How To Track A Stolen Laptop? - Gadget Salvation Blog

Victim of theft? Here you will discover how to track a stolen laptop in a few easy steps for Microsoft and Apple.

Our laptop is the second device, after your phone, to store the most information about you, such as workpapers, photos, and more. But, having your laptop stolen can cause you a lot of distress due to your personal data might be in the hands of a stranger.

Hence, electronic manufacturers are aware that people can be victims of theft and have integrated simple solutions on their systems to give clues to localize your laptop. Both Apple and Microsoft have implemented features in their operating systems. However, this is no guarantee if you have not enabled this feature.

Here is a quick guide to tracking a stolen laptop. Starting from Microsoft, then Apple laptops, and finally other options to track your lost device.

Finding a Windows Laptop

In 2015, Microsoft introduced a feature called “ Find My Device” to track down the approximate location of your lost laptop, desktop, or tablet. This option is turned off by default, and you have to enable the feature before your device disappears. Therefore, it makes it easy to aid in its recovery. You can check the tips on how to track a lost Windows 10 PC in the article.

The November update has a new feature in which your laptop can send you its location every few hours to your Microsoft account. However, this feature works only when you log in to your Microsoft account, and the toggle is on. The following list is for Windows 10 with the November update: Settings > Update & Security > Find my Device. Click on “Change” and toggle the switch to save the location of your device periodically.

Settings > Update & Security > Find my Device. Click on “Change” and toggle the switch to save the location of your device periodically.
Then log in to your https://account.microsoft.com/devices and choose the device.
Then click “Find my Device” to see the latest location on a map. This only works on devices with a Wifi adapter.

Steps to Find your Mac

In 2019, Apple launched “Find My,” which is an app that combines “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Friends” in one single app for iOS 13, macOS Catalina, and iPadOS. The advantage is that it allows users to find lost Apple devices without Wi-Fi or LTE connection by sending encrypted signals via Bluetooth. In case you don’t have iOS 13, macOS Catalonia, you can always track your Mac by logging into iCloud, or if you have set up “Find my iPhone” or “Find my Friends”.

In the same way, to set up “Find my Mac”, you have to first turn on this feature, as this is not set on by default, to prevent any stressful situations. This action has to be done way before it can be stolen. If you haven’t activated the option, the chances of finding your laptop are pretty low.

Check how to turn it on:

Open the iCloud panel.
Log in with your Apple ID and password.
Scroll down to see if the checkbox “Find my Mac” is selected.
If it is not. Click on the checkbox and on “Allow” to turn it on

If you have done this before, this is great news. If you are a victim of a thief, you will want to know how to track a stolen laptop on any other device. There are two ways to localize your Mac. You can use a PC, Mac, or any iPhone to have access to it.

This is how to do it:

Go to iCloud.com.
Log in with your Apple ID and password on PC or Mac.
Click on “Find iPhone” app ( it will search for your Mac).
A map will give you clues where your Mac is.
Click on “All devices” to see if it is online or not, and to see if you want to play sound, Lost, or Erase.

The play sound only will work if the device is in the same place as you, but you can’t find it. “Lock remotely” option, set a 4-digit passcode, and it won’t reboot without the good password. Therefore, if your laptop was stolen, you might want to click on the “erase” option to prevent someone else from having your private data. But you will need a backup to recover the data.

Other Options

There are other ways to track a stolen laptop. For example, Gmail or Dropbox can help you track the IP address. This is very helpful information to hand in to the authorities to open an investigation.

In Gmail:

Log in to your Gmail account (web version).
Scroll down to the bottom of the messages and click on “Details”.
A window will appear with all the devices that have recently accessed your account.
Click “Show details” on the suspect device and note the IP address.

In Dropbox:

Go to Settings > Security. Then, scroll down to the web browsers and click “Most recent activity”.

In Conclusion

Losing a laptop to theft is a distressing event, primarily because it compromises access to sensitive personal and professional data. As this guide illustrates, both Microsoft and Apple have anticipated these risks by integrating essential tracking features—“Find My Device” for Windows and “Find My Mac” (part of “Find My”) for Apple.

The crucial takeaway is the need for proactive preparation. These native tracking features, along with options like remote data erasure, are only effective if they are enabled before your device goes missing. If activated, they offer a solid chance of locating your device’s last known position or, at the very least, allow you to secure your data remotely.

Furthermore, leveraging services like Gmail or Dropbox to track the device’s IP address offers an additional layer of information that can be vital for law enforcement in their investigation.

In summary, protecting your digital life hinges on enabling your device’s built-in security features now. Don’t wait until you become a victim; take the few easy steps to turn on tracking today to maximize your chances of recovery and data protection tomorrow.