How to Track Lost Devices

How to Track Lost Devices

We do it all: panic by tapping. After a long week, you walk home down the street and say how good it is that you don't have to come back until Monday, and suddenly it falls on you. You pack your suitcases at the front, you pack your suitcases at the back, and you panic - you leave your phone back in the office.

Whether it's because you forgot your digital camera on your last vacation (which your partner certainly won't forget), know that we've all fallen victim to our fast lives. But only here can technology help. And for non-integrated GPS gadgets, such as your digital camera or Nintendo Switch, Bluetooth tags can warn you before you walk out the door.

Watch your smartphone

With our multitasking phones, such as jukeboxes, navigators, organizers, cameras, etc., you may find it impossible not to always know where your things are - but it happens.

For such occasions (and to help you with the heart attack that follows) use your phone's built-in tracking system. To find it on Android, open Settings, tap Security, search for My Devices, and toggle the radio button next to Use Find My Devices. This option allows you to enable or disable tracking and find other devices associated with your Google Account.

To really see where your phone is, there are at least three options: You can go to Find my device on the web, open the Find my device app on another Android device - such as a tablet - or enter "find my device" on Google. . Chrome navigation bar when you're signed in to your Google Account. The platform will show you a map with the location of your device, but if you need a more specific reference, you can always have it, even if it is in silent mode. You can also find Android tablets, Wear OS watches and Pixel headphones this way.

Additional options are available depending on the manufacturer and model of your Android phone Activate Find my iPhone to turn location tracking on, toggle on Find My network to find your phone even when it’s offline, and turn on Send Last Location to have your device automatically send its location to Apple when the battery is critically low. Use the Find app on another Apple device or go to Find My iPhone in a web browser to see where your iPhone is at any time and let it ring (even when it's muted) when you go out. These tips also apply to iPads and Apple Watches.

Watch your laptop

Sure, laptops are harder to get rid of than smartphones, but it's completely unprecedented. If you've left your MacBook somewhere, but you're not sure where, Find Me can help you find it.

When you go to Find My iPhone, you'll see all the Apple devices registered under your account - including Mac Books and Macs - and you can play them to find them. To make sure this feature is enabled on macOS, open the Apple menu, click System Preferences, and then click your Apple ID (if you're not already signed in, you'll need to do so first). Click on iCloud in the sidebar and make sure the Find my Mac box is checked so you can find your computer and this warning will sound if it gets lost under a pile of clothes or falls on a sofa.

Microsoft offers a similar service called Find My Device. In the Windows 10 Settings window, go to Updates and Security (Privacy and Security in Windows 11) and then to Find my device. If you want to monitor your Windows laptop in the future, make sure the tracking option is enabled. To find a device, go to the Devices page of your Microsoft web account and click Find My Device at the top of the screen to open the map. Unfortunately, if you have Windows 10, you can't make your device make sounds to find you, but you can check if it's at home or anywhere, so you don't waste hours looking for it. If your computer is running Windows 11, you can lock it and even leave a single message on the screen. Your device will perform location services and send updates to your location directly to your Microsoft email.

Monitor each device

The options built into Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS can prove useful for finding out exactly where a device is and for sound as if you need to pack it. But if your device is without or without juice, these methods may not work. Nor can it be said that there are no options for gadgets without built-in GPS.

In cases like this, you can still track your stuff by adding Bluetooth trackers to your gadgets. It works for phones, laptops, cameras and anything else you can place on it.

Such trackers pair with your phone and remain in constant communication with it, so when your phone gets out of range (for example, when you leave the front door), an alarm is triggered. For example, if you don't want to leave your home or office without an iPad, these trackers are great.