How to Use the Find My App on a Friend's iPhone or iPad to Locate Your Missing Device - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Use the Find My App on a Friend's iPhone or iPad to Locate Your Missing Device

by

find my app iconFollowing the release of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1, Apple now allows anyone with an Apple ID to use the Find My app on another person's iPhone or iPad to locate their own device if it's gone missing.

For those unfamiliar with the app, ‌Find My‌ replaces the ‌Find My‌ Friends and the ‌Find My‌ iPhone apps of old and brings their features together in a unified interface that allows you to find whatever it is you need.

By signing into ‌Find My‌ as a guest on a friend's device, you can use it to locate your lost device using the same functions that would be available to you if it was your own iPhone or ‌iPad‌. Here's how it works.

  1. Launch the Find My app on your friend's iOS device.
  2. Tap the Me tab, if it isn't already selected.
    how to let a friend sign in to find my app ios

  3. With your finger on the pill-shaped drag handle, bring the Me tab up over the map to reveal the additional options.
  4. Tap Help a Friend at the bottom.
  5. Once the iCloud.com page has loaded, sign into your iCloud account using your ‌Apple ID‌ and password.

After logging in, you'll be presented with a map and a list of all the devices that are signed into your ‌iCloud‌ account. You can also tap the arrow icon in the top-right corner of the screen to center the map on the currently selected device.

how to let a friend sign in to find my app
Scroll up on the devices below the map to see the full list and find the device you're looking for. Note that the line below each device tells you its last known location, while a padlock on a device's icon indicates that it's lost and has been manually locked. If you tap a device in the list, you'll gain access to additional device options.

The options available to you will depend on the type of device you're trying to locate, but you should always have the option to play a sound to locate a nearby device as long as it's powered on and within range.

If it's a Mac, iOS device or Apple Watch you're trying to locate, you can put it into Lost Mode (this ensures your passcode is required on the device before anyone can turn off ‌Find My‌ iPhone or erase it) or remotely erase it.

If the selected device is out of range of network coverage or powered off, you can tap Notify When Found, and Apple will email you when the device is located. Any other options you choose in the device actions menu (Erase iPad, for example) will be performed the next time the device comes back online.

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Siri AI Settlement Website Now Live: Apple to Pay Some iPhone Owners

Sunday September 20, 2026 7:24 pm PDT by
In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and the settlement website is now live. Apple will pay an estimated $25 per eligible iPhone to eligible customers, who can submit a claim via the settlement website between September 21 and December 21 of this year. The exact payment may be higher or lower than $25 depending on the...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Will Soon Announce an All-New Operating System

Tuesday September 22, 2026 9:19 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reiterated that the operating system will feature a grid of app icons, widgets, and customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial...
Mostly Screen iPhone Purple Feature 2027

iPhone 20 Pro Display Sizes Leak Ahead of 2027 Launch

Monday September 21, 2026 4:29 am PDT by
Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone lineup could feature slightly larger displays than the iPhone 18 Pro models, if a new leak shared on Weibo is accurate. Prolific Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claims that early iPhone 20 Pro display specifications include a 6.41-inch screen with a resolution of approximately 2,686 × 1,236 pixels, while the iPhone 20 Pro Max is said to have a 6.96-inch...
Latest Stories
ChatGPT in Siri 'Persistently Underperforming,' Says OpenAI
ChatGPT in Siri 'Persistently Underperforming,' Says OpenAI
4 hours ago
You Can Now Try Apple's Unreleased Copland OS in Your Browser
You Can Now Try Apple's Unreleased Copland OS in Your Browser
6 hours ago
iOS 27.0.1 is Coming Soon
iOS 27.0.1 is Coming Soon
8 hours ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.0.1 With Fix for Restart Bug
Apple Releases watchOS 27.0.1 With Fix for Restart Bug
8 hours ago
Disney+ and Hulu Raise Prices Again, Ad-Free Plans Now $21.49
Disney+ and Hulu Raise Prices Again, Ad-Free Plans Now $21.49
9 hours ago
Apple Sports App Updated With Even More Soccer Leagues
Apple Sports App Updated With Even More Soccer Leagues
9 hours ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits $79.99 on Amazon, Matching Record Low
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits $79.99 on Amazon, Matching Record Low
11 hours ago
Siri AI Coming to HomePod
Siri AI Coming to HomePod
11 hours ago
iPhone Air vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
iPhone Air vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
12 hours ago
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Will Soon Support Video
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Will Soon Support Video
13 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Drops to Record Low $599.97 on Amazon [Updated]
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Drops to Record Low $599.97 on Amazon [Updated]
14 hours ago
AT&T Responds to iOS 27's New iPhone Handoff Feature
AT&T Responds to iOS 27's New iPhone Handoff Feature
14 hours ago
Launch Discounts Arrive for New Mac Mini and Mac Studio, Plus Massive Deal on Samsung's Portable SSD
Launch Discounts Arrive for New Mac Mini and Mac Studio, Plus Massive Deal on Samsung's Portable SSD
14 hours ago
New iPhone Setting Lets Users Shake Off Motion-Sensing Ads
New iPhone Setting Lets Users Shake Off Motion-Sensing Ads
16 hours ago
Apple Intelligence Taking Up 30GB+ on Some Macs Running macOS 27
Apple Intelligence Taking Up 30GB+ on Some Macs Running macOS 27
17 hours ago
New Mac Mini Has Two Storage Downsides, Including Unremovable SSD
New Mac Mini Has Two Storage Downsides, Including Unremovable SSD
1 day ago
Apple Card Savings Account's Interest Rate Just Went Up
Apple Card Savings Account's Interest Rate Just Went Up
1 day ago
Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2
Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2
1 day ago
OpenAI's New GPT-6 Sol and Luna Models Bring Astra Improvements to Cheaper Tiers
OpenAI's New GPT-6 Sol and Luna Models Bring Astra Improvements to Cheaper Tiers
1 day ago
Apple Park Visitor Center Just Lost an Attraction Offered Since 2017
Apple Park Visitor Center Just Lost an Attraction Offered Since 2017
1 day ago
Shazam App for iPhone Updated With New Icon and iMessage Stickers
Shazam App for iPhone Updated With New Icon and iMessage Stickers
1 day ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5.5 With Fable-Level Performance at a Lower Price
Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5.5 With Fable-Level Performance at a Lower Price
1 day ago
Apple Releases Firmware Update for Beats 360
Apple Releases Firmware Update for Beats 360
1 day ago
Beats 360 Pre-Orders Open at Amazon With Cushion Kits on Sale, Plus More Beats Deals
Beats 360 Pre-Orders Open at Amazon With Cushion Kits on Sale, Plus More Beats Deals
1 day ago
Apple Puts AirTag-Sized AI Pin on Hold
Apple Puts AirTag-Sized AI Pin on Hold
1 day ago
Beats 360 Ear Cushion Kits Just $9.99 Each Until the End of October
Beats 360 Ear Cushion Kits Just $9.99 Each Until the End of October
1 day ago
Apple Testing Prototypes of Whoop-Like Screenless Fitness Band
Apple Testing Prototypes of Whoop-Like Screenless Fitness Band
1 day ago
Apple Will Soon Announce an All-New Operating System
Apple Will Soon Announce an All-New Operating System
2 days ago
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
2 days ago
Apple's Smart Glasses to Enter a Rapidly Growing Market
Apple's Smart Glasses to Enter a Rapidly Growing Market
2 days ago