Questions
- How do I turn on Find My on my Mac?
- How do I enable Find My on my Bowdoin-issued MacBook?
- How do I turn on Find My on my iPad?
- How do I enable Find My in macOS Sequoia?
- Find My is turned off on my Mac — how do I turn it back on?
- How do I make sure my Mac can be located if it is lost or stolen?
- How do I protect my Bowdoin devices using Find My?
- I was told to enable Find My on my Mac — how do I do that?
- How do I sign in to iCloud on my Mac so I can use Find My?
- Does Find My work when my Mac or iPad is offline?
Environment
This article applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff using a Bowdoin-issued Mac or iPad. It covers enabling Find My on both devices so they can be located, locked, or erased remotely if lost or stolen.
- Who: All Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff
- Devices: Bowdoin-issued MacBook Pro and iPad mini
- Operating systems: macOS Sequoia (15.x) and newer; current iPadOS
Prerequisite: Find My requires the device to be signed in to iCloud with an Apple ID. If your Mac or iPad is not yet signed in to iCloud, see the Not signed in to iCloud? note within the Resolution steps below.
Resolution
Enable Find My on your Mac
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and open System Settings.
- Click your Apple Account name at the top of the left sidebar.
- Select iCloud from the list on the right side of the window.
- If Find My Mac is not visible in the iCloud app list, click See All to expand the full list.
- Click Find My Mac, then click Turn On.
- If prompted, enter your Apple ID password and your Mac login password.
- Click Done.
Not signed in to iCloud? On the Apple Account page in System Settings, click Sign in... and follow the on-screen prompts to sign in with your Apple ID. After signing in, return to step 3 above to enable Find My Mac.
Enable Find My on your iPad
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap your name at the top of the Settings list.
- Tap Find My.
- Tap Find My iPad, then turn on the Find My iPad toggle.
- To allow your iPad to be found even when it has no internet connection, also turn on Find My network.
- To send your iPad's last known location to Apple when the battery is critically low, turn on Send Last Location.
About Find My network: When Find My network is on, nearby Apple devices can detect your iPad and relay its location to you — even when the iPad is offline. This setting is recommended for maximum protection.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Additional Resources