Find Hub is a built-in location tool that helps you locate your phone or computer if it goes missing
Find Hub (called Find My on Apple devices and Find My Mobile on Samsung phones) is a service that stores your device's location on a company server so you can search for it from another device or a web browser. When you turn on location services, Find Hub runs in the background and periodically sends your device's GPS coordinates to the manufacturer's servers. If your phone or computer disappears, you log into Find Hub from a friend's device or a computer and see where yours is on a map.
The service also lets you lock your device remotely, erase it to protect your data, or play a sound to help you find it if it's nearby but hidden. Find Hub works whether your device is powered on or off — though some features like playing a sound require the device to be on. You do not pay extra for Find Hub; it comes built into your device and activates when you turn on location services and sign into your account.
Key Takeaways
- Find Hub stores your device's location on manufacturer servers so you can search for it from another device if it goes missing.
- The service works in the background once location services are on and you are signed into your account with Apple, Google, or Samsung.
- You can lock your device, erase it, or play a sound from Find Hub's web interface or another device, even if yours is powered off.
- Find Hub requires location services to be on, which means your device periodically sends GPS data to the manufacturer — you can turn this off anytime.
- Each manufacturer runs its own Find Hub service, so you cannot use Apple's Find My to locate a Samsung phone.
How Find Hub works on different devices
Apple devices use Find My, which you access through iCloud.com or from another Apple device. When you sign into iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Find My activates automatically if location services are on. You can then open Find My on another Apple device, sign in with the same Apple ID, and see a map showing where your missing device is. Find My also shows you the battery level of your device and whether it is online or offline.
Google devices (Android phones and tablets) use Find My Mobile through google.com/android/find or the Find My Mobile app. You sign in with your Google account, and the service shows your device's location on a map. Samsung phones have their own version called Find My Mobile, accessed through findmymobile.samsung.com, which requires a Samsung account.
Windows computers use Find My Device, which you turn on in Settings under Privacy & Security. Once on, you can search for your computer from account.microsoft.com by signing in with your Microsoft account. The service shows your device's location and lets you lock it or trigger an alarm.
What Find Hub can do when your device is missing
Once you locate your device on the map, Find Hub gives you several options. You can play a sound on your device to help you find it if it is nearby — this works even if the device is on silent. You can lock the device remotely so no one can access it without your password. You can also erase all the data on your device to protect your personal information if you believe it has been stolen and you cannot recover it.
Some versions of Find Hub let you leave a message on the lock screen with a phone number, so if someone finds your device, they can contact you. Apple's Find My also lets you mark a device as lost, which disables Apple Pay and certain features while keeping location tracking on. These options vary slightly between Apple, Google, and Samsung, so check your manufacturer's version to see what is available.
The privacy trade-off of using Find Hub
Find Hub works because your device sends location data to the manufacturer's servers regularly. This means the company knows where your device is at any given time. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can turn off location services, which stops Find Hub from working. Your device will no longer send location data, and you will not be able to find it if it goes missing.
You can also turn off Find Hub specifically while keeping location services on for other apps like maps or weather. On Apple devices, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle off Find My. On Android, open Settings > Location > Location Services and turn off Find My Device. On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Find My Device and turn it off. The trade-off is that you lose the ability to locate your device remotely, but your location data stays private.
When Find Hub does not work
Find Hub cannot locate your device if location services are turned off. If someone steals your phone and when ready disables location services or removes the SIM card, the last known location is all Find Hub can show you. Find Hub also cannot work if your device has no power and the manufacturer's servers have not received a location update recently — though some devices can be located for a short time after they power off if they have enough battery to send one final signal.
If your device is in an area with no cellular or Wi-Fi signal, Find Hub cannot send an updated location to the servers. It will show you the last place your device connected to the internet, which may be hours or days old. For this reason, Find Hub is most useful for finding a device you misplaced nearby, not for recovering a stolen phone that has been moved far away or powered down.
Setting up Find Hub on your device
On an iPhone or iPad, Find My is set up automatically when you sign into iCloud. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and make sure Find My iPhone or Find My iPad is toggled on. Then go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn on location services. On a Mac, open System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and check the box next to Find My Mac, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and turn it on.
On an Android phone, open Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Security and scroll down to Find My Device. Toggle it on. Then go to Settings > Location and turn on location services. On a Samsung phone, read the Find My Mobile app from the Google Play Store, sign in with your Samsung account, and register your device. On a Windows computer, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Find My Device and turn it on, then go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location and turn on location services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find someone else's device using Find Hub?
No. Find Hub only works if you are signed into the account associated with the device. You cannot use Find My to locate someone else's iPhone unless they have given you access to their iCloud account, which is not recommended for security reasons. Each person's device is tied to their own account.
What happens if my device is turned off?
Find Hub can still show you the last location where your device was powered on, as long as location services were on before it shut down. Some newer devices can send a final location signal even after powering off, but this depends on the manufacturer and device model. Once the battery is completely drained, no further updates are possible.
Does Find Hub work if someone removes my SIM card?
Yes, as long as your device can connect to Wi-Fi. Find Hub uses either cellular data or Wi-Fi to send location updates, so removing the SIM card does not stop it from working if the device is connected to a wireless network. However, if the device is not connected to Wi-Fi and has no cellular service, it cannot send updates.
Can I use Find Hub to track my child or partner?
Find Hub is designed to locate your own devices, not to track other people. However, some manufacturers offer family sharing features that let parents track children's devices with permission, or partners can share location with each other through separate apps. Check your manufacturer's family or sharing settings to see what options are available.
Will turning on Find Hub drain my battery?
Find Hub uses location services, which does consume battery, but the impact is usually small because it runs in the background and does not constantly use GPS. If you are concerned about battery life, you can turn off location services entirely, but this disables Find Hub. Alternatively, you can turn off location services for individual apps while keeping it on for Find Hub only.