Lost your Apple Watch? That is annoying, but there is a good chance that you can find the watch. In this article, we’ll explain how to search for an Apple Watch. We also tell you what to do if your Apple watch seems to be gone.
Lost Apple Watch: You can do this
There is only one way to find a lost Apple Watch: Find My. Do you have this function on on your iPhone? Then it is automatically on on your Apple Watch. How to find an Apple Watch:
- Go to iCloud.com on your computer and log in with your Apple ID;
- Open ‘Find My iPhone’;
- Then choose ‘All Devices’ and then ‘Apple Watch’.
Do you use an iPhone? Then open the Find My app, choose the ‘Devices’ tab and tap your Apple Watch. From this menu you can see where the watch is located, and you can play a sound if necessary.
Find back
Do you see the Apple Watch on the map? That’s good news, because the watch will then have an active internet connection. If the Apple Watch is close by, it does this via the paired iPhone. When the watch is in a different place, it may do this via a WiFi network.
Is the watch nearby? Then tap ‘Play Sound’ to make the watch ring. This option is ideal for when the watch accidentally fell behind the couch, for example. Once you’ve found it, you can turn off the sound.
Report as lost
Does it look like your Apple Watch has been lost? That sucks, but at least make sure you activate Lost mode. At that moment, the watch shows your phone number and an honest finder knows how to reach you. Here’s how to report an Apple Watch as lost:
- Grab your iPhone and open the Find My app;
- Tap on your Apple Watch and choose ‘Activate’ under the heading ‘Register as lost’;
- Select ‘Continue’ and enter your phone number. Choose ‘Next’;
- Enter the message that the honest finder of your Apple Watch will see and confirm with ‘Activate’.
Your Apple Watch is now locked. The screen indicates that the watch has been declared lost by you. This includes your just-entered telephone number and a message for the finder. The Lost Mode also ensures that your Apple Watch cannot just be erased or paired with another iPhone. Your access code is required for this.
Lost your Apple Watch permanently?
Did you not turn on Find My when you lost sight of the watch? Or was your Watch not connected to a Wi-Fi network when it was lost? Then you will not see the watch on the card in the Find My app.
The bad news is that you cannot find the watch this way. The good news is that you can protect the personal information on the Apple Watch. In any case, thieves will not get rid of your personal data. You do this like this:
- Activate Lost Mode as explained above;
- Change your Apple ID password. That way you prevent others from gaining access to, for example, your iCloud data;
- Report your lost Apple Watch to the police. Also immediately provide the serial number of your watch. If the Apple Watch is found after all, the police will know that it is yours.
Don’t have the serial number of your Apple Watch at hand? It may be on the purchase receipt or you can find it in Finder on your Mac (or iTunes). You can also find the serial number in the Watch app on your iPhone. To do this, go to the ‘My Watch’ tab and choose ‘General’. In the ‘Info’ window you will find a serial number.
Find lost Apple devices
Apple products are beautiful, so do thieves. iPhones, iPads and MacBooks are therefore popular prey for people with quick hands. On iPhone We are therefore happy to help you secure your device. For example, check out our guides on how to find a lost iPhone and what to do if your iPhone is stolen.
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