How do i find my iphone watch

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Losing your Apple Watch is a bit annoying and may even be a tad bit scary. Fortunately, if you do lose it or can’t find it, you can ping your Apple Watch from your iPhone to find it.

This method involves using the Find My app on your iPhone.

Locate Your Apple Watch Using the Find My App

You may already know how to ping your iPhone from your Apple Watch, in case it’s your iPhone that went missing. But did you know it’s also possible to locate your Apple Watch using your iPhone? It isn’t as simple, but the Find My can help you locate any of your Apple devices, including your Apple Watch, MacBook, iPad, and so on.

Find My can be accessed from your iPhone using the Find My app (also available on the iPad and Mac) or directly from the iCloud website.

This method will only work if you have previously enabled Find My on your paired iPhone. Once the app is set up on iPhone, it’s automatically enabled for any Apple Watch paired with it.

Use the steps below to ping your Apple Watch using Find My on your iPhone:

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. If prompted, sign in using your Apple ID and password.
  3. You should see your Apple Watch on the list of devices. Tap it to view its current location.
  4. Once you tap on your Apple Watch in the devices list, you should see an option to Play Sound. Tap on it, and your watch will play a sound (even if it’s on silent mode).
  5. To stop the sound, tap Dismiss on the Apple Watch face when you find it.

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Find My Device List on iPhone

Play Sound on Apple Watch

Sound played on Apple Watch

Close

That’s it! Hopefully, you’ve been able to locate your Watch using the steps above. Keep in mind that the Apple Watch has small speakers, so the sound may not be that easy to hear if it’s far away.

If you don’t have your iPhone nearby, you can locate your Apple Watch using the same process through Find My on the iCloud website.

Lost Mode Can Protect a Missing Apple Watch

The Find My app is very useful in case you can’t locate your Apple Watch and want to play an audible sound or see where it’s located.

If you still can’t find your watch, it may be wise to enable Lost Mode using the Find My app. This protects your information and displays a phone number and a message for anyone that finds your Apple Watch.

Whether you've simply misplaced your Apple Watch or it's been stolen, you can rest easy knowing there are ways to find it and keep your information secure until you do.

Here's how it's done.

How to locate your Apple Watch using Find My iPhone

Find My iPhone is a nifty app that, when set up (which we'll get into later), can help you locate all of your Apple devices, including your Apple Watch, MacBook, and AirPods.

1. Set up Find My iPhone on your paired iPhone. Once the app is set up on iPhone, it's automatically enabled for any Apple Watch that's paired with it.

2. Know that your information is secure thanks to Activation Lock, a Find My iPhone feature on Apple Watch. When Activation Lock is turned on, your Apple ID and password are required to unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone, pair your Apple Watch with a new iPhone, and turn off the Find My iPhone feature on your Watch.

3. Open the Find My iPhone app on iPhone.

4. Sign in using your Apple ID and password.

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Find My iPhone shows you the location of all your registered Apple products.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

5. Tap your Apple Watch to view its current location on a map.

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Tap Apple Watch to focus in on its location.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

6. If you see that your Watch is nearby, tap "Actions," then "Play Sound." Your Watch will play a sound (even if it's on silent) until you tap Dismiss on the Watch face.

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Tapping "Actions" will also give you a 3D view of the landscape around your Apple Watch.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

7. If you don't have your iPhone handy, you can go on a computer and access Find My iPhone on iCloud.com and go through the same process.

What to do if you don't see your Apple Watch on the map

If you're not seeing your Apple Watch on Find My iPhone, it may not be connected to Wi-Fi, cellular data, or your paired iPhone. Or it may be because Find My iPhone isn't activated on your device.

1. First, here's a quick rundown on the different Apple Watches and how they work with Find My iPhone to show their approximate location.

  • Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) and Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) can use a trusted cellular connection, GPS, or a trusted Wi-Fi connection to show its location.
  • Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) and Series 2 can use GPS or a trusted Wi-Fi connection.
  • Lastly, as Apple Watch Series 1 isn't equipped with GPS, the app will simply show you the location of your paired iPhone or the Wi-Fi network it's connected to.

2. If you didn't turn on Find My iPhone prior to having your Apple Watch lost or stolen and your Watch has no means of communicating with the app via a Wi-Fi connection, cellular data, or your paired iPhone, you cannot use it to locate your Watch.

3. To protect your information, put your Apple Watch in Lost Mode by tapping Actions, then Lost Mode in the Find My iPhone app. Putting your Watch in Lost Mode requires a passcode to turn off Find My iPhone, erase your Watch, or pair it with another iPhone. Turning on Lost Mode also allows you to enter a phone number to contact you and a message for anyone that finds your Apple Watch.

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Lost Mode will activate on your Apple Watch as soon as it connects to the internet.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

4. Apple also recommends changing your Apple ID password and reporting your lost or stolen device to local law enforcement. "Find My iPhone is the only way that you can track or locate a lost or missing device. If Find My iPhone isn't enabled on your watch before it goes missing, there is no other Apple service that can find, track, or otherwise flag your device for you," the support page reads.

How to set up Find My iPhone on Apple Watch

Bottom line: if you want to be able to find your Apple Watch when it's missing, you should definitely set up Find My iPhone if you haven't already.

1. To see if Find My iPhone is already enabled on Apple Watch, open the Watch app for iPhone and go to the My Watch tab.

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Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

2. Tap on your Apple Watch, then the "i." If you see "Find My Apple Watch," congrats –– this feature is already enabled for your device.

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You can activate security options from this menu.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

3. If not, to set up Find My iPhone, open the Settings app on iPhone.

4. Tap your name, then iCloud.

5. Scroll through the list of apps using iCloud, then tap Find My iPhone.

6. Turn on both Find My iPhone and Send Last Location.

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Turn on both options for maximum security.Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

  • How to track your sleep with an Apple Watch

  • A beginner's guide to the Apple Watch: How to use its buttons and gestures, start workouts, and more

  • How to reset your Apple Watch and unpair it from an iPhone

  • How to update your Apple Watch and get the device's latest features

Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made. 

How do I Find My Apple Watch on my iPhone?

On your iPhone.
Open the Find My app..
Choose the Devices tab..
Select your Apple Watch to see its location on the map..

Can I ping my Apple Watch from my iPhone?

You can ping your Apple Watch from your iPhone to find it quickly if it's nearby. Pinging plays a loud sound on your watch to help you locate it from wherever it disappeared, such as the crack in the couch, the abyss behind your bed, or the pocket of the coat you threw into the laundry.