4 Proven Methods to Track Apple Watch Location
Losing an Apple Watch can be devastating. They are expensive and you wouldn’t want to buy a new one when you already invested in one. Apple Watch location tracking comes in handy in such situations. You can track the Apple Watch location and find your valuable gadget before someone else picks it up.
Furthermore, location tracking Apple Watch can help you locate your kids and family when you’re not around. Though you typically need permission from both parties for spying, some parents mention it becomes essential when you have rebellious kids who don’t share their whereabouts with you.
This article tells you how Apple Watch location tracker works and different ways to track the Apple Watch’s location remotely.
Part 1. How Does Apple Watch Location Tracking Work
The Apple Watch is one of the most popular gadgets by Apple because of its technology and advanced features. It essentially works as a phone that’s always on your wrist. Thus, like an iPhone, the Apple Watch also has location tracking for emergencies.
Apple Watch GPS location tracking is a critical feature essential for locating a lost watch or staying updated on your loved ones’ whereabouts. The GPS system exchanges signals with satellites globally, and offers accurate location sharing with other devices.
At the same time, the ‘Find My’ app on Apple devices is another helpful feature that updates you on your device’s location. You can use the feature anywhere in the world to find or track an Apple Watch just like iPhones.
Furthermore, Wi-Fi networks have a pivotal role in providing accurate location on the Apple Watch. Especially when your Apple Watch is out of range of the paired phone, but connected to Wi-Fi. Moreover, Wi-Fi connectivity enables it to send signals to Apple’s servers, making it easy to locate.
While Apple Watch GPS location tracking offers the most accurate location, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular Data, and ‘Find My’ app are also helpful in finding the device’s whereabouts.
Part 2. 4 Proven Methods to Track an Apple Watch Location [From Easy to Difficult]
Tracking an Apple Watch might seem challenging but Apple’s top-notch technology makes it possible. You can determine your Apple Watch’s location via Apple Maps, iCloud, Find My app, and others. The best part is that you can also use a phone tracker like Msafely to find out where your Apple Watch is.
This section details how to track location of Apple Watch effortlessly; we’ve shared the easiest way first and the most complicated one last.
Method 1. Tracking Apple Watch via a phone tracker
A phone tracker, typically a parental control or spy app, is the best way to track your Apple Watch or find out your kids’ whereabouts using their Apple Watch location. Msafely is among the top choices to help you determine the location of the Apple Watch you want to track.
Msafely is a parental control app that offers phone tracking among many other services. All you need to do is sign up to create your Msafely account and connect the target phone to your account. Once you attach the target device, you get access to their location and phone activity remotely.
How to track Apple Watch locations with a phone tracking app
Step 1. On Msafely's homepage, click on "Sign up Free" to register for a free account.
Step 2. Next, select the "iPhone" option.
Step 3. Choose your price plan and select a payment method.
Step 4. Now, enter the Apple ID and password of the device you want to track.
Step 5. Add the verification code received on the device you want to monitor and wait for the app to complete syncing.
Step 6. Now visit the Msafely dashboard on your device and track the Apple Watch.
Msafely offers more amazing monitoring features
With Msafely, you can not only track your own location and that of your loved ones on their Apple Watch but also monitor various app activities on the watch, such as incoming and outgoing messages, social media interactions, including chats, likes, comments, and shared photos and videos.
Whether it's your child or partner, Msafely helps you remotely monitor all their activities on the Apple Watch, ensuring you're always aware of their whereabouts and keeping them safe. Here are some common apps and features you can easily track through Msafely.
Method 2. Tracking Apple Watch via Find My App
If you’ve ever lost an iPhone, you’d know what a lifesaver ‘Find My’ app is; Apple has introduced this feature in the Apple Watch too. So, you can use this simple built-in feature to find a lost Apple Watch or track your kids’ location.
How to track Apple Watch locations with Find My app
Step 1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Go to the ‘Devices’ tab and select the Apple Watch you want to track.
Step 3. Once you select the device, you’ll see the Apple Watch’s location.
Step 4. Tapping ‘Play Sound’ will make the Apple Watch ring (helpful when you’re finding a lost Apple Watch)
Method 3. Tracking Apple Watch via Family Sharing feature
Though you first need to set up the Family Sharing feature to track the Apple Watch, it is ideal when you want to track a kid’s location when they don’t have an iPhone. Family Sharing allows you to find out your child’s accurate location on Apple Maps.
How to track Apple Watch location with the Family Sharing feature
Step 1. Search for ‘Family Sharing’ in the Settings app.
Step 2. Set up Family Sharing by following the instructions on the screen.
Step 3. Select ‘Location Sharing’ in ‘Family Sharing.’
Step 4. Once everyone agrees to location sharing, you can see their location with ‘Find My’ app.
Method 4. Tracking Apple Watch via iCloud
Using iCloud can be complicated because you need the target device’s Apple ID and credentials to use their iCloud account for Apple Watch location tracking.
How to track Apple Watch location via iCloud
Step 1. Visit the iCloud website and sign in using your (or target device’s) Apple ID and password.
Step 2. Click ‘Find iPhone.’
Step 3. Select the Apple Watch from the list of devices. It’ll show you the Apple Watch’s location and give you the option to ‘Play Sound’ to locate the watch.
Part 3. Troubleshooting Apple Watch Location Tracking Issues
Now that you know how to track location of Apple Watch, it’s important to know that there could be some issues as well. For example, delayed notifications, sharing location, and finding a dead phone may need some extra effort. We’ve explained some of the common problems when tracking Apple Watch location and ways to troubleshoot them.
#1. How to share your location on Apple Watch
Sharing location on an iPhone is quite simple, but it’s not the same with Apple Watch. Thus, you might find it hard. Let’s tell you how you can share your location on Apple Watch.
How to share your location on Apple Watch:
Step 1. Open ‘Find People’ on your Apple Watch.
Step 2. Click ‘Share My Location’.
Step 3. Select one of the icons (microphone to say a contact’s name, contacts icon to select a number from contacts, or the keypad icon to enter a phone number manually).
Step 4. Once done, select the duration of location sharing (1 hour/ until the end of the day/ indefinitely)
Step 5. Now, you’ll see the contact in ‘Find People.’ You can check how long they have had access to your location, request their location, set up notifications for the contact, or stop location sharing.
#2. Can you find a dead Apple Watch
Sadly, you cannot find a dead Apple Watch as location tracking Apple Watch is not possible. You’ll only see the last location on ‘Find My’ app for a short period. However, even if there’s a slightest chance that your Apple Watch is not dead, you can locate it.
Here’s how to track Apple Watch location:
Step 1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Go to ‘Devices’ tab and select the Apple Watch you want to track.
Step 3. Once you select the device, you’ll see the Apple Watch’s location.
#3. How to fix the "Apple Watch Offline" issue
To see an Apple Watch’s location, the watch must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or cellular data. But, what if the Apple Watch is offline? Check the options to fix the offline issue in Apple Watch.
Steps to fix the Apple Watch Offline issue:
If you’re tracking an Apple Watch’s location remotely, you can try the following to fix the offline issue:
Restart your iPhone by pressing the side button and volume button; drag the slider to turn off the phone. Press and hold it again to restart.
Step 1. Reset the iPhone by looking for ‘Reset’ in ’General’ under ‘Settings’ and selecting ‘Reset Network Settings.’
Step 2. Check for software updates by finding ‘Software Update’ under ‘General’ in Settings app.
#4. How to resolve inaccurate location data
You can resolve inaccurate location data by finding out the root cause and troubleshooting it. It is likely that the Apple Watch does not have stable internet access, which is why it’s showing inaccurate data. At the same time, internet issues at your end might also delay data sharing leading to Apple Watch’s inaccurate location sharing.
Here’s how you can fix inaccurate location data by reconnecting your phone’s Wi-Fi:
Step 1. Open the phone using Face ID or passcode.
Step 2. Swipe up to access the control panel.
Step 3. Tap the Wi-Fi or Cellular Data icon.
Step 4. After ten seconds, tap it again to turn on Wi-Fi or Cellular Data; the blue/ green color indicates that it’s turned on.
#5. How to deal with delayed or missing notifications
Similar to the Apple Watch online issue, delayed or missing notifications may also be due to an unstable internet connection. Restarting, resetting, or updating your phone’s software can help with these issues.
Follow these steps to fix delayed notifications from Apple Watch:
Step 1. Restart your iPhone by pressing the side button and volume button; drag the slider to turn off the phone. Press and hold it again to restart.
Step 2. Reset the iPhone by looking for ‘Reset’ in ’General’ under ‘Settings’ and select ‘Reset Network Settings.’
Step 3. Check for software updates by finding ‘Software Update’ under ‘General’ in Settings app.
#6. What to do if your Apple Watch is lost or stolen
If you’ve lost your phone or if it has been stolen, you must immediately turn on Lost Mode to protect your data from ending in the wrong hands.
Step 1. Follow these steps to turn on Lost Mode on a lost or stolen phone:
Step 2. Go to the ‘Find My’ on your phone and look for ‘Apple Watch’ in ‘Devices.’
Step 3. Select ‘Mark as Lost’ and activate it.
Step 4. Enter the required details.
Step 5. Tap ‘Activate.’
Also, you can wipe the Apple Watch to prevent anyone from accessing your data.
Step 1. Go to the ‘Find My’ app.
Step 2. Look for Apple Watch in ‘Devices.’
Step 3. Select ‘Erase This Device.’
Part 4. Conclusion
Now that you know that the answer to “Can you track Apple Watch location” is yes, you can, we hope this article helped you understand different ways to track Apple Watch location. You can use the ‘Find My’ app to see where your Apple Watch is, or use iCloud or Family Sharing to determine its location. At the same time, phone tracking apps like Msafely are also useful in tracking your kids’ Apple Watch location or finding a lost one. However, it’s important to know that you can only track an Apple Watch when it has an active internet connection.
Part 5. FAQs about Apple Watch Location Tracking
Q1. Can Apple Watch location be tracked?
Yes, you can track Apple Watch’s location if you have turned on ‘Find My.’ It enables you to find the location of the watch by signal exchange between the phone and Apple’s servers.
Q2. Can you check someone’s location on Apple Watch?
You can check someone’s Apple Watch location with a spy app by adding their Apple ID and password to connect the phone to your account. Besides location, apps like Msafely also offer other features like social media tracking, phone call and text message monitoring, etc.
Q3. Do Apple Watches have GPS tracking?
The Apple Watch has a built-in GPS that enables Apple to track the location of the phone. However, the phone must not be powered off, or you might not be able to locate it.
Q4. Can I track my child with an Apple Watch?
Sometimes parents don’t give an iPhone to their kids but want to keep an eye on them. You can track your child with an Apple Watch by sharing their location through Apple’s Family Sharing feature. Moreover, parental control apps like Msafely and SpyX can be helpful.