My Apple Watch Series 5 has been lost for a couple of days, it’s definitely dead and hasn’t been powered on since the “Lost Mode” is still pending. However it seems to be updating locations, I have looked high and low over and over but I still can not find it, the locations it’s updating is where I have been. Is it possible that the Watch App is doing this updating and not my Apple Watch?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
As super stressful as this is, I just wanted to share my experience, in hopes that it may help someone else. When accessing "Find My" app from my iPhone, similar to most of you, I was very confused as to why my "dead" Apple Watch seemed to always be in the same location as my iPhone; yet, it was nowhere to be found. Concerned that this iOS's feature/app could somehow be sending me incorrect information, I decided to compare, both:
Surprisingly, the data from my Mac, DID NOT correspond to the information that was obtained from my iOS Device. Upon immediate accessing the iCloud.com's "Find My" feature via my Mac, I was able to see the "LAST KNOWN LOCATION" before my Apple Watch went dead/offline. Something I was unable to do with my iOS device and after reading the previous responses I now understand why.
In conclusion, what I learned from this entire fiasco is that, once an iPhone is disabled or id dead:
1."Find My" app installed on the watch's paired device, (i.e. iPhone) will be of NO USE.
2.Determining the last known location, prior to the device being disabled, may be achieved by accessing the iCloud.com's "Find My" feature; using a device that is NOT PAIRED with the Apple Watch. At least, this was my saving grace.
3.The "PING or Playing Sound" feature located in "Find My" DID NOT work, while trying to locate my disabled apple watch. However, once the watch was REBOOTED, the feature DID work.
As mentioned previously, this is a horrible design flaw, one that I hope is fixed with the newest update. Being that we have come to expect so much more from apple, it's highly frustrating when mishaps like this occurs. Hope you guys can find this info somewhat helpful.
If your is actually updating it has to be charged. If your phone is asking if you want to update your watch it is simply following what it is programmed to do. Which is ‘ update your watch’.
As others have stated your phone remembers where your watch was when the battery went dead. It doesn’t know it was in your car only the last location your watch was identified. So if your watch appears to be moving someone else has your watch.
I am not sure how far ( the distance) from your phone while charged your watch can be and still connect to your phone but it seems it would need to be close by. Also the watch in not able to change itself . That said if your watch is actually updating through your phone check your roommates or siblings room for your watch.
I tore my car apart multiple times… it was in my laundry basket.
Hello msilvest1216,
We'll be glad to help with your questions about your lost Apple Watch.
Here's a great article to help with locating your Apple Watch: If your Apple Watch is lost or stolen
The Watch app is not what gets updated with regards to the location, but the actual device itself.
Take care!
Yup. I can certainly confirm this is the worst feature ive seen on Apple's part.
Find My is supposed to guide you to your lost items, what possible good is it if your lost apple watch just follows your phone!! It must be a terrible bug and must be remedied. This feature is more than pointless its asinine!!!!!
I’ve already done the steps on the article you mentioned, my question is, since my watch is dead (no battery) how can it still keep updating? I know it’s not turned off because “lost mode” is still pending. My watch is also coincidentally in the locations that I have been and I know for a fact that it is not actually there with me.
Uggghhhhh I’ve literally been doing the same thing. Was considering accusing the weird kid that lives below me of stealing my watch from my apt. That’s how bad my paranoia had gotten. Thanks for sharing this.
I’ve done the same steps and I am a experiencing the same thing. I recently returned from a vacation and flew over 2000 miles. Find my app on my phone shows the watch located at the hotel I staid at 🤦 this a bug needs fixing? iCloud.com/findmy has no location shown for the watch.
So it updates where your phone is until it is charged? Why does it not show the last known location like other devices. My watch is LTE enabled and has its own phone number assigned to it. You would think that at least would allow it to show its location or last known. Apple needs to fix this. It doesn’t make sense to keep updating it because it was paired. The watch should send its last known location before running out of power and leave it at that. 🤦
Wow. I'm speechless. This completely circumvents any utility FindMy may have. Why on earth wouldn't it just stick with the last know location?? If it did I might have a prayer of finding my **** watch. 😡
You can put it in lost mode which will essentially lock it and when it’s powered on you will get notified on your phone. That’s what I suggest doing, I believe you may be able to erase it too but you’ll have to wait until the device is powered on for it to do it
As I stated here a couple days ago, I lost my watch. I knew it was dead when I lost it, but for some reason I thought that Apple somehow had it that even though the battery was dead the “find my watch app” would still locate it because it was saying it was at my work. I knew that it couldn’t be, but still I tore my workplace apart and was asking everybody thinking maybe one of my students took it and I am mistaken. That same day I was running errands and when I got home I pinged the app again… now it’s telling me that I lost my watch where I was running my errands . I knew this could not be true and a few hours later I find my watch under my bed! Like everyone else here I’m very upset that Apple has such a crummy app for such an important reason. I also wish there was a way they could make the app notify the lost item when the battery dies. I expect better Apple.
This is not an accurate statement that the findmy tells you your watches last location before it dies. Mine was showing my work location. Then it was showing where I ran errands when the truth is it was under my bed. They need to improve the app is what everyone is saying.
aurelie1101 wrote:
But no, once the battery is dead, no sound will come out. A company like Apple who always claim to meet and exceed our needs...didn't think about that??!
And just how to you expect a dead device to be able to connect to a network to receive the signal that it should make a sound?
UGH!!! I’ve been going crazy looking all over my car thinking it’s in there. That it had to be in there because it’s location is updating. Which means it might not be in my house at all! 😭😭😭
I’ve been doing the same thing. Thinking my watch was in my car but it clearly is not. Did you ever find your watch??
Lost/stolen Apple Watch dead but still showing location
