How to find a lost iPhone
2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
On another device, open icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account, or use the Find My app on a family member's iPhone. You can see the phone on a map, play a sound, or turn on Lost Mode to lock it and show a contact number.
Find My is switched on by default when you sign in to an iPhone. Recent models can be located even when they are switched off or the battery has just died, through other Apple devices nearby.
Step by step
Open Find My somewhere else
On a computer or any phone, go to icloud.com/find. On another Apple device, open the Find My app. A friend can help: in their Find My app, tap Me, then Help a Friend.
Sign in with your Apple Account
Use the same account as on the lost iPhone. Finding a device does not need a verification code.
Choose the iPhone from the list
The map shows where it is, or where it was last seen and when.
Play Sound
The iPhone plays a loud tone even in Silent mode. Use this when the map shows it at home.
Turn on Lost Mode
Mark As Lost locks the phone with its passcode, suspends Apple Pay cards and lets you show a phone number and message on the screen. You keep tracking its location.
Erase it only if you must
Erase This Device deletes your data. Thanks to Activation Lock, nobody else can set the phone up afterwards without your Apple Account password.
Good to know
Do not remove the iPhone from your account after erasing it, or Activation Lock is switched off and a thief can use it.
If it was stolen, report it to the police with the serial number or IMEI, and ask your mobile network to block the SIM. Do not go to the location yourself.
Beware of text messages claiming your phone was found and asking you to sign in. That is a known trick to get your password.
Check now that it is on: Settings, your name, Find My, Find My iPhone, with Find My network switched on.
In short: icloud.com/find, sign in, Play Sound or Mark As Lost.
- Apple Support: If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen
- Apple Support: Locate a device in Find My on iCloud.com
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.