Use Samsung Find Mobile to locate your tablet in real time

Samsung Find Mobile is the built-in tracking service that works on most Samsung tablets. If you set it up before your tablet went missing, you can sign into the service from any web browser, see your tablet's location on a map, make it ring at full volume, lock it remotely, or erase it to protect your data.

Go to findmobile.samsung.com and sign in with the Samsung account you use on your tablet. The map will show your tablet's current location if it has power and an active internet connection. The location updates every few minutes, so you can watch whether it's moving or staying in one place.

If your tablet is nearby but you can't see it—under a couch cushion, in a bag, or in another room—use the Ring button to make it play a loud alarm for two minutes. This works even if the tablet is on silent mode.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Find Mobile shows your tablet's location on a map if it has power and internet, and you can make it ring from the website.
  • You must have set up a Samsung account on your tablet before it went missing for Find Mobile to work.
  • Google Find My Mobile works as a backup if your tablet runs Android and you signed into a Google account.
  • If your tablet is off or has no internet, location services cannot pinpoint it, but you can still lock or erase it to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Contact your local police department and your tablet's carrier (if it has cellular service) to report a stolen device.

Set up Samsung Find Mobile before you need it

Samsung Find Mobile only works if you have already created a Samsung account on your tablet and turned on location services. If you have not done this yet, do it now—before your tablet is lost.

Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Accounts and add a Samsung account if you do not have one. Then go to Settings > Location and turn on Location services. Your tablet will now send its location to Samsung's servers whenever it connects to the internet.

Write down your Samsung account username and password in a safe place, or store them in a password manager. You will need this information to sign into Find Mobile from another device.

Use Google Find My Mobile as a second location method

If you signed into a Google account on your tablet, you can also use Google Find My Mobile to locate it. This is separate from Samsung's service and sometimes works when Samsung's service does not, especially if your tablet is on a different network or in a location with poor Samsung server connectivity.

Go to google.com/android/find from any web browser and sign in with the Google account on your tablet. You will see a map with your tablet's location, and you can ring it, lock it, or erase it from this page as well.

Google's service also works on tablets that are powered off or have no internet connection—it will show you the last known location before the tablet went offline. This can help you narrow down where to search or where to report the loss.

Lock or erase your tablet remotely if you cannot recover it

If your tablet is in a location you cannot reach, or if you believe it has been stolen, use Find Mobile or Find My Mobile to lock it with a new password. This prevents anyone from accessing your photos, emails, banking apps, or other personal information.

From the Find Mobile website, click Lock my mobile and enter a new PIN or password. Your tablet will lock when ready the next time it connects to the internet. Anyone trying to use it will see the lock screen and cannot get past it without the new password you just set.

If you want to erase all data on the tablet instead—to make sure no one can access anything—click Erase my mobile. This deletes all photos, files, apps, and account information. The tablet will be wiped clean and returned to factory settings. You cannot undo this action, so use it only if you are certain you will not recover the tablet.

Report the loss to your carrier and local police

If your tablet has cellular service (a SIM card), contact your carrier when ready and report it lost or stolen. They can disable the SIM card so no one can use your data plan or make calls on your account. Ask them for the tablet's IMEI number—a unique identifier that carriers use to block stolen devices from their networks.

File a report with your local police department, especially if you believe the tablet was stolen rather than lost. Give them the IMEI number, the tablet's serial number (found on the back of the device or in the original box), and the last location where you saw it. Police reports create an official record that can help if the tablet shows up at a pawn shop or is used to commit fraud.

Keep a copy of the police report number. Some insurance companies or retailers require it if you want to file a claim for the lost or stolen tablet.

Check common places before assuming it is lost

Before you assume your tablet is gone for good, search the places where you last remember using it. Check under cushions, in bags, on shelves, in your car, and in drawers. Many tablets are found at home within a few minutes of a thorough search.

If you have family members or roommates, ask them to check their rooms and bags. Tablets are often picked up by accident and left in unexpected places.

If you recently used your tablet at work, school, a coffee shop, or a friend's house, call those locations and ask if anyone turned in a Samsung tablet. Many businesses keep lost items for 30 days before discarding them.

Understand the limits of location tracking

Location services only work if your tablet has power and an active internet connection. If the battery is dead or the device is in airplane mode, you cannot see its location. The last known location will remain on the map, but it may be hours or days old.

Location accuracy depends on your tablet's connection. A tablet connected to Wi-Fi may show a location within a few hundred feet. A tablet using cellular data may be accurate to within a few blocks. GPS is more precise but drains the battery faster.

If your tablet is in a building with thick walls, underground, or in a remote area with no cell service, location services may not work at all. In these cases, the map will show the last place the tablet had a signal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I did not set up a Samsung account before my tablet went missing?

Samsung Find Mobile will not work without a Samsung account already on the device. However, you can still use Google Find My Mobile if you signed into a Google account. If you set up neither, you cannot locate the tablet remotely, but you can still contact your carrier and local police to report it.

Can I track my tablet if it is turned off?

No, location services cannot work on a powered-off device. However, Google Find My Mobile will show the last location where your tablet had an internet connection before it shut down. This can help you narrow down where to search.

Will Find Mobile work if my tablet is on Wi-Fi instead of cellular?

Yes. Find Mobile works on any internet connection—Wi-Fi, cellular, or both. The location may be less precise on Wi-Fi than on cellular or GPS, but the service will still show you which Wi-Fi network your tablet is connected to, which can help you identify the location.

Can I locate my tablet if someone else is using it?

Yes. As long as the tablet has internet and the Samsung or Google account is still signed in, location tracking works regardless of who is using it. The person using the tablet cannot turn off Find Mobile without knowing your account password.

What should I do if I find my tablet after I erased it?

If you erased the tablet using Find Mobile and then recover it, you can set it up again as a new device. You will need to sign back into your Samsung and Google accounts, and you can restore your data from a backup if you made one before the tablet was lost.