can I find my iPhone without iCloud? ' A quick answer to the question is “Yes, you can find your iPhone without iCloud.

How do I activate iCloud for Find My? ›

How to turn on Find My for your iPhone or iPad
  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap your name, then tap Find My.
  3. If you want friends and family to know where you are, turn on Share My Location.
  4. Tap Find My [device], then turn on Find My [device].
  5. To see your device even when it's offline, turn on Find My network.*
May 15, 2024

Can I activate Find My iPhone from another device? ›

Use the Find My app on another device

If you have another Apple device that's signed in with your Apple ID, use Find My on that device to lock and find your iPhone or iPad.

Can you find someone through their iCloud? ›

You can search for contacts by their name as well as by details, like phone number or address. As you type the contact name or contact information into the search field, iCloud Contacts displays matching contacts with your search terms highlighted in each contact card.

How do I find someone else's iPhone? ›

You can use the Find My app to locate friends, Apple devices, AirTags, or third-party items. Find My is available on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple Watch, and Find Devices is available on iCloud.com. See What you can locate with Find My on each device.

How do I find a lost iPhone without Finding My iPhone? ›

Contact Your Mobile Phone Carrier. Your mobile phone carrier might offer location tracking services for lost or stolen devices. You should contact your mobile phone carrier's customer service department. They might require proof of ownership of your iPhone.

Can an iPhone be tracked? ›

Yes, a partner, parent, or even employer can gain remote, real-time access to your iPhone using spying software. Spyware can track your GPS location, record your keypad inputs such as credit card numbers and passwords, and monitor your calls, texts, app usage, emails, voice, and other personal data.

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