How to Add a Device to Find My iPhone? Find My iPhone is a free tool from Apple that lets you remotely locate your lost, stolen Apple device. The app can also help you erase all your data in case it falls into the wrong hands.
This service not only helps you find your iPhone but also your iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, or AirPods.
In this article, you’ll learn how to add a device to Find My iPhone and how to use it to locate your lost iPhone.
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How to Add a Device to Find My iPhone
It’s important to activate this feature on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use it when something unfortunate happens. The steps below will walk you through:
Add an iPhone to Find My iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
- Tap on your profile icon.
- Select Find My and switch the toggle on to activate it. It will turn green when it’s activated.
- Turn on the Send Last Location switch as this will send the location of your device when the battery is low.
Add a Mac to Find My iPhone
- Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select System Preferences from the dropdown list.
- Depending on your macOS version, select iCloud or Apple ID.
- Scroll down to find the Find My Mac option and click the checkbox next to it. (You may be asked to enter your admin password.)
How to Remove a Device from Find My iPhone
- Go to your favorite browser and enter iCloud.com then sign in with your Apple ID.
- Select Find iPhone among the options.
- Click All Devices at the top and choose the device you want to remove.
- Click Remove from Account to remove a device from Find My iPhone.
- A prompt will ask you to confirm this removal and to authenticate yourself by entering your iCloud password.
Now that you know how to add a device to Find My iPhone, here’s how to use it to track the location of your iPhone if you lose it.
How to Use Find My iPhone on the Web
If you have a computer, you can use the web-based tool, which works the same.
- Go to iCloud.com
- Log into your iCloud account
- Click on Find My iPhone
- If you have multiple Apple devices, click on All Devices at the top of the window and choose the lost or stolen device you’re looking for.
Once Find My iPhone locates your iPhone, it will appear as a green dot on the map. You’ll see a small window with your iPhone image, battery percentage, and a few other options in the upper-right corner.
Here are and what they each do:
- Play Sound: This option is for those who’ve misplaced their iPhone somewhere nearby. It allows you to play an audible sound even if your phone is on “Silence Mode”.
- Lost Mode: It allows you to lock your iPhone and enter an alternative number. That way a kind samaritan can reach out to you.
- Erase iPhone: This will let you wipe out everything on the device preventing anybody from obtaining your personal data. If you think you’ll never get your iPhone back, this is the right thing to do.
How to use Find My iPhone on iPhone
Grab your iPhone and swipe down from the middle of the Home screen to bring up the search field. Type Find My, it will appear in the Applications section. Sometimes you’ll find it in the Extras folder.
Open the app and log in with your iCloud credentials. Once you’re logged in you should see all your Apple devices under the Devices tab. From the list, select the stolen/lost device to view its location.
The UI is a little different, but it works the same as if you were using a web-based tool. Swipe up to see all the options, then select the option that makes more sense to you. For example, if you misplaced your iPhone at home, you may press Play Sound to help you find the iPhone.
Find iPhone That Is Offline or Dead
There will be cases when your iPhone will not show up on the map. It will say offline. This is because your iPhone is out of battery/turned off, without an internet connection, or has its location turned off.
Either way, you’ll still have the three options mentioned above to take action. The next time your iPhone is back online, the action you performed will take effect.
As mentioned above, it’s imperative to turn on Send Last Location in the Find My iPhone settings. That way you can see the last known location of your phone in case it’s dead or turned off.
If Find My iPhone wasn’t enabled before you lost your iPhone, you won’t be able to locate it. In this case, you must change your Apple ID password immediately to prevent anyone from accessing your iCloud data.
If you were using Apple Pay, you should also remotely delete all your credit/debit card information via iCloud on the web. Don’t forget to report your missing iPhone to local law enforcement and your wireless carrier to protect your personal information.