With Find My Mac you can find your MacBook if you lose it or it is stolen. You see where it is, can play a sound, lock it remotely or, if there is no other way, erase everything. Activation Lock also makes sure a thief cannot simply use the Mac. This article explains how to turn on Find My Mac, how to use it and what to watch for when selling or repairing.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. Find My Mac is one of the first things we advise you to turn on on a new Mac.
Turning on Find My Mac
- Open System Settings and click your name at the top.
- Choose iCloud.
- Find Find My Mac and turn it on.
- Also turn on Find My network. Then your Mac can be found even when it is not online, through other people's Apple devices nearby (anonymously and encrypted).
If you do not have an Apple Account on the Mac yet, sign in first. Also see forgot your Mac password if you no longer know your login details.
Your MacBook is lost: how to find it
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or another Mac, or go to the iCloud website in a browser and open Find My.
- Choose your Mac. The map shows where it is or was last seen.
- Play sound if it is nearby, for example somewhere at home or in the office.
Mark as lost
Choose Mark as Lost (on older versions "Lock"). The Mac is locked with a code, and you can show a message with a phone number so an honest finder can get in touch. Apple Pay on the Mac is paused too.
Erasing remotely
If you think you will not get the Mac back and it holds sensitive data, you can erase it remotely. Note: after that you can no longer follow it on the map. Activation Lock stays active, so nobody else can use the Mac. Report a theft to the police and give them the serial number.
Activation Lock
Macs with an Apple chip or a T2 chip have Activation Lock. When Find My Mac is on, nobody can erase and set up the Mac again without your Apple Account password. That protects you against thieves, but also means you must turn off Find My before selling the Mac. See erasing your MacBook before selling.
Find My Mac and repairs
For a repair you usually do not need to turn off Find My. For some repairs, such as a logic board replacement or when the Mac has to be erased, you need to sign in with your Apple Account afterwards. Never give your password to anyone; you sign in yourself.
Buying a Mac with Activation Lock
If you buy a used MacBook, check during setup that no request for someone else's Apple Account appears. If it does, have the seller remove the Mac from their account first. Without that you cannot use the Mac, and a repairer cannot bypass the lock either. See buying a refurbished MacBook.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We repair your MacBook without needing your password, and help you set it up again after a major repair. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions
Does Find My Mac work when the Mac is off?
You see the last known location. With the Find My network a Mac with an Apple chip in sleep can sometimes be found too.
Does Find My Mac cost anything?
No, it is part of your Apple Account.
I cannot turn off Find My Mac. What now?
You need your Apple Account password. If you have lost it, recover it through Apple.
