How to turn on Find my device on Windows 11

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, click Privacy & security and then Find my device, and switch it on. It needs a Microsoft account with administrator rights and location services switched on. If the laptop is lost, sign in at account.microsoft.com/devices, choose the device and click Find or Lock.

Find my device stores the last known position of a Windows laptop or tablet in your Microsoft account. It only helps if it was switched on before the device went missing, so it is worth one minute now.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

  1. Check the account

    You must be signed in with a personal Microsoft account, and the account must be an administrator on the PC. Work and school accounts do not work.

  2. Turn on location services

    Open Settings, Privacy & security, Location and switch on Location services.

  3. – ▢ ✕SettingsSystemBluetooth & devicesNetwork & internetPersonalizationAppsAccountsTime & languagePrivacy & securityPrivacy & securityWindows SecurityFind my deviceDevice encryptionLocation

    Turn on Find my device

    Open Settings, Privacy & security, Find my device and switch it on.

  4. If the device is lost: open the devices page

    On any phone or computer, go to account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in with the same Microsoft account. Open the Find My Device tab.

  5. Find it on the map

    Choose the device and click Find. The map shows its last known place. The device must be switched on and online for a current position.

  6. Lock it

    Click Lock and Next. The device is locked and signed out, and you can add a message for the lock screen. Then change the password of your Microsoft account.

Good to know

Whoever is using the device sees a notification when you try to locate it.

Report a stolen device to the police and to your insurer. The serial number is on the same devices page under Info and support. Do not go to fetch a stolen device yourself.

Find my device does not protect the data. Encryption does: how to turn on device encryption on Windows 11.

The same for phones: how to find a lost iPhone and how to find a lost Android phone.

In short: Microsoft account as administrator, Location services on, Settings, Privacy & security, Find my device on. Later: account.microsoft.com/devices, Find or Lock.

Sources
  • Microsoft Support: Find and lock a lost Windows device

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