Default
Door staff@engadget.com (Mariella Moon) - 25 Aug 2026
If you're not planning to factory reset your phone, such as when sending your device in for repairs, you'll have to disable Find My manually. Thankfully, this is easy: go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My. Tap Find My iPhone and then toggle it off. This option will be grayed out if Stolen Device Protection is enabled, which is the default as of iOS 26.4.
Stolen Device Protection implements additional security measures when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, such as your home or workplace. It's designed to protect your data if someone steals your phone and knows your passcode. Your device will require Face ID or Touch ID to access sensitive info like stored passwords, and it adds a delay before changing crucial settings like your Apple Account password.
If you need to switch off Find My, you first have to disable Stolen Device Protection. You should ideally do this while at home to avoid the aforementioned security delays. To do so, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection and toggle it off. To re-enable these features after your device is serviced, follow the same steps to toggle them back on.
Find My also lets you share your location with friends and family; if you disable it, this won't work anymore. If you're concerned about a particular friend having access to your location, removing their access is better than turning off the entire Find My suite. Open the Find My app, tap the People tab, choose the person, and hit Stop Sharing My Location. Unless they're on an "older operating system," they won't be notified that you stopped sharing with them (though they may notice when they don't see your name in the Find My app anymore). And others won't know when you check their location using the app.
Stolen Device Protection implements additional security measures when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, such as your home or workplace. It's designed to protect your data if someone steals your phone and knows your passcode. Your device will require Face ID or Touch ID to access sensitive info like stored passwords, and it adds a delay before changing crucial settings like your Apple Account password.
If you need to switch off Find My, you first have to disable Stolen Device Protection. You should ideally do this while at home to avoid the aforementioned security delays. To do so, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection and toggle it off. To re-enable these features after your device is serviced, follow the same steps to toggle them back on.
Find My also lets you share your location with friends and family; if you disable it, this won't work anymore. If you're concerned about a particular friend having access to your location, removing their access is better than turning off the entire Find My suite. Open the Find My app, tap the People tab, choose the person, and hit Stop Sharing My Location. Unless they're on an "older operating system," they won't be notified that you stopped sharing with them (though they may notice when they don't see your name in the Find My app anymore). And others won't know when you check their location using the app.