Hmm, where did I leave my Windows 10 tablet? Is it at home? Is it in the car? Is it at work? Here comes Microsoft to the rescue. A handy feature known as "Find my Device" can pinpoint the position of your Windows 10 laptop or tablet via an on-screen map. The missing device also emits a sound and displays a message to alert you or someone else as to the exact location. Here's how it works.
Fire up your Windows 10 laptop or tablet. Click on the Start button > Settings > Update & security > Find My Device. On the right pane, you'll see a line that says: "Find My Device is off." Click on the Change button.
A small window pops up with a setting that says: "Save my device's location periodically." Change that setting from off to on.
To learn more about the "Find my Device" feature, click the "Learn more" link. A webpage pops up, the top part of which explains what to do if you have a Windows phone. The bottom part covers what to do if you have a Windows 10 laptop or tablet.
Find Your Missing Device
Now let's say you're stuck in a position where your device is missing and you need to find out where it's hiding. On any computer running Windows 7, 8.1, or Windows 10, open your favorite web browser and surf to account.microsoft.com/devices.
You'll need a Microsoft account to log in. If you don't already have one, click on the link to "Create an account" and follow the steps to set one up.
If you already have a Microsoft account, click on the Sign in button and enter your username and password. A webpage called "Your devices" appears, displaying a list of all your Windows 10 devices with a notification as to whether "Find My Device" is turned on or off. You may also see the last location of some of the devices. If the device is turned on, you can simply click on the link for "Find my device."
A webpage pops up showing you the date, time, and city pinpointing the device. You'll also see a map with the general location of the device. You can zoom in or out of the map to either see the location up close or get a wider bird's-eye view.
You can pan left, right, up, or down by dragging the map with your mouse. You can also click on the menu item to the right of the zoom buttons and change the setting to Road, Automatic, or Bird's eye. Road displays a road view of the map as you zoom in or out. Automatic decides which view of the map works best. And Bird's-eye display an outdoor aerial photo of the location.
On the missing device's end, a beep sounds off to alert anyone located nearby. Plus, a message briefly appears saying that "An administrator tried to locate this device."
If your device is near you at home, work, or some other locale, you should be able to hear the beep. If the device is located in a different location, such as work, then hopefully a co-worker will hear the beep and/or see the message and can alert you as to the device's whereabouts.
Finally, you can click on the link for "Refresh" to keep the device beeping and flashing the on-screen message until your missing device is located.
For more, check out these other Windows 10 tutorials:
- How to Run Windows 10 From a USB Drive
- How to Back Up and Restore an Image File of Windows 10
- How to Turn on Cortana by Voice in Windows 10
- How to Share More (or Less) Personal Data With Cortana
- How to Tweak Your Tiles in Windows 10
- How to Check Out Early Versions of Windows 10
- How to Customize, Control the Command Prompt in Windows 10
- How to Customize Your Default Apps in Windows 10
- How to Use and Tweak the Start Screen in Windows 10