By Jennifer | Last Updated
A factory reset restores the iPhone to its original default state, so it's considered an ideal way to fix a system failure or prepare the device for resale. However, things can get complicated if the Find My iPhone feature is not turned off before a factory reset. This Apple-supplied feature is designed to protect users' devices from theft and unauthorized use, and security remains even after factory settings are restored.
In this guide, we'll explore whether restoring factory settings turns off Find My iPhone and provide you with practical solutions to related issues.
"Find My iPhone" is a core security feature integrated into iCloud by Apple, enabling users to track, lock, and remotely wipe their devices. Notably, this feature includes "iCloud Activation Lock", which prevents the device from being re-set or activated without the original Apple ID credentials.
While Find My iPhone provides strong security for your device, you need to disable it before performing a factory reset. Otherwise, you may encounter issues.
The answer is "NO", restoring factory settings will not turn off FMI. Since "Find My iPhone" is tied to your Apple ID, it will remain active even after the device's data has been completely wiped.
Turning off Find My iPhone is a necessary step before performing a factory reset, otherwise your device may trigger an activation lock. If you remember your Apple ID password, then you have two options to disable it.
Step 1: In the "Settings" App, click on your username at the top.
Step 2: Go to "Find My" > "Find My iPhone" and toggle the switch next to the option to turn it off.
Step 3: Enter your Apple ID password to confirm the change.
Step 1: Visit icloud.com and sign in using the Apple ID on your iPhone.
Step 2: Select the iPhone you want to factory reset and click "Erase this device". Enter your Apple ID password and two-step verification code to confirm the operation.
Step 3: When "Erased" is displayed, click "Remove This Device" and "Find My iPhone" will be disabled on the target iPhone.
How do you turn off the "Find My iPhone" feature on your device if you’ve forgotten your Apple ID password? For iPhones running iOS 15 and above, if you can't remember your Apple ID information, you can directly reset a new Apple ID password in the "Settings" App and turn off "Find My iPhone".
However, this method assumes that you are still able to unlock your device, which means you need to remember the screen unlock code of your device.
Step 1: Choose to turn off "Find My iPhone", you will be prompted to enter your Apple ID password, click the "Forgot Password" button at the bottom of the input box.
Step 2: Use the screen unlock code to reset your Apple account password, then enter the new password as required and click "Continue".
Step 3: After completing the reset process, the "FMI" feature on your device will be automatically turned off.
As mentioned earlier, if you perform a factory reset without turning off Find My iPhone, your iPhone will likely be locked with Activation Lock. The iCloud Activation Lock can make everything even trickier when you forget your Apple ID information and can't provide a screen unlock password. In this case, the "Bypass ID" function provided by the professional tool iSunshare iBypass Genius will come in handy.
Step 1: Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable, then get iBypass Genius from iSunshare's official website and install the software on your computer.
Run the software and select the "Bypass ID" option on the main screen.
Step 2: Read the User Agreement carefully and check the box to agree, then click "Start" to continue.
Step 3: Boot your iPhone into DFU Mode, then follow the instructions in iBypass Genius to initiate the jailbreak process.
Step 4: Follow the software's instructions to complete all steps of the bypass process, and then the activation lock on your iPhone will be removed.
In conclusion, as "Find My iPhone" is a core security feature of Apple, turning it off before restoring factory settings is an important step. This article provided a variety of ways to turn off "Find My iPhone" in different situations, regardless of whether you have an Apple ID or not. Hope this guide is helpful to you, if you have any other related questions, please feel free to check more resources.
