You can locate your phone with your Garmin watch — here's how

How To
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Find My Phone is a must-use feature for Garmin watch wearers

a photo of the Garmin Forerunner 965
(Image credit: Garmin)

We've all been there: frantically searching for a phone that's mysteriously vanished somewhere in the house. Thankfully, if you own one of the best Garmin watches, you've got a helpful tool right on your wrist.

While you might be familiar with features like creating custom shortcuts or tracking your sleep, this phone-finding capability is one of the best hidden features you need to know about.

What is Find My Phone?

This handy feature lets you locate your paired smartphone using your Garmin watch. When activated, your phone will emit an audible alert and vibrate to help you find it. Some Garmin watches will even show you the Bluetooth signal strength, which increases as you get closer to your phone.

Keep in mind that the feature only works within Bluetooth range, and for iPhone users, the Garmin Connect app needs to be running in the background.

Garmin Fenix Series and Epix

To locate your phone using these models, start by pressing and holding the LIGHT button to access the controls menu.

From there, select the Find My Phone icon, which appears as a phone with a question mark. Your phone will sound an alert if it's within range.

When you've found your device, simply press BACK to stop the search.

Garmin Instinct Series

For Instinct users, press and hold the CTRL button to bring up the controls menu. Look for the Find My Phone icon and select it.

If your phone is within range, it will begin alerting you to its location. Once you've found your device, press BACK to end the search.

Garmin Venu and Vivoactive Series

Users of these models should press and hold the Action button to open the controls menu. Select the Find My Phone icon, and your phone will alert you to its location if it's within range.

Once you've found your device, press Back to end the search.

Garmin Forerunner Series

Start by pressing and holding LIGHT to access the controls menu. For some models, like the Forerunner 235, you'll need to select the Arrow button to open the controls widget.

Press the Action button and select the Find My Phone option. Then choose the Find My Phone icon, and press BACK when you've located your device.

Garmin Vivosmart Series

Finding your phone with the Vivosmart is straightforward. Press the menu/back button below the screen, scroll to the Bluetooth menu, and select Find My Phone.

Garmin Lily

Lily users can access this feature by simply swiping down from the watch face to bring up the controls menu, then selecting Find My Phone.

Now you've learned how to use Find My Phone on your Garmin watch, why not explore some of our other articles. For runners or cyclists, you might find how to use the Training Status feature and PacePro feature on your Garmin watch particularly useful.

And if you're interested in early access to Garmin features, here's how to sign up.

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Kaycee Hill
Kaycee Hill
How-to Editor

Kaycee is Tom's Guide's How-To Editor, known for tutorials that get straight to what works. She writes across phones, homes, TVs and everything in between — because life doesn't stick to categories and neither should good advice. She's spent years in content creation doing one thing really well: making complicated things click. Kaycee is also an award-winning poet and co-editor at Fox and Star Books.

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