iCloud: Set up Find My iPhone

Set up Find My iPhone

Before you can use Find My iPhone to locate your devices, you need to turn it on on each of your iOS devices and Mac computers. Find My iPhone requires iOS 5 or later (iOS 6 is required for Lost Mode), or OS X v10.7.5 or later.

Important:   To see all your devices when you sign in to Find My iPhone, you need to set up each device with the same iCloud account information.

Set up Find My iPhone on an iOS device

  1. On your device’s Home screen, tap Settings, then tap iCloud.

    If you’re asked to sign in, enter your Apple ID, or if you don’t have one, tap “Get a Free Apple ID,” then follow the instructions that appear.

    Arrow pointing to iCloud Settings on an iOS device

  2. Tap to turn on Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad or Find My iPod), and when asked to confirm you want this option, tap Allow.

    Arrow pointing to iCloud Settings on an iOS device
    Tip:   For added security, set up a passcode that needs to be entered before anyone can access the apps and information on your device (Settings > General > Passcode Lock). You can also turn on Restrictions to prevent anyone else from turning off Find My iPhone (Settings > General > Restrictions).

Set up Find My iPhone on a Mac

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.

    If you’re asked to sign in, enter your Apple ID, or if you don’t have one, click “Create an Apple ID,” then follow the instructions that appear.

    Arrow pointing to iCloud preferences

  2. Select the Find My Mac checkbox, then confirm that you want to allow Find My iPhone to use the location of this Mac.

    Arrow pointing to Find My Mac checkbox in iCloud preferences
    Tip:   For added security, make sure your user account requires a password and that automatic login is turned off in Users & Groups preferences. For more information, choose Help > System Preferences Help.

Now you can use Find My iPhone to locate the devices you set up.