Background
Find My iPhone is a useful feature that lets you locate your lost iPhone or iPad. It also lets you erase or lock your device if it's been stolen.
Repair or resale
If your iPhone or iPad is going in for repair, or the device is being passed on to someone else, it's important to disable "Find My iPhone" on the phone.
If Find My iPhone is not turned off, the device can't be used by anyone else. It's still possible to wipe everything on the phone, but when the next person tries to set it up it will show an error.
The phone will be unusable until it's unlocked again.
If you have access to the device
- Open Settings.
- Tap [your name] > Find My.
- Tap Find My iPhone, then tap to disable the feature.
- Enter your Apple ID password. Forgot your password?
- Tap Turn Off.
Once you've done this, Find My iPhone will no longer be active on your device, and you won't be able to locate or control it via iCloud.com or another iOS device.
It's important to note that if you've used Find My iPhone to erase your device, you have to wait 24 hours before you can turn the feature off or reactivate it.
If you don't have access to the device
If you no longer have access to your iPhone, you can remove a device from Find My iPhone on iCloud.com.
The above has been tested with iOS 16.
Important
Remember this is a permanent action and can't be undone. Make sure you have a backup of your data before turning the feature off so you can restore your data if needed.
