How to turn on Find My Mac

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open System Settings, click your name, click iCloud, click See All, scroll down and click Find My Mac. Click Turn On and allow it to use the location.

Find My Mac shows a lost or stolen Mac on a map. It also lets you lock or erase it from another device. It has to be switched on before the Mac goes missing.

Step by step

  1. Open System Settings and click your name

    Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings. Your name is at the top of the sidebar.

  2. Click iCloud, then See All

    See All opens the full list of apps and services that use iCloud.

  3. Scroll down and click Find My Mac

    It is further down the list.

  4. Click Turn On

    Enter your Apple Account password if asked.

  5. Click Allow

    This lets Find My Mac use the location of the Mac. Without Location Services the Mac cannot be shown on a map.

Good to know

To look for the Mac later, open the Find My app on an iPhone or iPad with the same Apple Account, or sign in at iCloud.com.

Before you sell or give away a Mac, Find My has to be switched off. Otherwise the new owner may not be able to set the Mac up.

Protect the data as well: how to turn on FileVault on a Mac.

In short: System Settings, your name, iCloud, See All, Find My Mac, Turn On, Allow.

Sources
  • Apple Support: How to turn on Find My on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.