To find a lost Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, open Samsung Find or SmartThings Find in a browser, or in the Samsung service on another Galaxy device. Sign in with the Samsung account that is added to the missing device, select the device from the list, and check its map location and the controls available for it. What you see depends on how the device was set up before it was lost, so check the requirements first. This guide covers locating the Samsung device itself, not using a phone’s navigation app to find your own position.
What has to be in place before you need it
Samsung’s US guidance on locating a lost Galaxy phone or tablet sets out the conditions. The device should be switched on and connected to a stable network, the Samsung account should be added to it, and remote controls should be enabled. Most of the features described below fail silently without these.
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- A Samsung account on the device. The same account must be used to sign in to Samsung Find or SmartThings Find later.
- Lost device protection enabled. In Samsung’s US guidance, the path is Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection. Check three options: Allow this phone (or tablet) to be found, Send last location, and Offline finding.
- A menu that may differ. Labels can vary by software version, model, and country. If your screen shows different wording, look for the option that most closely matches these names.
Set these up now, while the phone is still in your hand. Turning them on after a loss does not help, because the device has to be reachable for the changes to take effect.
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- On a computer or any browser, go to Samsung Find or SmartThings Find and sign in with the Samsung account registered on the lost phone or tablet. Samsung also says the service can be opened from another Galaxy phone.
- Select the missing phone or tablet from the device list.
- Read the location shown on the map. If the device is off, the map can show only its last known location, so treat it as a starting point rather than a live position.
- Choose one of the available actions. The options and their limits are listed in the table below.
Which Samsung service name you will see
Samsung uses several names for the same family of features, and the naming differs by country. Knowing which one applies helps when you search for instructions.
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- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only
- Samsung Find and SmartThings Find are the names used in Samsung’s current device-finding guidance.
- Find My Mobile is the older name. In the UK, Samsung says Find My Mobile is now part of SmartThings Find.
- Samsung’s Canada guidance, last updated March 26, 2026, applies to Canadian devices and accounts. A Caribbean instruction page, last updated May 8, 2025, covers registered devices in that region. Use the page for your own country where one exists.
Actions you can take and what each one does
| Action | What it does | Limits stated by the source |
|---|---|---|
| Ring | Rings the device for one minute, even if it is set to mute or vibrate. | Samsung US support. Most useful when the phone may be nearby, such as under a cushion or in a car. |
| Track location | Provides location updates every 15 minutes. | Samsung US support. Updates depend on the device being connected, so an offline phone will not update in real time. |
| Lock | Remotely locks the device. | Samsung US support lists remote locking. The guidance does not state what the lock screen displays. |
| Erase | Erases the device’s data. | Protects your data, but it can end further location tracking. Once erased, a Samsung device’s remaining location history is not stated in Samsung’s guidance. |
Erasing is the one action you cannot reverse. If there is a reasonable chance of recovery, lock the device first and keep location tracking active. Use erase only when you have decided the data matters more than any further location updates.
When the phone is powered off or offline
A phone that is off, out of battery, or disconnected from the internet can behave differently. Treat these as two separate situations.
Rank #2
- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only.
Powered off
Samsung’s US guidance says a powered-off phone or tablet provides only its last known location. A live GPS trail is not available while the device is switched off, so do not expect real-time updates from a powered-off device.
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Samsung describes Offline finding as a way for nearby Galaxy devices to help detect a missing phone when it is not connected to the internet. Two conditions must be met: the feature must already be enabled on the lost device, and nearby participating devices must be available to detect it. When those conditions are not met, the feature cannot produce a location, and Samsung does not present it as a guarantee.
Rank #3
- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only.
If you think the phone was stolen
Samsung’s US guidance includes a direct warning: “If you are using SmartThings Find or Samsung Find to locate a stolen phone or tablet, do not go directly to the location on the map.” Report the theft to the police or local authorities, and give them the map location and time. Let them decide how to recover the device.
Remote locking can limit misuse while you wait. Erasing is a separate decision, and it should be made with the trade-off in mind: once the device is erased, you lose the ability to track it through the same service.
Rank #4
- REDESIGNED TO DO MORE: The redesigned Galaxy SmartTag2 is made so you can keep calm and keep track; Its design makes it easy for you to tag and carry your belongings
- EASY TO USE: It's IP67-rated water- and dust-resistant, activates your compatible IoT devices and stays powered for up to 500 days or even up to 40% more on Non-Power Saving Mode
- RELAX, YOU'VE GOT IT TAGGED: Simply register a new Galaxy SmartTag2 and get started right away with SmartThings Find; With its intuitive tracking experience, you now have a way to keep track of things you love right in the palm of your hand
- SEARCH NEAR WHEN IT'S NOT FAR: Lose something. Switch on Search Nearby and get guided instructions to your item's location via Compass View; If you still don't see it, just ring your Galaxy SmartTag2 to have it send out an audible signal
- Type of battery needed: replaceable CR2032 1 ea Lithium battery (not included)
Android phones and Google Find Hub
If the lost phone is an Android device registered to a Google Account rather than a Samsung account, use Google’s Find Hub service instead. The two services are separate. A Samsung account will not show a device registered to a Google Account, and the reverse is also true. Check which account the phone is signed in to before you choose a service.
| Feature | Samsung Find / SmartThings Find | Google Find Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Account required | Samsung account added to the device | Google Account added to the device; Google says Find Hub is turned on automatically when an account is added |
| Sound | Ring for one minute, even if set to mute or vibrate | Play sound at full volume for five minutes, even if silent or vibrate |
| Lock | Remote locking | Mark as lost locks the phone and can display contact details |
| Erase | Erase; can end further location tracking | Factory reset erases data; the device is no longer available in Find Hub afterward |
| Last known location | Shown when the phone is powered off | Shown when the current location cannot be found, if available |
Google’s own guidance says that if a device’s current location can’t be found, “you may still find its last known location, if available.” Find Hub depends on power, connectivity, account sign-in, Find Hub being turned on, and the device’s visibility on Google Play. If any of these is missing, the location features may not work.
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- REDESIGNED TO DO MORE: The redesigned Galaxy SmartTag2 is made so you can keep calm and keep track¹; Its design makes it easy for you to tag and carry your belongings
- EASY TO USE: It's IP67-rated water- and dust-resistant², activates your compatible IoT devices³ and stays powered for up to 500 days⁴ or even up to 40% more on Power Saving Mode⁵
- RELAX, YOU'VE GOT IT TAGGED: Simply register a new Galaxy SmartTag2 and get started right away with SmartThings Find; With its intuitive tracking experience, you now have a way to keep track of things you love right in the palm of your hand¹
- SEARCH NEAR WHEN IT'S NOT FAR: Lose something? Switch on Search Nearby⁶ and get instructions to your item's location via Compass View⁷; If you still don't see it, just ring your Galaxy SmartTag2 to have it send out an audible signal
- TAGGED & TRENDY: Cover your Galaxy SmartTag2 with a colorful Silicone Case for protection and a smooth touch – or a Rugged Case with a non-slip pattern on the side and additional bumper on the bottom⁸; Both have a carabiner ring attachment
Prevent the next loss with a tag
SmartThings Find can also locate personal belongings that have a SmartTag attached, which makes a tag useful for keys, bags, or wallets that are easy to misplace. The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 is an optional accessory for this purpose. It is not required to locate a Galaxy phone, and it does not replace the steps above for a lost phone or tablet.
The steps in this guide depend on settings you should prepare in advance. Turn on lost device protection and the three options listed earlier now, then confirm that the Samsung account is signed in on the phone. That single check is what determines whether a search is possible when you need it.
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