Apple, Google and Microsoft have all had device-tracking features in their mobile operating systems as early as 2010 with OS X following in 2011. With the increasing focus on a unifying presence for Windows and the emergence of devices like ultrabooks and convertible laptops, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft unveiled a similar feature for its own OS. The November update (Threshold 2) for Windows 10 has added “Find My Device”, a feature that does exactly what it says. Since it is off by default, however, you may want to know how to enable it and what you can do with it.
Enable Find My Device
Many of you will stumble on Find My Device by accident as the feature has its very own place in the secur9ity settings of Windows.
1. Open the Settings app in Windows 10.
2. Go to Update & security > Find My Device.
3. The panel on the right side should say that “Find My Device is off”. To amend that, click on the Change button and turn the “Save my device’s location periodically” toggle on.
Using Find My Device
Now that you have enabled the feature, your PC will automatically save your last known location periodically for as long as you are connected to the Internet. Your last saved location can be found in the “Your Devices” section of your Microsoft account along with additional options for the feature. You will need to log in that page if you are not already signed in so make sure you have your Microsoft Account credentials ready.
Right under your last saved location, there is a link that reads “Find my device”. Clicking on that will open a Bing map which will show approximately where your device is located. Accuracy will vary but it has been quite consistent for me thus far. If you are not happy with what is going on here, you can always disable the feature from your Windows PC or click on the “Remove laptop” link to remove your Windows device completely.
