Find my device feature can help locate your lost laptop or tablet. Here is how to turn on the Find my device feature in Windows 11.
If you often travel or take your laptop or tablet to public spaces like coffee shops, shopping malls, etc., to work, you know that there is a high chance of losing it. For example, you might forget to pick it up when leaving; bad actors might steal the laptop when you are not looking, etc.
You must enable the Find my Device feature in those cases. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry. As you can tell from the feature name itself, the Find my Device feature helps you find the lost Windows device with just a couple of clicks. In addition to that, you can also lock the device, erase data, and ring the alarm to alert others of the lost device.
So, without further ado, let me show you how to turn on Find my Device in Windows 11, use Find my Device to locate lost laptop, and disable Find my Device in Windows 11.
Table of contents:
- Turn on Find My Device in Windows 11
- Using Find My Device to location lost device
- Turn off Find my Device in Windows 11
Important note:
To use the Find my Device feature, you need to sign in to Windows 11 with your Microsoft account. Also, you need to turn on the location permission.
Turn on Find My Device in Windows 11
To enable Find my Device in Windows 11, you need to use the Settings app. Here is how to do it in simple steps.
- Use “Start + I” to open Settings.
- Select “Privacy & Security” on the sidebar.
- Click on the “Find my device” option.
- Turn on the “Find my device” option.
- Close the Settings app.
- Reboot Windows 11.
Same steps with pictures and more details:
As with most things, open the Windows 11 Settings app. You can do that by clicking on the Settings icon on the Start menu or using the “Start key + I” shortcut.
Choose “Privacy & Security” on the sidebar in the Settings app. As you can tell from the page name, this is where you will find most of the privacy and security options. Since Find my Device is a security feature, this is where you will find it. So, click on the “Find my device” option on the main page.
On this page, turn on the “Find my device” option. If the location service permission is not enabled, you will see a warning message right on top of the option. In that case, go to the “Privacy & security > Location” page and turn on the location services.
That is it. It is that simple to turn on the Find my device feature in Windows 11. Windows 11 will occasionally or on request send your device location data to Microsoft servers from now on. That way, you can find the device location as and when needed.
Using Find My Device to location lost device
After turning on the find my device feature, you can find your devices when needed from the Microsoft webpage. Here is how.
First, go to the — https://account.microsoft.com/devices/find-my-device page. When prompted, log in with the Microsoft account linked with your Windows 11 user account.
On this page, click on your device name and then press the “Find” button.
As soon as you do that, the Find my Device feature will trigger, and try to guess the location. If the system is turned on and connected to the internet, you will see the “Find my Device” notification in Windows 11.
After a couple of seconds, you will see an approximate location on the map. The location accuracy will entirely depend on how the device is connected to the internet and if the device has GPS or not.
As I said earlier, Windows 11 will send device location data at regular intervals to the Microsoft servers. That way, you will see the last known location even if the device is currently turned off or not connected to the internet. For example, the location data will depend on its proximity to the mobile signal tower if the device is connected to the internet via mobile data.
Turn off Find my Device in Windows 11
If you no longer need the Find my Device feature, you can turn it off. A few of the common reasons include but are not limited to inaccurate location information, not being willing to send location data to Microsoft, etc. You can turn off Find my Device in Windows 11 via the Settings app, no matter why. Here is how.
- Use “Start + I” to open Settings.
- Select “Privacy & Security” on the sidebar.
- Click on the “Find my device” option.
- Turn on the “Find my device” option.
- Close the Settings app.
- Reboot Windows 11.
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That is it. It is that simple to turn on or turn off Find my Device in Windows 11.
I hope this easy and straightforward Windows 11 how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
