iOS 7 Bug Allows Disabling of 'Find My iPhone' Without Password - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 7 Bug Allows Disabling of 'Find My iPhone' Without Password

by

A bug in the current version of iOS 7 appears to allow users to disable Find my iPhone on a device without typing in a password, which effectively hides it from being located on iCloud.com.

Deactivating Find My iPhone takes just a few simple steps and it can be easily repeated on devices running the current version of iOS (7.0.4). The exploit involves making a few simple changes to the iCloud account section of the Settings app.

Video via Bradley Williams

MacRumors has been able to successfully replicate this bug on an iPhone and an iPad running iOS 7.0.4, but could not get it to work on a device running iOS 7.1, so the flaw will likely be fixed with the upcoming update.

This is a potentially serious bug as Find My iPhone is a useful method of locating a lost device. While this exploit does disable Find My iPhone and allow for an iOS device to be erased, it does not remove Apple's Activation Lock theft deterrent system. After being erased, the device will remain locked to the original account and continue to ask for that Apple ID and password during the setup process to resume functionality.

The bypass only works on a device that does not have Touch ID or a Passcode enabled, as the exploit requires access to the Settings menu. To avoid having Find My iPhone disabled, users should update their phones with a Passcode and install iOS 7.1 when Apple releases the software.

MacRumors has contacted Apple for comment on the exploit and we will update if we receive new information.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Sunday March 29, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said. Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like ...
Read Full Article • 180 comments
Apple Event Logo

Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

Friday March 27, 2026 2:03 pm PDT by
March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
Apple Apps Grid

Apple Releasing Two New iPhone Apps This Year

Saturday March 28, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release two new iPhone apps this year, including an Apple Business app and a Siri app with chatbot-like functionality. With the Apple Business app, employees at businesses using the new Apple Business platform will be able to install apps for work, view contact information for colleagues, and request support. Apple Business is launching on April 14, and it replaces Apple ...
Read Full Article • 15 comments

Top Rated Comments

Blorzoga Avatar
Blorzoga
159 months ago
Don't you folks at MacRumors realize that by posting a thread like this, you tip off thieves to a way of successfully thwarting Apple's find-my-iphone security. Maybe this should not be posted?!?!?!? Now you've given every thief who monitors this site a head start until Apple fixes. Well done MacRumors!!!!
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Merode Avatar
Merode
159 months ago
You first have to unlock phone so this whole hack is useless for thieves..
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
KALLT
159 months ago
Don't you folks at MacRumors realize that by posting a thread like this, you tip off thieves to a way of successfully thwarting Apple's find-my-iphone security. Maybe this should not be posted?!?!?!?
I'd rather want to know about these issues to be aware of security risks, especially when there is an effective solution to this bug:
The bypass only works on a device that does not have Touch ID or a Passcode enabled, as the exploit requires access to the Settings menu.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
bushido
159 months ago
good thing everyone has passcode enabled. right, RIGHT???
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2
2457282
159 months ago
This is there to remind people to set up a passcode to unlock the iPhone to begin with. remember, the can't exploit this if the can't get past the lock screen.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
dustinsc
159 months ago
This is why you use a pass code folks. This is also why Touch ID is awesome, since it addresses convenience, one of the main reasons people don't use pass codes.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments