Hide Phone on Find My iPhone (Location Settings)
To stop sharing your iPhone’s location with people, open Find My, tap Me, and turn off Share My Location. To stop sharing with one person, use People and select Stop Sharing My Location. Turning off Find My iPhone is a separate choice that limits lost-device protections, so check what you need before changing it.
If you hike, travel, or take photos around town, you may want to decide who can see your location and when. The setting that controls sharing with people is separate from the one that helps you find a lost phone. I recommend checking both before making changes, especially if someone else may notice a change in access.
Assess Sharing and Personal-Safety Risks
Before changing settings, consider who may see the change and what you want to stop. Turning off location sharing may be noticed by people who could view your location. If someone may react in a way that puts you at risk, use a trusted device to seek help before changing settings.
If you are making a routine privacy update, take a moment to identify the goal. Do you want to stop sharing with one person, stop sharing with everyone, or prevent the phone itself from appearing in Find My? Those choices affect different features.
For a broader review, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check on iOS 16 or later. Safety Check lets you review sharing and access, or use Emergency Reset to quickly stop sharing in supported situations. Menu wording and available options can vary by iOS version.
A practical, illustrative example: if you share your location with a friend for a planned hike, you may only need to stop sharing with that person afterward. If you are worried about unwanted monitoring, a broader review of people, apps, and account access may be more suitable. The right step depends on your circumstances.
Next step: Choose the smallest change that meets your privacy need, unless personal safety calls for a wider review.
Choose the Location-Sharing Scope
“Scope” means how much access you want to change. Find My has separate controls for sharing your location with people and for finding your own device. Use the control that matches your goal; switching off one does not automatically switch off the other.
| Your goal | Setting to use | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Stop sharing with one person | Find My → People → person’s name → Stop Sharing My Location | Stops sharing your location with that person |
| Stop sharing with everyone | Find My → Me → Share My Location off | Stops sharing your location with people through Find My |
| Stop locating this iPhone through Find My | Settings → your name → Find My → Find My iPhone off | Turns off Find My iPhone features for this device |
| Limit an app’s location access | Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → app | Changes that app’s access to location |
Stopping sharing with a person does not turn off Find My iPhone. You can still use Find My to locate your own device if that feature remains on. Likewise, switching off Share My Location is not the same as removing an app’s access to Location Services.
Find My’s People and Devices sections serve different purposes. People relates to location sharing with other people. Devices shows your Apple devices associated with your account. Check both when reviewing what is visible.
Next step: If you only want to stop sharing with one person, start in People rather than switching off Find My iPhone.
Change Find My and Location Services Settings
Follow the steps for the specific access you want to change. After each change, check the related screen again. Apple may adjust menu wording between iOS versions, but the controls are generally found in Find My or in Settings under Privacy & Security.
Stop sharing with one person or everyone
To stop sharing with one person:
- Open the Find My app.
- Tap People.
- Select the person.
- Tap Stop Sharing My Location and confirm if prompted.
To stop sharing with everyone through Find My:
- Open Find My.
- Tap Me.
- Turn off Share My Location.
This changes sharing with people, not the separate Find My iPhone setting. If you share through other services or apps, review those separately; changing Find My does not necessarily change their location access.
Turn off Find My iPhone
To disable Find My for the device, go to Settings → [your name] → Find My → Find My iPhone, then turn off Find My iPhone. You may be asked to authenticate with your Apple Account.
On that screen, Find My network and Send Last Location are separate options. Find My network can help locate a device when it is offline, while Send Last Location sends its location when the battery is critically low. Turning off Share My Location alone does not switch off these options.
Turning off Find My iPhone also removes important lost-device protections. You may no longer be able to locate, remotely lock, or erase the iPhone through Find My. It also turns off Activation Lock, which helps prevent others from using a device without the account credentials. Weigh these costs before proceeding.
Review app location access
To check which apps can use location, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. Review each app and choose an access option that fits its purpose. Depending on the app, choices may include Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App, or Always.
You can also review system-level location settings on the same screen. Some location features support core services, so avoid switching off broad controls without understanding what they affect. App permissions are a separate layer from Find My sharing.
Next step: Change only the relevant control, then review the other layer if you are trying to limit location access more broadly.
Verify the Result and Understand Tradeoffs
Verification means reopening the settings after you change them and checking the status, rather than relying on memory. Look at Find My’s People and Devices sections separately, then review Location Services if your goal includes app access. This helps confirm which type of sharing you changed.
For a routine change, check the specific setting again: Share My Location for people, Find My iPhone for device recovery, or Location Services for apps. If you used Safety Check, review its sharing and access summary as well. What other people see can depend on the services and devices involved, so do not assume one toggle controls every location signal.
Airplane Mode, powering off, or removing the SIM should not be treated as guaranteed ways to stop all location-related sharing or tracking. They do not replace reviewing account, app, and Find My settings. If you have a personal-safety concern, use a safe device to get help and consider whether a settings change could be noticed.
Next step: Confirm the exact setting you meant to change, and keep Find My iPhone on if you still want its lost-device protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers distinguish location sharing with people from device-finding and app permissions. If your question is about staying safe from someone who may monitor your phone, consider using a trusted device before changing settings, as a change may be noticed.
Does turning off Share My Location turn off Find My iPhone?
No. It stops sharing your location with people through Find My, but Find My iPhone is a separate setting.
How do I stop sharing my location with just one person?
Open Find My, tap People, select the person, and choose Stop Sharing My Location.
How do I stop sharing my location with everyone?
Open Find My, tap Me, and turn off Share My Location.
Will someone know if I stop sharing my location?
They may notice that your location is no longer available. Do not assume a change will be hidden.
Can I still find my iPhone after turning off Share My Location?
Yes, if Find My iPhone remains enabled and the device and account meet Apple’s requirements.
What happens if I turn off Find My iPhone?
Find My can no longer locate, remotely lock, or erase that iPhone. Turning it off also removes Activation Lock protection for the device.
Are Find My network and Send Last Location the same as Share My Location?
No. They are separate controls on the Find My iPhone screen and relate to locating your device.
How do I stop an app from using my location?
Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services, select the app, and change its access.
Does Airplane Mode guarantee that my location is hidden?
No. It is not a reliable substitute for reviewing Find My, account sharing, and app permissions.
Where is Safety Check on iPhone?
On iOS 16 or later, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Safety Check to review sharing and access.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Richard Montclair. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
