How do I find my iPhone using Find My on iCloud?

Apple iPhone users not only enjoy superior performance and best-in-class smartphone camera experience, but they also get access to the most robust set of security features. One such security measure is the ability to track your iPhone in case they are lost or stolen.

Regardless of where you lost or misplaced your iPhone, Apple allows users to track them using the Find My network. With the help of Find My network, Apple even lets users locate other devices like iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, AirPods, and AirTags. Last year, Apple added an ability to find an iPhone even when it is turned off or offline. This is particularly useful in case you misplaced the device or when the iPhone runs out of battery.

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While the most effective way to track your iPhone is by using the Find My app, Apple users can also find their device on the web using Find My on iCloud. Before we tell you how to locate your lost or stolen iPhone using Find My on iCloud, you must have an Apple ID and iCloud account. The user must have the Find My app enabled on their missing or stolen device and each device must be set up with the same iCloud account to see all devices in iCloud.

Find iPhone using iCloud

With an active Apple ID and iCloud, you can locate your iPhone through the following steps:

Step 1: Open any web browser on any device and visit www.icloud.com/find
Step 2: Click on Sign in
Step 3: Enter your Apple ID and sign in with either your password or Passkey
Step 4: Now, select the device you would like to locate

If the device is online; you can immediately see the location of the device on the map. However, if the device is not online or offline then you will see its last known location and offline devices are shown with a black screen. You can get a notification when your iPhone goes online by selecting the missing iPhone and enabling the toggle “Notify When Found”.

How to play a sound on a missing device

With Find My on iCloud, you can see the location of your lost or misplaced iPhone but this location may not be accurate. It will be good enough for you to narrow it down to home, work, or other known places. However, to pinpoint its accurate location, you can make your iPhone play a loud sound. Here’s how:

Step 1: Visit www.icloud.com/find
Step 2: Sign in with your Apple ID and password or Passkey
Step 3: Click All Devices
Step 4: Select the missing device
Step 5: Click on Play Sound option

Your iPhone will keep playing a sound until you find the device and unlock it or unless the device is powered off. In order for this feature to work, your iPhone must be connected to the internet.

Enable lost mode on your iPhone

If you are unable to locate your lost iPhone then one of the things you should do immediately is enable lost mode. When the lost mode option is enabled on Find My, Apple not only locks your device but also suspends payment functionality. This is one of the secure ways to lock your device and display a custom message for the finder. Here is how it works:

Step 1: Head to www.icloud.com/find
Step 2: Sign with your Apple ID and password or Passkey
Step 3: Click All Devices at the top of the screen
Step 4: Select the missing device
Step 5: Click on Activate under the Mark As Lost option
Step 6: Follow the prompts to create a passcode (if you don’t already have one)
Step 7: Write a custom message for anyone to see when they find your iPhone
Step 8: Click on Activate

Once you find your lost device, go to Find My and tap the device. Now, click on Pending or Activated under Mark as Lost and click on Turn off to disable Lost Mode.

Erase your iPhone

With Find My on iCloud, you can also remotely erase all the data on your lost iPhone. If you are certain that you won’t be able to retrieve your lost or stolen device, then you can use this option. Here’s how to erase data on your iPhone using Find My on iCloud:

Step 1: Go to www.icloud.com/find
Step 2: Sign In with your Apple ID and password or Passkey
Step 3: Click All Devices and select the missing device
Step 4: Click on Erase This Device
Step 5: Review the warning and then click on Continue
Step 6: Enter the Apple ID and password, then click Erase

In order to perform this action, your iPhone must be connected to the internet otherwise, the erase option will remain pending till the device goes online.

Remove your iPhone

If you are no longer using your iPhone then you can use Find My on iCloud to remove the device. Here’s how:

Step 1: Navigate to www.icloud.com/find
Step 2: Sign In with your Apple ID and password or Passkey
Step 3: Click All Devices and select the missing device
Step 4: Click on Erase This Device, review the warning and then click on Continue
Step 5: Enter the Apple ID and password, then click Erase
Step 6: Now, click on All Devices again
Step 7: Select the erased iPhone and click on Remove from Account

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This option should be used if you are exchanging your iPhone or passing the device to someone else. This method ensures that all your content is erased and the activation lock is turned off and ready to be activated again.