How to Set Up and Use Find My Device in Windows 10
Until now, PC owners had no built-in Windows tools to track down a misplaced or stolen computer. But Microsoft has updated Windows 10 with a Find My Device feature, which pinpoints a device's location on a map.
This new feature was a part of a major update to Windows 10 in November, and it works for laptops, desktops and tablets. To enable the feature, users need to be signed into a PC with a Microsoft account, logged in with a local administrator account and have location settings enabled.
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How to Set Up Find My Device in Windows 10
1. Tap on the Windows icon to open the Start menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. Tap Update & security.
4. Select Find My Device. If you don’t see this option, tap on Windows Update, select Check For Updates and install all available updates.
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5. Tap Change. If this box is greyed out, tap on "Turn on location settings to use this feature," and enable location settings in the following menu.
6. Switch "Save my device’s location periodically" on.
How to Use Find My Device to Track a Missing Windows 10 Device
1. Visit https://account.microsoft.com/devices on any computer, and select Sign In.
8. Sign in with your Microsoft Account name and password.
9. Select Find My Device.
And now you’ve found that missing computer! Unfortunately, Find My Device doesn’t let you ping, lock or erase your device, but we hope to see those features added in a future update.
Henry was a contributing writer at Laptop Mag. He penned hundreds of articles, including helpful how-tos for Windows, Mac, and Gmail. Henry has also written about some of the best Chromebooks, and he has reviewed many Apple devices, including various MacBook Air laptops. He is now a managing editor at our sister site Tom's Guide, covering streaming media, laptops, and all things Apple.