How to Turn Off Find My iPhone (2026 Steps + Fixes)

People turn off Find My iPhone for three reasons: they're selling or trading in the phone, it's going in for repair, or they want to stop sharing their location. The first two need Find My off. The third usually doesn't. This guide covers all three with Apple's current steps (iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 and Apple Support articles, checked 7 November 2026; iOS 26 uses the same labels).

First: which switch do you actually need?

In Settings > [your name] > Find My, there are two different things:

Switch	What it does	Turn it off when
Find My iPhone	Lets you locate, lock or erase this iPhone; includes Activation Lock	Selling, giving away, trading in, some repairs
Share My Location	Shares your location with friends and family in Find My and Messages	You want to stop people seeing where you are

Apple's own description of turning off Find My: "You can turn off Find My on your iPhone if you no longer want to share your location or view the location of your friends, devices, and items" (Apple). But if only people sharing is the issue, the gentler switch is Share My Location, which leaves theft protection intact. See how to stop sharing your location.

How to turn off Find My iPhone (on the iPhone)

Open Settings and tap [your name] at the top.
Tap Find My.
Tap Find My iPhone, then turn it off.
Enter your Apple Account password, then tap Turn Off (Apple).

Apple: "If you still have the device, you can turn off Activation Lock and remove the device from your account by turning off the Find My [device] setting on the device" (Apple).

Why you should think twice: Activation Lock

Apple: "Find My includes Activation Lock — a feature that's designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone or iPad if it's ever lost or stolen." With it on, "your Apple Account password is required before anyone can turn off Find My, erase your device, or reactivate and use your device" (Apple). Turning Find My off removes that protection. Keep it on for everyday use.

Can't turn off Find My? Stolen Device Protection

Apple: "You also need to have Find My turned on, and you can't turn it off while Stolen Device Protection is enabled" (Apple).

To turn Stolen Device Protection off first:

Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode).
Enter your passcode.
Tap Stolen Device Protection and turn it off.

Apple: "If you try to turn off Stolen Device Protection when you're not in a familiar location, a security delay starts before you can turn it off." Some security actions "require you to wait an hour and then perform an additional Face ID or Touch ID authentication." Apple also says: "You should turn off Stolen Device Protection before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone."

Other reasons the switch won't move:

Wrong or forgotten Apple Account password: reset it via Apple's account recovery.
A work or school device: a managing organization may control Find My.

Turn off Find My before selling or trading in

Apple's checklist for selling, giving away or trading in an iPhone (Apple):

Back up the iPhone.
Unpair your Apple Watch if you have one.
Turn off Stolen Device Protection (Apple's advice above).
Sign out: on iOS 26 or later, Settings > [your name] > Sign Out, then choose Erase this [Device] or Sign Out But Don't Erase. On iOS 18 or earlier, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.
Erase the iPhone.

Apple warns buyers: on iOS 15 or later, a device still protected by Activation Lock shows "iPhone Locked to Owner" (Apple). Don't hand over a phone that still shows it.

Already sold it? Turn off Find My remotely

If you forgot, you can still remove the device with the Find My app (Apple):

Open Find My on another Apple device and tap Devices.
Tap the phone you sold, then the more button.
Erase the device. "Because the device isn't lost, don't enter a phone number or message."
When it's erased, tap Remove This Device, then Remove.

Apple: "All your content is erased, Activation Lock is turned off, and someone else can now activate the device." You can also do this at iCloud.com. Without another Apple device, Apple points to Find Devices on iCloud.com (Apple).

Turn off Find My for a repair

Apple has a separate "get your device ready for service" article, linked from its Activation Lock page. Some repairs need Find My off; check with the repair provider first, and back up before you hand the phone in.

Apple frames turning off Find My as the way to stop sharing your location and viewing others (Apple). Two notes:

Share My Location is the targeted switch for people sharing; it's on the same Find My screen and in the Find My app under Me.
Deleting the app isn't enough: Apple says if you delete the Find My app, "people that you've shared your location with can still see your location" (Apple).

Apple also says the person you stop sharing with "won't be notified". More: how to know if someone stopped sharing.

Turn off Find My on iPad, Mac and Apple Watch

iPad: Settings > [your name] > Find My, tap Find My iPad, turn it off, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off (Apple).
Mac and Apple Watch: Apple's Activation Lock page links separate "before you sell, give away, or trade in" articles for Mac and Apple Watch; follow those for the current steps (Apple).

If the reason you're here is "I want control over who sees my location", turning off a theft-protection feature is a heavy tool. Warden keeps people sharing separate from device security:

Sharing in Warden starts off; you switch it on yourself, per circle.
Pause anytime: the circle sees "Paused", and no new locations are stored.
Stop sharing with one circle, leave a circle, or delete your account and data, all from the app.
You always see who can see you, and everyone is told who joins and who leaves.

Keep Find My iPhone on for Activation Lock and lost-phone help; use Warden for the people side, on iPhone and Android.

FAQ

How do I turn off Find My iPhone?

Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My, tap Find My iPhone, turn it off, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.

Why can't I turn off Find My iPhone?

Usually Stolen Device Protection is on; Apple says you can't turn off Find My while it's enabled. Turn it off in Settings > Face ID & Passcode first. Away from familiar locations, a security delay of an hour can apply.

How do I turn off Find My iPhone from another device?

Open Find My on another Apple device or iCloud.com, select the iPhone, erase it, then choose Remove This Device. Apple says this turns off Activation Lock.

Apple describes turning off Find My as the way to stop sharing your location and viewing others. To stop sharing only, turn off Share My Location instead and keep Find My iPhone on.

Does turning off Find My notify the other person?

Apple says the person you stop sharing with won't be notified.

Do I need to turn off Find My before selling my iPhone?

Yes. Apple's checklist says to sign out of your Apple Account (which turns off Find My and Activation Lock) and erase the iPhone, and to turn off Stolen Device Protection first.

Is it safe to turn off Find My iPhone?

It removes Activation Lock, which Apple designed to stop others using your iPhone if it's lost or stolen. Turn it off only when you're selling, giving away or servicing the phone.

Does turning off Find My delete my location history?

No. Location history such as Significant Locations & Routes or Visited Places in Maps is separate; clear it in Settings or Maps.