How to Find Your Lost or Stolen Apple Watch Easily

Everyone knows that keeping track of small items can be tricky in the busy rush of our daily lives—even something as important as an Apple Watch. Even though a watch is usually on your wrist, there are times when you may set it down and forget about it, or in the worst case, it gets stolen.

Thankfully, Apple is one step ahead with features like Find My, which allows Apple users to easily locate lost or misplaced devices. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to find your Apple Watch using Find My and share tips to help protect yourself in the future.

The “Find My” Feature

According to Apple, the “Find My” network is an encrypted, anonymous network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that can help you locate your device.

This feature is extremely helpful if you ever lose your Apple Watch. If you’ve already set up Find My on your iPhone, then the good news is that it’s automatically enabled on any Apple Watch paired using Family Setup.

Pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone adds extra layers of security, like Activation Lock. This makes sure that no one else can pair your Apple Watch with another iPhone without your Apple ID.

How To Enable Find My Watch

Find My Watch is an essential feature that helps you quickly locate your Apple Watch and prevents others from misusing it if it’s lost or stolen.

1. Open the Settings app and tap your profile.
   

   

2. Next, select Find My.
   

   

3. Tap on Find My iPhone.
   

   

4. Select Find My iPhone and turn the slider on.
   

   

5. Turn on Find My network. This lets you see your device’s location even when it’s offline.
   

   

6. Enable Send Last Location, so your iPhone sends its location to Apple when the battery is very low.
   

   

7. To be able to find your devices on the map, make sure Location Services is on. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and ensure it’s enabled.
   

   

Finding Your Apple Watch

Apple Watches aren’t cheap, and losing one is never fun. Fortunately, there are several ways to find your Apple Watch depending on where it went missing and the situation.

1. Lost Your Apple Watch in Your House

On the iCloud Website:

1. Sign in to iCloud.com with your Apple ID.
2. In the Quick Access Menu at the top right, choose Find My.
   

   

3. Click All Devices, then select your Apple Watch.
4. Click the Play Sound button to make your Apple Watch emit a sound so you can locate it.
   

   

On Your iPhone:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap the Devices tab.
   

   

3. Select your Apple Watch.
   

   

4. Tap the Play Sound button to make it easier to find.
   

   

2. Lost Your Apple Watch Somewhere Else

If you’re not sure where you left your Apple Watch, you can use Find My to see its last known or current location.

On the iCloud Website:

1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click the Quick Access Menu at the top right and choose Find My.
   

   

3. Select All Devices and click your Apple Watch.
4. You can now see its estimated location on the map.
   

   

On Your iPhone:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap the Devices tab.
   

   

3. Select your Apple Watch.
   

   

4. You’ll now see your Apple Watch’s location on the map.
   

   

3. If the Apple Watch Is Off

If your Apple Watch’s battery is dead or it’s turned off, the Find My feature will still show the last recorded location before it went offline.

1. Open the Devices menu.
   

   

2. Select your Apple Watch.
   

   

3. The last known location will be marked as “Last Location” on the map.
   

   

What To Do If Your Apple Watch is Stolen

If you’re certain your Apple Watch was stolen and not just misplaced, here are a few ways you can secure your device and information:

1. Mark your watch as lost to keep the thief from using it.
2. Change your Apple ID password to stop anyone from accessing your personal data or misusing your account.
3. If you’re sure you won’t get your watch back, you can remotely erase its data through the Find My app.

1. Marking Your Watch as Lost

If your Apple Watch goes missing, you can enable Lost Mode. This locks the device, so it can’t be used without your Apple ID, and allows you to add a custom message with your phone number. If someone finds your Apple Watch, they’ll see how to contact you.

1. Open the Find My app and select your Apple Watch.
   

   

2. In the “Mark As Lost” section, tap Activate.
   

   

3. Tap Continue.
   

   

4. Enter a phone number so the finder can contact you, then tap Next.
   

   

5. Type a custom message for the display, like: “I just lost this watch, please contact me ASAP!”
   

   

6. Finally, tap Activate.
   

   

7. Find My will send you a confirmation email letting you know your Watch is in Lost Mode.
   

   

Turning Off Lost Mode

Once you find your Apple Watch, you can exit Lost Mode by tapping the unlock button on the watch and entering your password. This lets you use your Apple Watch as usual again.

1. Sign in to iCloud.com.
2. Click on the Quick Access Menu (top right) and choose Find My.
   

   

3. Click All Devices, then select your Apple Watch.
4. Select Lost Mode > Stop Lost Mode, and tap Stop Lost Mode again to confirm.
   

   

2. Erasing Your Apple Watch

Only erase your watch if you’re sure you can’t recover it. This step should be a last resort, since erasing your Apple Watch will delete all data from it and can’t be undone.

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Select your Apple Watch.
   

   

3. Tap “Unpair Apple Watch“, then confirm you want to erase it.
   

   

Still Unable to Find Your Apple Watch?

If you didn’t enable Find My before your Apple Watch was lost, or your Watch is no longer paired to your account, here’s what you can do to keep your data safe:

1. Change Your Apple ID Password: This keeps anyone from accessing your iCloud information or misusing your other Apple services.
2. Report Your Lost Device to Law Enforcement: Notifying your local authorities can sometimes help recover lost or stolen items.
3. Remove Payment Cards: Remove any payment cards linked to Apple Pay to stop anyone from making unauthorized purchases on your device.
4. Contact Apple Support: While Apple Support has limited ability to help in cases of lost or stolen devices, it’s worth reaching out for advice.