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My wifi greyed out/dimmed for no obvious reason. To restore my iPhone I am required to turn off "Find my iPhone".

Since I can't get access to wifi through my device (it needs Apple ID password), how can I turn the that off?

I tried doing it through iCloud.com but it needs to be turned off through the device itself (which then eventually shows on iTunes).

I've contacted the Apple support team but they haven't helped much.

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  • Turn it completely off and on again. What you are seeing is basically anti-theft measurements. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Mar 8 '14 at 22:29
  • I doubt that. I've turned off and on. Reset all settings, network settings and so on. And if I turn it off, then of course iTunes won't read the phone. I'm at a deadlock at this point. – Juwana Mar 8 '14 at 22:34
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You can restore your device by putting it in Recovery Mode first. This will restore your device regardless of settings on the device, including Find my iPhone.

  1. Turn your device off.

  2. Hold Home as you connect the USB cable until you see the following screen:

  3. You should see the following message in iTunes:

    iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.

  4. Restore the device in iTunes.

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  • Sorry to revive such an old thread. I have the same problem as the OP (no WiFi). I wanted to know what happens after a DFU restore: will the iPhone ask for Apple ID and password before allowing you to use it? I know the Apple ID and password for it (it's not a stolen phone); but given that WiFi doesn't work (and restoring the may not fix it), and I don't have a 3G plan with my carrier, then my phone will basically become a brick. Is that correct? – swineone Jul 10 '14 at 18:39
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    @swineone Yes, a DFU restore will cause Activation Lock to be enabled and you will need to log in with your Apple ID. However, you can always use iTunes to activate any USB connected device. Also, no need to apologise for reviving a thread—SE doesn't work like that :) – grg♦ Jul 10 '14 at 18:41
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Oftentimes you don't need to actually restore your iPhone if the wifi switch has become disabled (grayed out).

Reset the network settings by tapping Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset all network settings, including Bluetooth pairing records, Wi-Fi passwords, VPN, and APN settings.

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  • I've tried that a couple of times already, still doesn't help :( – Juwana Mar 8 '14 at 22:31
  • Then try doing a full settings reset. It wont remove any data. – ecnepsnai Mar 8 '14 at 22:42
  • I've tried that too. Even tried to erase all settings, but it needs the Apple id password, which again requires wifi. That's why I wanted to know if there was any way I could do it without the need of wifi or cellular data. – Juwana Mar 8 '14 at 22:57
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Only way I can think of right now is you getting a SIM card which has internet access on it 3G/4G, then your iPhone will be able to validate the apple id login and disable the "find my iPhone" feature.

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  • I guess that is the only choice left or give the phone for software repair.. – Juwana Mar 8 '14 at 22:35
  • I actually tried this and it didn't work. Apparently you must have WiFi to turn off Find My iPhone through the UI. grgarside's solution does work, though! – James Apr 19 '17 at 1:11
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Needs ID as a precaution against theft. Obviously a thief would not necessarily have ID and wish not to be tracked

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