Find My iPhone button on my Apple Watch is gone

printemps98 wrote:

This works and thank you for the warning about the feature to call emergency services. I liked the old swipe up method better, have a feeling this is yet another way I’ll end up calling EMS by accident because I don’t have the fine motor skills to vary my intensity of mechanical button pressing. Anyone know if there is an accessibility alternative to the new method?

Strongly suggest adjusting

Settings -> Accessibility -> Side Button Click Speed

Slow works very well for me. Slowest works well for my Wife. And changing the setting has made using Apple Pay double press and release always work.

The latest update of December 2023 (version 10.2) returns to watch wearers the choice to swipe to change clock faces (which I prefer) or continue with the previous update (of October 2023) to press & hold the current face until the edit mode pops up, then swipe to change clock faces. I found that cumbersome and it didn't always work, so I've changed it back to the good ol' swipe and change mode.

Apple responded very quickly to watch wearers' complaints about this and provided the perfect fix.

With the 'find my phone' feature, however, I prefer the October update (and it hasn't reverted to the former method with the December update) where you quickly press the side button button and the find-my-phone icon comes up along with a host of other handy and often used settings. I like that better because, for one thing, that window stays open until you press (either side button or crown) to release it. With the former 'swipe up' method, you had to keep swiping up until you finally found your phone. I never found my phone on the first 'ding.'

I just learned that a double press on the side button brings up the wallet. Very cool. Three quick presses and you bring up the emergency setting (which I hope to never have to use).

I don't see why anyone would find this new method of getting to these seetings a problem. It works quickly and well.

pcniles wrote:

I don't see why anyone would find this new method of getting to these settings a problem. It works quickly and well.

Lots of people don't deal well with change. It can make modern life very uncomfortable for them.

Change is a fact of life. It is constantly happening. Day to day, even moment to moment.

Change occurred during 'olden times' too, not just these modern times, perhaps more so then than now in ways greater than now. Good thing Homo Sapiens are adaptable to change or else we'd still be swinging from tree to tree, or living bare-naked on the Savannah.

This watch thing is such a minor change, too. I didn't like it at first, either... but it didn't take long for me to appreciate why Apple made the change. Bright people.

I don't think Apple hid anything, I think we just didn't look. The information was given. Thank goodness we have this forum with proactive contributors like Bob Harris who reads the update advisories and then shares the information here, diagrams and all, with us.

I didn't like the side-button push to access "Find my Phone" at first. Now I prefer it. My watch/phone work perfectly with it, it's as fast as the former method plus it stays on until I click it off. Unlike before where after you swiped up -- it would disappear after a second or two.

Maybe that's not the case for others. Maybe Apple will provide another option for those who do not like this change, as it did with the watch's clock faces -- returning the option to swipe to change them rather than the updated pressing/hold to edit, etc. , method.

I decided to give my feedback.

It was positive. No complaints.

I thanked Apple, in fact.

Updates are good. I know people who are afraid of updates and eventually wind up with a non-functioning device. I always update, but not always immediately. It depends.

I just bought a new phone, too and finally updated my husband's older phone to IOS 17+.

Everything is operating beautifully.

Thanks for your info and help.

doctorcorey wrote:

The ping phone function is NOT visible for set up from the links posted…

If the iPhone ping icon is not in the list of Control Center services, then scroll to the end and tap on “Edit”, where you will be able to add it back to the list of Control Center services.

I would try shutting the watch down and then turning it back on. Rebooting it, in other words.

Be sure to just quickly press the side button once. It should show up.

I have two watches, Series 4 and Series 7, and it appears on both.

If that doesn't work... hmmm, I don't know. It should work. You might try resetting it.

I totally agree. Eliminating the swipe up is frustrating. I will go with a much better non-apple watch with many more features next. The ONLY reason for the Apple version is its ease of use. Horrible tech and less options than a much cheaper watch.

Use this iPhone feature daily. At 77, I can't remember all the time where I 'parked' my phone and saves me steps wondering around the house to find it! I always use to check if cell in my purse when leaving the house...just one of the most handy features ever developed and the two-step process for old hands isn't that easy to do!!! Please return this helpful feature to a swipe-only feature. Thanks!

I’m in my 70s, too. I was upset with the update at first but as soon as I saw (here) how one can access the Find My Phone icon and all those other settings, I’m good with it. I honestly don’t understand why everyone is having such a hard time simply pressing that side button, versus swiping up on the screen. Six and one half dozen to me in ease. Plus once you press that side button, the screen and icon stay on longer than before when you had to keep swiping up until you found your phone.

If this had been the setting all along, I doubt you’d think twice about it.

I NEED my Watch to find my phone. Can't see well, I'm single and the Cat is not much help in finding a black screen face down on a dark surface.

I got the watch 'cuz the Cat cannot call for help either.

I did not need or want spiffed up graphics on the heart rate BPM check.

ACTUALLY, I am still grumbling because I have had to spend so much time returning BOTH my phone and watch to my preffered functions and displays.

Is this a puzzle or what am I doing or not doing. When I look up a contact, select a number, complete a call ... why / does the contact record I last used remain fully displayed on my phone? I select contacts to locate one! Not to remember who I called previously... sometimes it some a contact that I do NOT want to see.

Do I have to tolerate the continuous suggestion text how how he has been doing that is not even remotely useful! Sorll check sure! bu do i have to see these annoying sugg not sunglasses ! Yuck.

may be I will quit apple someday!!!

oh Okay Thank you. Also that is a bit more dicey than before! I accidentally called for help recently. NOW I know why. Apparently it happens a lot, I was told it does. I liked the iPhone icon smack dab in the middle at the top easy peasy. Whats wrong with easy and useful?

“Hey Siri, find my iPhone”

That should put the cat out of a job 🙀

If you are accidentally calling Emergency services, try this:

Getting the press and release timing just right can be an issue. You can make it more reliable by changing:

Settings -> Accessibility -> Side Button Click Speed

“Side Button Click Speed” can adjust the press and release timing, so you get the Control Center display every time. Adjusting The “Side Button Click Speed” is also useful for Apple Pay’s double press and release. There is “Default” (sub second timing of needed), “Slow” (up to a second between press and release), and “Slowest” (up to 2 seconds between press and release). I like the “Slow” setting.

NOTE: Slow and Slowest settings do not mean you have to wait a full second or 2 seconds between press and release. It just means you do not need to be super fast.

tsacco4 wrote:

I have briefly pressed the flat oval button to bring up the "find my Iphone" feature yet no icon pops up on the screen as before. please advise as the information above in this thread isn't working

“Hey Siri, find my iPhone”

Are you using watchOS 10.2 ?

Settings -> General -> About

If on watchOS 9 or older, then it was a swipe-up on the screen.