How Do I Find My iPhone From A Computer? Check The Steps!

Learn how to use Find My iPhone from a computer so you can find your missing iPhone

By Dave Johnson - Senior Staff Writer
3 Min Read

Thanks to Find My feature, it’s possible to find your iPhone from a computer – which is great for those occasions when you misplace your phone, but even more critical if it’s ever stolen and you don’t have another iPhone or iPad near you. In this article, I’ll show you how to use Find My iPhone from a computer so you can find your missing iPhone, right away.

What Is Find My iPhone?

Find My iPhone, as the name suggests, lets you track the location of your iPhone.

How Does Find My iPhone Work?

Find My iPhone uses the built-in GPS or location services of the device to locate it on a map.

It also locks a device or deletes all data from a device over the internet to prevent a thief from accessing your data.

If you lose your device, you can use Find My to make the device play a sound if you suspect it’s nearby. Or, you can view its location on a map to help recover it.

If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad near you, you can use a computer to find your iPhone on the iCloud website.

How Do I Use Find My iPhone From A Computer?

To use Find My iPhone from a computer, follow these steps:

  1. Go to icloud.com/find, then sign in to your Apple Account (if necessary).
    Tip: To sign in without entering a two-factor authentication code, click the Find Devices button at the bottom of the window.
  2. Select the device below All Devices on the left.
    • If the device can be located: It appears on the map so you can see where it is.
    • If the device can’t be located: Offline appears below the device’s name. The last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours. Select “Notify me when found” to get an email when it’s online again.
  3. Tap on the name of your device to play a sound, put your device into lost mode, or erase your device.
  4. Once you’re in, you’ll see a map with a green dot that shows you the approximate location of your iPhone or iPad. As long as it’s set up correctly, the service even works for finding your Apple Watch or Mac computer. That’s pretty amazing!

Wait! Find My iPhone Isn’t Working!

For Find My iPhone to work, two things need to happen:

1. Find My iPhone has to be enabled on your iPhone

Make sure that you set up Find My on your device. You have to set up Find My before you can see your device in the Find My app or on iCloud.com/find. The option to set up Find My is part of the initial iPhone setup process. You may have enabled it then. To check if Find My iPhone is enabled on your iPhone, follow the steps below:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen.
  2. Tap Find My, and then Find My iPhone.
  3. Make sure that Find My iPhone, Find My network, and Send Last Location are all turned on. These will make sure that Find My tracks your iPhone’s location, and makes the iPhone easier to find even if its battery is dead or it’s not connected to the internet.

2. Find My iPhone has to be turned on in Location Services

If Find My iPhone is set up on your iPhone and it’s online but Find My iPhone still isn’t working, check out your Location Services settings. You must have Location Services turned on to locate your phone’s location on a map. To check that it is on, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
  2. Make sure that Location Services is on.
  3. Scroll down and tap Find My.
  4. Make sure While Using the App option is selected.

Using Find My iPhone On iCloud.com

You can use Find Devices on iCloud.com to find the approximate location of your iPhone. Find My iPhone from a computer only works if the iPhone is online. If it isn’t, the iCloud website will have a gray dot next to the iPhone’s last known location. You can set up the Find My tool to notify you the next time your missing iPhone goes online.

  1. Open any web browser on your computer.
  2. Go to icloud.com/find.
  3. Sign in to the Apple Account you used to set up your device for Find My.
    You may be asked to enter a code sent to a trusted device. To continue without entering a code, click the Find Devices button at the bottom of the window.
  4. Select the device below All Devices on the left.
    • If the device can be located: It appears on the map so you can see where it is. You can zoom in to get a better idea of where the iPhone is located, and if you’re near enough, you can click Play Sound to make it ring. If it’s lost or stolen, you might want to click Lost Mode (which locks the iPhone and displays a custom message on the lock screen) or erase it entirely.
    • If the device can’t be located: Offline appears below the device’s name. The last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours. Select “Notify me when found” to get an email when it’s online again.
  5. To locate another device, click All Devices to return to the list, then select a new device.

Now You Know How To Use Find My iPhone From A Computer

Using Find My iPhone from a computer is pretty easy when you know where to go.

Have you misplaced your iPhone before? Did using Find My iPhone from a computer help you locate it? Drop a comment and let us know.

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Dave Johnson is a staff writer for GeeksChalk based in New Jersey. He covers news, how-tos, and user guides for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
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