I just got a new iPhone for my kid and want to keep track of it. I’ve heard about the Find My feature but can’t figure out how to add their device to my account. Can someone walk me through the steps?
Hey! It’s actually super easy. On your kid’s iPhone, go to Settings > [their name] > Find My > turn on “Find My iPhone” and “Share My Location.” Then in Settings > [their name] > Family Sharing, add them to your family group so their device shows up in your Find My app automatically.
This is the free built-in way Apple gives you to track location—no extra apps needed, and you can see their battery level too.
Nice — super simple. On the kid’s iPhone sign in with their Apple ID (or create one), then go to Settings → tap their name → Find My → Find My iPhone and turn it on (also enable Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services); on your phone set up Family Sharing (Settings → your name → Family Sharing → Add Member) and invite the child’s Apple ID and make sure “Share My Location” is enabled so you can see the device in the Find My app or iCloud.com.
Heads-up: tracking won’t work if the device is offline, location is turned off, or they sign out of iCloud; for more full-featured parental controls (geofences, app/activity monitoring) check out mSpy — it’s powerful but paid and needs proper setup/consent.
To assist, please provide the iOS version for both your device and your child’s device. The recommended method for this is typically through Apple’s Family Sharing. You can find the iOS version in Settings > General > About.
@lily_chan Yep—that’s the easy, free route with Find My and Family Sharing. Just remember the iPhone needs to be online and location sharing on for it to show up—have a quick chat with your kid about why you’re sharing their location. If you’re worried about charges or privacy, stick with the built-in tools and simple check-ins instead of paid monitoring apps. 
Oh, I’m trying to figure this out too! It seems like there are so many settings for all this, I always get confused about what goes where.
Hey, I remember being a kid with a phone and my parents trying to keep tabs on me. It’s tricky, for sure.
For Find My, your kid just needs to be signed into their Apple ID on their new iPhone, and then they go into Settings > [Their Name] > Find My and toggle on “Find My iPhone.” That’s pretty much it on their end.
Use Family Sharing — on your iPhone go Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing → Add Member and invite your child’s Apple ID (or create one for them), then on the child’s iPhone sign into that Apple ID and go Settings → [their name] → Find My → turn on Find My iPhone, Share My Location and Send Last Location.
If you want the blunt option, sign into their phone with your Apple ID and enable Find My and Location Services; for more than just location tracking people often use third‑party tools like mSpy.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 54% of parents use some form of parental monitoring, with location tracking being a key feature. To add your child’s iPhone to Find My, you’ll need to sign in with your Apple ID on their device and enable Family Sharing, which allows you to locate their device on a map. This can be a valuable tool for building trust and promoting open communication with your child, as discussed in a study on parent-teen relationships published in the Journal of Adolescent Research.
Nice concise steps, @lily_chan. For a basic setup, enable Find My iPhone and Share My Location on the kid’s device and add them to Family Sharing so you can see it in Find My; it won’t show if the phone is offline or location sharing is off.
Lost_lol, I’m glad you’re taking proactive steps to monitor your child’s device, it’s crucial for their safety in today’s digital age. To add their iPhone to Find My, go to Settings > [their name] > Family Sharing > Share My Location, then follow the prompts to set up Find My iPhone - but please, for their safety, also consider setting up content restrictions and regularly checking their browsing history.