Lost Apple Watch - Found Using Find My App *Found*

Lmrnoodles on 02/10/2023 - 20:58
Last edited 04/10/2023 - 19:54

04/10/23 Good news, we did a letterbox drop and it was at the house next door to where it last emitted the location, thanks to everyone who provided constructive help - except @tomthumb who can suck a fat one.

Hi there, hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend.

Short story my wife misplaced/dropped her Apple Watch at a local shopping centre. She realised the next morning and used the Find My app on her phone. The Apple Watch has identified the last location being inside of a house about 10km South of the shopping centre but is now switched off. The location point is showing the middle of house and came up with the address.

I knocked on the door and politely introduced myself and said this may seem very strange but my wife’s Apple Watch is lost and last location is this address.

The lady suggested straight away maybe one of the neighbours and said she had not been at the shopping centre. I could not send the sound to the device as it had been switched off.

I have activated lost watch mode, put my mobile for a num question asked return even a $200 reward on the off chance it is switched on again.

Has anyone been faced with this situation. I don’t know whether she was being honest or not. But it’s just strange that a lost watch connected to the wifi within the vicinity and was switched off.

It’s not real use to anyone as it will lock. I don’t know whether to go leave a letter in their letterbox with the screenshots of the watch in the location and ask them to return to a anonymous location.

I’d last be curious as to how the watches last location before being switched off/going flat is their address.

General Discussion Apple Smartwatch

Comments

    • mrnoodles on 02/10/2023 - 21:30
      +1

      Why would make that up? She had it on in the car, took it off to apply location and she thinks she either had it in her lap or in her small bag as she didn’t put it back on. Would you like to see the find my device tomthumb or the emails from Apple who have disabled Apple Pay etc? Can also send you the last location where it is switched off?

  • titewod on 02/10/2023 - 21:24
    +2

    How much charge did the watch have when it was lost? Should it still be alive? If it should, someone has probably deliberately turned it off to stop it from phoning home. Did the lady at the house seem trustworthy? Maybe she has a child who found it?

    I'd definitely ask at the surrounding houses, as Apple's FindMy will bounce off any iPhone in Bluetooth Low Energy range. The maximum accuracy you'll get from FindMy is down to about 40m

    You're also much more likely to have luck if the watch is cellular, as it would then be able to communicate properly if it gets powered back on

    • mrnoodles on 02/10/2023 - 21:33

      Unfortunately it’s just a GPS watch. It was fully charged when we went out. Upon checking and where it appeared off it would have been approx 28 hours.

      • titewod on 02/10/2023 - 21:37

        It's hard to tell if it should still be alive after 28 hours, my series 3 would probably still be alive (just) after 48 hours. I guess that the lady (or someone nearby) has it.

        Best of luck mate.

  • AustriaBargain on 02/10/2023 - 21:29
    +3

    You can lock activation at least, effectively bricking it when it goes online again and the thief tries to set it up. Or the person the thief sells it to more likely.

    If it's the woman's son or whatever who found it then you can bet she won't turn him in.

    • mrnoodles on 02/10/2023 - 21:34
      +1

      We have activation lock on. Even have set a message for a $200 reward.

      • AustriaBargain on 02/10/2023 - 22:57

        You could do a letter drop box to that house and the houses around it saying "I lost my watch in this area recently, it's activation locked so useless to anyone else, $200 reward". So instead of accusing anyone of theft, make it say that you lost the watch in that area. Though you told the woman you tracked the watch to her house, again if her or her son found it and she already denied having it, I bet that watch is at the bottom of the ocean by now. Then again maybe the location was slightly off and it really was never on her property.

        • mrnoodles on 02/10/2023 - 23:06

          Good idea. However the watch was already switched off before prior to me going to the house. I might put a note in the letterbox of hers and neighbours but given it is already switched off i cant imagine it being turned back on in a hurry. The fact it was taken away from the location and then turned off makes me question their intentions. A money reward might be tempting… this will come as a msg if turned on. But if it was on the off chance at the house I went to I can’t imagine the watch is still alive.

          • AustriaBargain on 02/10/2023 - 23:20

            @mrnoodles: If they don't have an Apple Watch charger then if battery ran flat they probably can't turn it on even if they tried.

  • 87percent on 03/10/2023 - 02:03
    +1

    Sort of related question.. but I’m overseas, and I didn’t bring my Apple Watch. I am 100% certain it’s at home, sitting on my bathroom counter (I have a friend staying at the just who has confirmed it) but it’s showing in Find My as being last location 3 days ago as being 45mins from me (I’m in the US, and have been here for over a week)

    Anyone know why that would be??

  • Sleeqb7 on 03/10/2023 - 12:33

    I've read threads on this type of thing before;
    Police won't attend the address for 2 main reasons.
    Firstly, 'Find my' isn't accurate enough. Could be that house, could be the neighbour.
    Secondly, if they knock on the door and the person says "I don't have it", they don't have grounds to search their place. (See 'firstly').

    Chances are they will put it on Facebook Marketplace claim they 'lost the charger' and sell it for cheap to move it quick.

    As such, you're probably shit out of luck. Maybe there will be a new buyer buyer will charge it and see the message, maybe not.
    Just sit on your hands and hope for the best.

  • Bargainitis on 03/10/2023 - 15:52

    left field thought.

    Did you buy it via credit card? could you claim insurance for lost item?

    • mrnoodles on 03/10/2023 - 20:41

      I done a brief search on St George’s site. I can’t see any coverage for lost items? But there is purchase protection (4 months). I might send them a message none the less.

      • Bargainitis on 04/10/2023 - 10:29

        most CC has a coverage for theft and lost purchases. You will need to make a police report in either case. Worth a shot.

  • robbyjones on 03/10/2023 - 16:00

    Not a watch but an Apple product nonetheless. I had an AirTag in my luggage that was taking forever to come out on the carousel at the airport. On findmy on my phone it gave an address and a location at the address that the tag was at (about 3km) from the airport. I was still waiting on one more piece of luggage that was showing as within the airport; they both came out together on the carousel. FindMy is not accurate at all.

    • mrnoodles on 03/10/2023 - 20:42
      +1

      Interesting. Since the incident I have fiddled around with the Find My App leaving an item at home searching etc. left my watch at work and the locations were scarily accurate.

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