Do you need to find a lost or missing Apple Watch? If so, you’re in luck — there are a variety of tools available that can help you locate your misplaced wearable.
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The Apple Watch isn’t as prone to being lost as an iPhone. After all, the device is meant to be strapped to your wrist as you go about your day. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t lose an Apple Watch.
Maybe you took your Apple Watch off to try on an analog watch or another wearable. Or, perhaps, you removed your Apple Watch to take a shower, and then promptly lost the device.
Whatever the case may be, here’s everything you need to know about how to find an Apple Watch.
Ping my Watch
Your Apple Watch has long had the ability to ping your iPhone. If you’re anything like the author of this piece, you probably use that feature several times a day.
However, as of iOS 17 and watchOS 10, there’s actually a way to use your iPhone to easily locate your Apple Watch. Yes, there’s now a “Ping my Watch” feature built into iOS that you can use to play an audible sound on your wearable.
Here’s how to use it.
- Swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone’s screen.
- Tap the Ping My Watch button.
- Listen for an audible sound coming from your Apple Watch.
That’s really all there is to it — it’s incredibly simple. If your Apple Watch is in proximity to you, you should be able to hear it.
As a side note, if you’re not seeing the Ping my Watch feature in the Control Center, you may need to add it. On an iPhone running iOS 17, navigate to Settings > Control Center. Then, find the Ping my Way feature and tap the Plus icon to add it to the Control Center.
The Find My app is your best friend
If your Apple Watch isn’t in your general vicinity, or you know that you lost it outside your home, then the Find My app is going to be your best bet to find it.
You can access the Find My app on any Apple Device, including your iPhone, Mac, or through a non-Mac computer using iCloud.com.
Once you’re on the Find My app, you should be able to easily locate your Apple Watch on the map. However, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to Wi-Fi, a cellular plan, or near your paired iPhone to show up on the map.
You can also play a sound remotely on your Apple Watch, or get directions to its last known location.
What to do if your Apple Watch is stolen or lost
Sometimes, a misplaced Apple Watch isn’t just sitting around your house. If you lost your Apple Watch while out and about, or you believe someone stole it, then you may want to take steps to protect it.
One of the first things you’ll want to do is put your Apple Watch in Lost Mode. This will lock your Apple Watch to your Apple ID account, display a message and phone number on the wearable’s screen, and send you a notification if the device happens to connect to Wi-Fi.
Here’s how to activate it.
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Open the Find My app
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Tap your Apple Watch.
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Under Mark As Lost, tap Activate.
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Enter a phone number.
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Enter a message that you want to show on your Apple Watch.
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Tap Activate to confirm.
It may also be a good idea to remove payment cards from your device. You can do that by going to iCloud.com and choosing your Apple Watch from the Devices menu. From there, click on Remove Items under Wallet & Apple Pay.
If you’re not optimistic about finding your missing Apple Watch, then you can remotely erase it to protect your data by:
- Opening the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tapping your Apple Watch.
- Tapping on Erase This Device.
Keep in mind that this will remove the Apple Watch from your account, so you won’t be able to locate it using Find My anymore.
Because of that, we recommend holding off on erasing your Apple Watch and using Lost Mode unless you’re certain you won’t get it back.
How to find an Apple Watch, simplified
It’s not very likely that you’ll lose your Apple Watch. However, if you do, we hope this streamlined guide can bring you peace of mind.
- Ping your Apple Watch. It may just be around your house.
- Locate it on Find My. If it’s connected to the internet, you’ll be able to see the watch, or its last known location.
- Put it in Lost Mode. If you can’t see your Apple Watch, then putting it in Lost Mode will up your chances of finding it when it connects to the internet again.
- If all else fails, erase it. Better to lose an Apple Watch than to risk your payment cards or personal data falling into the wrong hands.
