The worst feeling you can get from having an Apple device is forgetting where you left it — you may have lost an iPhone under the bed or your AirPods somewhere in the yard.
Find My first appeared as Find My iPhone in 2010, and did what it said with its name. As the years passed, the app would be updated to find your Mac and other Apple products, leading to the name change to Find My.
There was also a separate app called Find My Friends, which also did as described, but was combined into Find My in 2019.
It has become an app that can be crucial for when the worst scenario occurs. You can mark your Mac as lost, find your iPad on a map, make your iPhone ring a piercing sound, or use a recently new feature in iOS 15 to find your AirTags with an AR-focused view.
With this in mind, our guide will show you how to use all the features of the app so that you can have peace of mind in those times when you can’t find your iPhone.
How to set up your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods with Find My iPhone
When you buy an Apple device, one of the first steps is to sign up with an iCloud account. This activates many features, such as email and sync between other devices, but also registers the device for Find My.
But if you want to check, go to Settings > Account Name at the top > Find My and make sure Find My iPhone is turned on. The name of the Apple device changes here depending on the device you are using.
But if you went to the settings screen in the beginning without signing in with an iCloud account, or you don’t have an Apple ID yet, then choose Create a new Apple ID and follow the instructions.
While you’re here make sure you turn it on Share my location† This feature ensures that the location of iPhone, iPad and others is constantly updated to Find My.
A new feature of the iPhone 13 devices and above is that they still report location even if the battery is dead or turned off.
Set up Find My Mac
Find My on the Mac is similar to the iPad, so you’re in familiar territory here. There’s a sidebar with the location of your friends and family, as long as they’ve allowed it, next to your devices and any Find My-compatible keys. You can access the same features in the app on your iPhone and iPad, such as turning on a sound or Lost Mode.
To make sure it’s enabled, go to System Preferences > AppleID > Find My Mac > Options.
When it’s on, you have nothing else to do. However, if you’re planning to sell your Mac, make sure to disable this as it won’t be completely wiped if left alone.
Released in April 2021, these coins are the size of a coin and can be placed in bags, laptop cases and accessories that allow tags to be placed and attached to keys.
Once you’ve activated them by pulling the tag, they’ll be paired with your iPhone and appear in FindMy.
There is a new feature currently associated with AirTags that allows your iPhone to direct you to where they are.
Go to Find My > Items > Name of your AirTag > Find, and the app will try to connect to the AirTag.
Once this is done you will be asked the direction and how far it is. Follow the arrow and the taps on your iPhone get faster the closer you get to the AirTag.