How to Turn Off Find My iPhone Without Your Phone
If you’re looking to sell your iPhone, you’ll need to turn off the Find My iPhone feature first. This tracking feature is helpful for when you’ve lost your iPhone but must be switched off in order to sell your device.
The process is straightforward and can be completed even if your iPhone won’t power on or is no longer in your possession. Here’s what you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- Required for Resale: Find My iPhone must be disabled to remove the Activation Lock before selling or trading in your device.
- Remote Access: You can turn off the feature using a computer if your phone is lost, broken, or has a dead battery.
- iOS 13 & Newer: Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone to toggle the setting off.
- Older iOS Versions: For iOS 12 or older, the setting is located under Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
- Security: Disabling this feature requires your Apple ID password to verify ownership.
How Find My iPhone works
Find My iPhone includes several features designed to help you locate missing devices.
- View location: See your device’s location on a map when it’s online.
- Play Sound: Make your iPhone play a sound to help you find it nearby.
- Directions: Get turn-by-turn directions to your device in the Maps app.
- Lost Mode: Lock your iPhone remotely, display a message, and track movement.
- Offline finding: Locate devices even when they’re offline using the Find My network.
- Erase device: Remotely erase your iPhone if you can’t recover it.
Why you need to turn off Find My iPhone before trade-in
Apple requires you to turn off Find My iPhone for several reasons, most commonly when you’re selling or trading in your device. Find My iPhone is connected to an Apple “Activation Lock” feature, which turns on automatically. Activation Lock prevents theft by connecting your device to your unique Apple ID.
For someone else to use the iPhone, you’ll have to turn off that very useful feature and remove the Activation Lock setting, as part of a plan to erase iPhone settings made for the prior user - that is, if it’s not already automatically turned off. Also, Apple requires you to turn the feature off when visiting an Apple store for tech services, unlike with some earlier versions of the iPhone from past years.
Before selling your device, you should also update your settings to remove personal information, including contacts, stored content, and sensitive data. Reset any access or service features to prepare the device for its next owner.
How to turn off Find My iPhone on your phone
You can turn off Find My iPhone directly from your smartphone.
Steps for iOS 13 or Higher
- Open Settings and tap your name.
- Select Find My.
- Tap Find My iPhone.
- Toggle the switch to Off.
- Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
Steps for iOS 12 and Older
- Open Settings and tap your name.
- Select iCloud.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Find My iPhone.
- Toggle the setting to Off.
- Enter your Apple ID password and select Turn Off.
How to turn off Find My iPhone on a computer
You may need to turn off Find My iPhone from your computer instead of your smartphone or tablet in several situations. First, you may not have direct access to the device. Or, your device could have a broken screen that makes navigating to the settings difficult. On top of that, devices with dead or drained batteries require you to turn off find my iPhone from a computer or your desktop Apple account.
- On a computer, go to iCloud.com and sign in with the Apple ID that’s linked to the iPhone.
- Open Find My (or Find iPhone).
- Select the iPhone from the device list.
- Choose Remove from Account to disable Find My iPhone and remove Activation Lock.
Prepare your iPhone for ecoATM
Looking to sell your iPhone or other Apple device? ecoATM makes it simple to turn your used electronics into instant cash while giving them a second life or recycling them responsibly. Our kiosks are located where you already shop, making the sustainable choice the convenient choice. With over 5,000 kiosk locations in retail stores across the country, there’s likely one near you.
Once you’ve turned off Find My iPhone, locate your nearest ecoATM kiosk to get instant cash for your device. The process is quick and straightforward, and you’ll know you’re recycling your electronics responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I disable Find My iPhone?
On your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone, then toggle it Off and enter your Apple ID password to confirm.
Why is the Find My iPhone switch greyed out?
The toggle may be unavailable if restrictions are enabled (for example, Screen Time settings) or if additional security features are preventing changes. You may need to adjust those settings before you can turn Find My iPhone off.
Can I turn off Find My iPhone if my phone is lost or won’t turn on?
Yes. You can use a computer to sign in to iCloud and remove the device from your account. If needed, erase the iPhone first, then remove it from your account to disable Activation Lock for the next owner.
Does turning off Find My iPhone remove Activation Lock?
Yes. Activation Lock is tied to Find My iPhone, so turning Find My iPhone off (and removing the device from your Apple ID) removes Activation Lock for that device.
Will anyone be notified if I stop sharing my location or turn off Find My iPhone?
Location-sharing changes can affect what others see in Find My, such as showing “Location Not Available.” Notification behavior can vary based on your settings and how location sharing is configured.
