HT205009: About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch
Learn about About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch
Q: What do I do if I found an Apple Watch on the beach?
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Oct 19, 2015 6:15 AMby anna_marie0408,You can turn it into the police there or go to apple. The iWatch, if they have set up iMessage to it, will have their apple ID linked to it and apple should be able to let the people know who have lost it that is has been found. Regardless if you had a phone that was compatible you should still turn it in to the right people.
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Oct 19, 2015 3:53 PMby mn90403,I went to Apple. They didn't know what to do with it. I bought a charger to see if I could read any lost messages on it like I do with phones but it will not show me. Apple told me that it can't be opened other than by the one who has it linked. If they don't get it or they have already gotten a new one then this watch is just trash.
There should be a reward given or at least offered by Apple to get it back to the owner but what if the original owner sold it or gave it to someone else? Then Apple has lots of old watches and can't do anything with them. New electronic trash ...
They all have serial numbers and should be owner traceable from that I would think. How can I check the database? Probably can't but there should be a 'matching' app to do it. The owner could get their watch back and pay a reward to the finder.
Most credit card purchase insurance will not cover loss. You have to report an item as stolen. Now someone finds a watch ... how does it get returned if you already got a replacement?
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Oct 20, 2015 7:14 AMby marcocom,I think you make some very interesting points and have highlighted a very large gap in our service.
too many fanboys to dare question apple here, but i worked at apple in cupertino, and i assure you, we did not think of everything.
I would really like to see an app (ios or os x) that does what your suggesting and databases owners. Apple is actually pretty solid about linking iphone owners to their phone. they need to do more about the watch to bring it up to the same robust owner-services
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Oct 26, 2015 4:38 PMby mn90403,Update:
I did as was suggested. I gave the watch to the police and they looked at me and said: 'We can't do much. Apple should have a way to let the owner know the watch has been found."
Exactly. My local police department does not want to be a lost and found. They would rather have the finder have a way to contact the loser. They think that Apple just wants to sell more watches because they don't have time or ability to find an owner. Their database of found items is much more random that Apple's could be.
I suggest this:
Apple maintains a database of lost and found items. The loser can offer a reward to someone like me who looks for lost items on the beach and makes an effort to return them. Many times I don't get a reward but I send the cell phones to the owner at my expense. One owner gave me $60 so that lets me send lots of them back for free.
A finder can check the model and serial number of the found item against the database and get a match. This will allow the return or the potential resetting of the watch if the loser has already replaced the item. If the loser does not release the code then the technology is dead. (What a waste.)
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Oct 26, 2015 7:14 PMby deggie,Your local PD may not want to be a lost and found but they do in fact serve as one and have a number of found items in their property rooms. They also don't want to work traffic accidents, respond to barking dog and loud music calls. Tough. That is their job.
I don't know of any manufacturer that has established a lost and found database. Perhaps Apple could be the first and charge say $29.99 yearly to participate in it. Would you pay it?
