Track an iPhone With Find My iPhone

This article teaches you how to use Apple's cloud-based device tracking feature to locate your iPhone.

Steps

Enabling Find My iPhone

  1. Open Settings. It's a gray app that contains gears (⚙️) and is typically found on your home screen.
  2. Tap your Apple ID. It's the section at the top of the menu that contains your name and image if you've added one.
    • If you are not signed in, tap Sign in to (Your Device), enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Sign In.
    • If you are running an older version of iOS, you may not need to do this step.
  3. Tap iCloud. It's in the second section of the menu.
  4. Scroll down and tap Find My iPhone. It's near the bottom of the "APPS USING ICLOUD" section of the menu.
  5. Slide "Find My iPhone" to the "On" position. It will turn green. This feature enables you to find your iPhone's location using another device.
  6. Slide "Send Last Location" to the "On" position. Now your iPhone will send its location to Apple when the battery is critically low, just before it powers off.

Using Another iPhone or iPad

  1. Open Find My iPhone on another device.
  2. Sign in with your Apple ID. Use the Apple ID and password that you used into your own iPhone.
    • If the app is on a device that belongs to another person, you may need to tap Sign Out in the upper-right corner of the app screen in order to sign in with your own Apple ID.
  3. Tap your iPhone. It should appear in a list of devices below the map. The location of your phone will be displayed on the map.
    • If the phone has been powered off or the battery has died, it will show you the last known location of your phone.
  4. Tap Actions. It's at the bottom-center of the screen.
  5. Tap Play Sound. It's in the bottom-left corner of the screen. If your iPhone is nearby, it will play a sound to help you locate it.
  6. Tap Lost Mode. It's at the bottom-center of the screen. Use this option if your iPhone is lost in a place where it could be found by someone else or if you think it's been stolen.
    • Enter an unlock code for your phone. Use a random number set that's not tied to you: no SSN, no birthdate, driver's license number, or anything that is personal.
    • Send a message and contact phone number that will be displayed on your screen.
    • If your iPhone is online, it will immediately lock and cannot be reset without the lock code. You'll be able to see your phone's current location, as well as any changes in location.
    • If your phone is offline, it will lock immediately on power-up. You'll receive an email notification and will be able to track your phone's position.
  7. Tap Erase iPhone. It's in the lower-right corner of the screen. Use this option if you're concerned that you may not recover your iPhone or that your personal information may be compromised.
    • This action erases all the data on your iPhone, which also means that you'll no longer be able to use Find My iPhone to locate your device.
    • Back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes on a regular basis, in case you ever need to restore erased data.

Using iCloud.com

  1. Go to iCloud.com. Use the link to the left or type www.icloud.com into your browser.
  2. Enter your Apple ID and password.
  3. Click on ➲. It's on the right side of the password field.
    • If you have Two-Factor Authentication enabled, click on or tap Allow on another device and enter the 6-digit verification code you receive in the spaces in the browser window.
  4. Click on Find iPhone. It's the app with a green radar screen.
  5. Click on All Devices. It's at the top-center of the screen.
  6. Click on your iPhone. If it's powered on, its icon, along with your "[Your Name]'s iPhone" should appear in the drop-down menu.
    • The location of your phone will be displayed on the map.
    • If the phone has been powered off or the battery has died, it will show you the last known location of your phone.
  7. Click on Play Sound. It's in the bottom-left corner of the dialog box on the right side of the window. If your iPhone is nearby, it will play a sound to help you locate it.
  8. Click on Lost Mode. It's at the bottom-center of the dialog box on the right side of the window. Use this option if your iPhone is lost in a place where it could be found by someone else or if you think it's been stolen.
    • Enter an unlock code for your phone. Use a random number set that's not tied to you: no SSN, no birthdate, driver's license number, or anything that is personal.
    • Send a message and contact phone number that will be displayed on your screen.
    • If your iPhone is online, it will immediately lock and cannot be reset without the lock code. You'll be able to see your phone's current location, as well as any changes in location.
    • If your phone is offline, it will lock immediately on power-up. You'll receive an email notification and will be able to track your phone's position.
  9. Click on Erase iPhone. It's in the lower-right corner of the dialog box on the right side of the window. Use this option if you're concerned that you may not recover your iPhone or that your personal information may be compromised.
    • This action erases all the data on your iPhone, which also means that you'll no longer be able to use Find My iPhone to locate your device.
    • Back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes on a regular basis, in case you ever need to restore erased data.



Warnings

  • Do not forget your iPhone passcode!
  • Find My iPhone will not work if your iPhone is turned off.

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