How to remove Find My iPhone, Find My iPad, and Find My Mac

Last updated: July 13, 2021

If you will no longer be using a Mac or an iOS device, you can remove it from your Find My Mac/Find My iPhone/Find My iPad devices list. This guide will show you how to remove your Mac or iOS device from the Find my Mac/iPhone/iPad devices list.

Tip: If you will be giving away or selling your iOS device, be sure to erase your content and settings prior to parting ways with your device. You can do this by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

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Find My iPhone and your privacy
How to remove Find My iPhone and Find My iPad
How to remove Find My Mac
Apple device security tips
Do more to protect your internet privacy

Find My iPhone and your privacy

Find My iPhone, Find My iPad, and Find My Mac uses your device’s location data to help you locate your lost device. Because of this, you might be worried the app will share information about where you are even when you do not need to use the function.

No need to panic. Apple has promised that:

Location data is sent from your device only when you request its location. Otherwise, no location data will be transmitted or recorded.
Last known device location data is encrypted and stored on Apple’s servers for 24 hours and then permanently deleted.
Lost Mode data is stored on the device that is in Lost Mode and can only be retrieved on-demand by you.
You will be automatically signed out of Find My iPhone (on your device or on the web) after 15 minutes of inactivity.
You can use Remote Lock to lock your device’s screen and prevent others from accessing your data.
You can use Remote Wipe to permanently and securely erase data from your device.
If you’re using Family Sharing, sharing your device’s location with family members will be optional. By default, your device’s location will not be shared.

How to remove Find My iPhone and Find My iPad

The steps to remove a iOS device from your Find My iPhone and Find My iPad lists are the same for iPhone and iPad. The example below was carried out on an iPhone.

Step 1: From your home screen, tap on Settings.

Step 2: In the Settings menu, locate and tap on iCloud.

Step 3: In the iCloud Settings menu, locate and tap on Find My iPhone (Find My iPad for iPad).

Step 4: In the Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad) Settings menu, toggle the switch for Find My iPhone (Find My iPad for iPad) off.

Step 5: Enter your Apple ID Password then tap on Turn Off.

And that’s it! Your iOS device will no longer be under your Find My iPhone or Find My iPad list.

How to remove Find My Mac

Step 1: Click on the Apple Menu and then System Preferences.

Step 2: In the Systems Preferences menu, click on iCloud.

Step 3: In the iCloud Settings menu, locate and click on the Find My Mac checkbox to deselect it.

Step 4: You will need to confirm the request turn off the Find My Mac function. Enter your Mac password to proceed.

And that’s it! Your Mac will no longer be under your Find My Mac list.

Apple device security tips

Besides using Find My iPhone, Find My iPad, and Find My Mac to locate and remotely erase data from your device, you should take action to protect your Apple devices. Here are a few things you should do:

Use a passcode on your device: This is perhaps the easiest but most important thing you can do. Many people are tempted not to do this out of a desire for convenience, but failing to set a passcode leaves all of your data vulnerable to whoever picks up your device. Choose a passcode that (i) does not include personal details and (ii) will not be easy to guess.
Enable Touch ID: If this feature is available on your device (iPhone 5s or later), you should enable it. This truly ensure that only you can access your device, and Apple does not store the actual image of your fingerprint.
Secure your Apple ID: Your Apple ID is your key to accessing all of Apple’s services and should be a very strong password. In addition to changing it often, make sure your Apple ID:
1. Has at least one letter
2. Has at least one capital letter
3. Has at least one number
4. Doesn’t contain multiple identical consecutive characters
5. Isn’t the same as your account name
6. Has at least 8 characters
7. Isn’t a common password
8. Hasn’t been used in the past year
Setup your security questions: If you’ve forgotten your Apple ID password, you can answer your security questions to access your account. Make the answers unique and hard to guess. This reduces the chances of others getting it right and accessing your account without your permission.
Use two-step verification: Turning on two-step verification adds a layer of protection to protection your device information. Every time you (or someone else) tries to make changes to your account, Apple will send a verification code to one of your trusted devices. This verification must be entered in order for the change to be effective. Use two-step verification to guard against phishing and other password scams.

Do more to protect your internet privacy

Wondering what else you can do to enhance your internet privacy? Here are some steps you can take.

Use ExpressVPN. While “pausing” Google Web & App History prevents Google from collecting data about you, it doesn’t prevent your ISP from tracking what you’re doing online and potentially sharing it with corporations and governments. To hide your online activity from your ISP, use a VPN like ExpressVPN.
Use Tor Browser. Tor hides your location and online activities from anybody doing network surveillance or traffic analysis, so your internet activity is difficult to trace back to you. It’s one of your best bets for maintaining anonymity online. To maximize the effectiveness of Tor, be sure to read these tips: Want Tor to really work?

Safe browsing, everyone!

Want more help with de-cluttering your online life? Check out ExpressVPN’s guides on:

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> Deleting your Internet Explorer history