How to turn off Find My on your Apple devices

If you've ever misplaced your Mac®, iPad®, or Apple Watch®, you know how helpful Apple's Find My™ feature can be. It lets you use the Find My app or iCloud.com/find to locate your devices, see their last known location, and help keep your personal information secure if they go missing. But if you're getting ready to sell, trade in, give away, or send your device in for repair, you'll need to turn it off first.

At Asurion, we're your one-stop shop for troubleshooting, fixing, and getting the most from your tech. Here's how to turn off Find My on your Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch.

👉 Looking for iPhone instructions instead? Check out our guide to turning Find My on or off on your iPhone.

Why would I need to turn off Find My on a Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch?

Find My is one of the best ways to keep track of your Apple devices. But there are times when you'll want to turn it off, including when you're:

• Selling or trading in your device
• Giving it to a friend or family member
• Sending it in for repair or replacement
• Returning a leased device
• Removing it from your Apple Account

Turning off Find My also disables Activation Lock, allowing the next owner—or your repair provider—to set up and use the device.

How to turn off Find My on an iPad

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap [Your Name].
3. Tap Find My.
4. Tap Find My iPad.
5. Turn off Find My iPad.
6. Enter your Apple Account password if prompted.

How to turn off Find My on a Mac

The exact steps may vary slightly depending on your version of macOS.

1. Click the Apple menu  and choose System Settings.
2. Click your name.
3. Select Find My.
4. Turn off Find My Mac.
5. Enter your Apple Account password if prompted.

How to turn off Find My on an Apple Watch

Find My is turned off automatically when you unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab, then tap All Watches.
3. Tap the Info button next to your Apple Watch.
4. Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
5. Enter your Apple Account password.
6. Tap to confirm.

How to turn off Find My if you no longer have your device

If you've already sent your device in, misplaced it, or no longer have access to it, you can still remove it from your account remotely.

1. Visit iCloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account.
2. Select the device you'd like to remove.
3. If you're permanently giving away or replacing the device, choose Erase Device. If it's offline, the erase will begin the next time it connects to the internet.
4. Once the erase is complete, select Remove from Account. This also removes Activation Lock so someone else can activate the device.

If you simply remove the device without erasing it first, it may reappear in your device list if it comes back online.

How to turn off Find My if you don't remember your Apple Account password

If you can't remember your Apple Account password, you won't be able to change your Find My settings until you regain access to your account.

In many cases, you can reset your password directly from a trusted iPhone, iPad, or Mac. If you can't, follow these steps:

1. Go to Apple's account recovery page.
2. Enter your Apple Account email address or phone number.
3. Follow the prompts to verify your identity using a trusted device, trusted phone number, or Apple's account recovery process.
4. Create a new password, then return to your device and turn off Find My if needed.