Find My & Privacy
- June 7, 2024
- Apple
Table of Contents
Find My & Privacy
Find My is designed to protect your information and enable you to choose what you share.
If you lose or misplace your Find My-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, iPod touch, or Mac, Find My allows you to locate your device on a map. In addition, Find My allows you to play a sound on, remotely lock and display a message on, or remotely wipe the device you’re trying to find. Find My can also help you locate or play a sound on supported accessories.
When you sign in and enable iCloud on your device, certain features of Find My are enabled automatically. These include participation in the Find My network, a crowdsourced network of Apple devices that helps find missing devices or compatible items as described below, and the ability to play a sound on your device, remotely lock and display a message on it, or remotely erase it. Your devices with a security chip will also be protected with Activation Lock, and cannot be erased and reactivated without your password. Enabling Find My on your iPhone will automatically enable it on any paired Apple Watch. You can also enable Find My for an Apple Watch, which will enable it on your paired iPhone.
When you use Find My, your device’s location, as well as information about your device and your account will be sent to and retained by Apple so we can provide you with the service. Your device’s location is sent to Apple only if you actively request the location of a device or accessory. Apple retains location information and makes it accessible to you for 24 hours, after which it is deleted. When you have Location Services enabled, you can also choose to share your device’s current location using Find My and Share My Location. When using these features, your location is sent to Apple only if it is actively requested by a friend you are sharing with, and retained for two hours, after which it is deleted. Find My and Share My Location are enabled only when you actively choose to share your location with someone else.
Find My can help you locate your devices on a map if you have enabled Location Services. If you choose to enable the Send Last Location feature, your device’s last known location will be automatically sent to Apple any time your device’s battery reaches a critically low level.
Find My can help find devices even if they are not connected to the internet by using the Find My network, a crowdsourced network of participating Apple devices. Devices in the Find My network use Bluetooth wireless technology to detect missing devices or compatible items nearby, including AirTags and compatible third-party products registered to your Apple ID, and report their approximate location back to the owner. The interaction is end-to-end encrypted, and Apple cannot see the location of any offline device or reporting device. When your device participates in the Find My network it can both be located by the network and anonymously help locate other missing devices. You can choose to have your iOS or iPadOS device not participate in the Find My network by going to Settings > [your name] > Find My and tapping to disable Find My network. You can choose to have your Mac not participate in the Find My network by going to System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud, clicking Options next to Find My Mac, and turning off Find My network. For more information on AirTags and compatible third-party products, including instructions on adding these products to Find My and registering them to your Apple ID, see support.apple.com/kb/HT211331.
You can turn off Find My and Activation Lock on your iOS or iPadOS device by going to Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone or Find My iPad, and tapping to turn off Find My iPhone or Find My iPad, and on your Mac by going to System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud and deselecting Find My Mac in the list of Apps on this Mac using iCloud.
At all times, information collected by Apple will be treated in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/privacy.
Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.
Published Date: July 26, 2021