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How to Prevent Thieves From Disabling 'Find My iPhone'

Learn how to keep your iPhone-finding hopes alive a little longer

By Andy O'Donnell Andy O'Donnell Writer Auburn University Andy O'Donnell, MA, is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and a senior security engineer who is active in internet and network security. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 24, 2021 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email iPhone & iOS Switching from Android

What to Know

Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions (Settings > Screen Time). In Locations Services, check Don't Allow Changes.Return to Screen Time and select Use Screen Time Passcode. Enter a passcode you'll use for Screen Time settings.Make sure Find My iPhone is On (Screen Time > Location Services > System Services) and Status Bar Icon is Off. The Find My iPhone app is a great tool for locating a lost or stolen iPhone, but thieves and hackers can undermine its effectiveness by turning it off. If your iPhone can't relay its GPS location, then you may not be able to recover it. While no foolproof method exists to ensure that thieves won't be able to turn off the Find My iPhone app, you can make it more difficult. Activating another option in your device's settings can give you more time to track down your iPhone. Learn how to protect this feature using iOS 12 or later. Never attempt to recover a stolen iPhone without the assistance of law enforcement; it could prove dangerous.

How to Protect ' Find My iPhone'

To stop someone from turning off Find My iPhone, set up a restriction on your phone. This extra layer of security requires a unique password to disable the location services that the app uses. Open the Settings app. Select Screen Time. Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions. Tap Turn On Screen Time and follow the prompts to activate the feature if you don't see any settings. Toggle the Content & Privacy Restrictions switch to the On (green) position. Select Location Services. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select System Services. Make sure Find My iPhone is turned on (green). If it isn't, toggle it to the on position by tapping the button to the right. Locate Status Bar Icon at the bottom of the System Services page, and make sure the switch is off/white. Turning off this option removes the icon at the top of the screen that shows that an app or service is using your location. Someone who steals your iPhone won't know that it's sending its whereabouts when you locate it. Tap Back at the top of the page to return to the Location Services page. Scroll to the top of the page and select Don't Allow Changes. Immediately, the options on that page will be greyed out. Return to the Screen Time page, and then tap Use Screen Time Passcode. Enter a passcode you'll use for Screen Time settings. After you've set a passcode, nobody can access the Content & Privacy Restrictions menu without it. To make your phone even harder for a thief to compromise, consider making a stronger iPhone passcode instead of the default 4-digit number. The more time a thief has with your phone, the more likely they are to circumvent your security. The above measures will at least put up a few roadblocks for them, giving you additional time to track down your iPhone. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Block YouTube on iPad How to Lock Apps on Any iPhone How to Booby Trap Your Smartphone to Prevent Theft How to Fix It When Snapchat Is Not Working on an iPhone How to Set up and Use Restrictions on an iPhone How to Block Websites on the iPhone How to Factory Reset an iPhone (All Models) How to Turn off Incognito Mode How to Get Rid of the Hollow Arrow on iPhone How to Turn off or Disable Find My iPhone How to Turn Off Parental Controls on iPhone How to Turn off In-App Purchases in iOS (iPad/iPhone) How to Lock Apps on an iPad How to Set up a New iPhone Why Is Find My iPhone Not Working? Do You Need the Find My iPhone App to Find a Lost iPhone? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies