Lost your iPhone and only have a computer nearby? Use iCloud.com/find in a browser, or use the Find My app on a Mac, to locate it and take the next move fast.
You can check the map, play a sound, mark the iPhone as lost, or erase it when recovery is no longer realistic. Find My must already be turned on before the iPhone goes missing.
Use iCloud Find Devices in a browser
This is the best starting point on a Windows PC, a borrowed computer, or a Mac where you want the quickest web route. It works through iCloud.com/find in a supported web browser.
Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with the Apple Account used to set up Find My on the missing iPhone.
Choose the iPhone from the device list.
Check the map. If Apple can locate the iPhone, it appears there.
If the iPhone is online, check its current location. If it is offline, iCloud.com shows the last known location for up to 24 hours. When Find My network is enabled, the Find My app on another device signed in to the same Apple Account can show a last known location for up to seven days.
If iCloud asks for a two-factor authentication code sent to the missing iPhone, select Find Devices at the bottom of the window.
Get in when the code is on the lost iPhone
A lost iPhone is often the trusted device that receives your Apple Account verification code. iCloud.com includes a way around that problem for Find Devices.
Go to icloud.com and sign in with your Apple Account. When the verification prompt appears, choose Find Devices at the bottom of the window to open the location tools without the code from the missing phone.
If this method fails, go straight to icloud.com/find and select Find Devices there.
Play a sound when the iPhone is nearby
Use this when the map puts your iPhone at home, work, or another place you can search safely.
Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account when needed.
Select the iPhone from the device list.
Choose Play Sound.
If the iPhone is online, listen for the sound right away.
If it is offline, leave the action in place; the sound plays the next time the iPhone connects.
To stop the sound on the iPhone, press the power button or a volume button, flip the Ring/Silent switch, unlock it, swipe away the Find My alert, or tap OK in the alert.
Use sound only when you are close enough to hear it and can retrieve the iPhone safely.
Mark your iPhone as lost
Turn on Lost Mode when the iPhone is out of reach and you want to lock it while showing recovery information.
- 1.Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account when necessary.
- 2.Select the missing iPhone from the device list.
- 3.Choose Mark As Lost.
- 4.Follow the onscreen instructions to finish turning it on.
- 5.To edit the recovery details later, select the device, choose Lost, change the information, and select Save Changes.
- 6.To turn it off, select the device, choose Lost, select Stop Lost Mode, then select Stop Lost Mode again.
Erase the iPhone from a computer
This protects your data when you no longer expect to get the iPhone back.
Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account if prompted.
Select the iPhone from the device list.
Choose Erase This Device.
Follow the onscreen instructions to start the erase.
If the iPhone is offline, the erase starts when it comes online.
To cancel before an offline iPhone reconnects, select the device and use the cancel erase option shown for that pending erase.
Keep a stolen iPhone in Find My if you want Activation Lock to remain on.
Use the Find My app on a Mac
On your own Mac, the Find My app gives you the same core controls without opening the iCloud website.
- 1.Open the Find My app on the Mac.
- 2.Click Devices.
- 3.Select the iPhone.
- 4.For directions, click the Info button on the map, then click Directions.
- 5.For an alert when it is located, click the Info button and turn on Notify When Found in the Notification section.
Ring, lock, or erase from the Mac app
The Mac app also handles the urgent actions after you choose the iPhone in the Devices list.
To make the iPhone ring, click the Info button on the map and choose Play Sound. If the phone is offline, the sound plays the next time it connects to Wi-Fi or cellular.
To turn on Lost Mode, click the Info button, go to the Lost Device section, choose Lost Mode, follow the onscreen instructions, and click Activate.
To erase the iPhone, click the Info button, choose Erase in the Settings section, enter a phone number or message, click Erase, enter your Apple Account password, and click Erase again.
If this method fails, use icloud.com/find in a browser.
Remove an iPhone from Find My only when you mean it
This applies when you are selling, trading in, repairing, or permanently removing a device from your account. For a stolen iPhone, removal can remove Activation Lock, so keep it in Find My.
On icloud.com/find, sign in, select the device, and choose Remove This Device to remove it from the device list. This works when the device is offline. An online device cannot be removed; selecting Continue instead marks it Ready for Repair or Trade In for the next 30 days.
For an iPhone you no longer have, remove Activation Lock only after erasing it first.
Select the device, erase it, then choose Remove This Device when the erase is complete.
On a Mac, turn off the iPhone or make sure it is offline before removing it from the Devices list.
Open Find My, click Devices, select the iPhone, click the Info button, and choose Remove in the Settings section.
Removing an offline device removes Activation Lock immediately and removes it from Find My after 30 days.
Set up Find My before you need it
This prevents the most common dead end: trying to use Find My on a computer after it was never enabled on the iPhone.
On the iPhone, open Settings.
Tap your name.
Tap Find My.
Tap Find My iPhone.
Turn on Find My iPhone.
Turn on Find My network and Send Last Location for better recovery options.
Skip old instructions that point to a separate Find My iPhone app or to iCloud for Windows for location controls. Current computer options are icloud.com/find in a browser and the Find My app on Mac; iCloud for Windows does not include Find My location controls.
For a school or work-managed iPhone, contact your IT administrator. Managed devices have organization tools for Lost Mode, remote wipe, and Activation Lock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Find My iPhone from a Windows computer?
Yes. Open a browser and go to iCloud.com/find. The iCloud for Windows app does not include Find My location controls.
Can I use Find My if the iPhone is offline?
Yes. You can choose Play Sound, Lost Mode, or Erase, and the action runs the next time the iPhone connects. In Find Devices on iCloud.com, the last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours; with Find My network enabled, the Find My app on another device signed in to the same Apple Account can show it for up to seven days.
Do I need the verification code from my lost iPhone?
No. If iCloud asks for a code sent to the missing phone, choose Find Devices at the bottom of the window.
Can Find My work if it was not turned on before the iPhone was lost?
No. Find My must be enabled before the iPhone is lost for computer-based location, sound, Lost Mode, and erase controls to work.
