Amazon’s Alexa comes with a feature called Find My, which allows users to track lost items using voice commands. This feature is similar to Google’s Find Hub and Apple’s Find My devices, but instead of looking at devices on a map, users can ask Alexa to find them.
Find My can be used to locate keys, Bluetooth devices like Tile trackers and Amazon’s Echo Buds, and even non-electronic objects like sunglasses. Users can tell Alexa where they’ve placed an item, and then ask Alexa to remind them where it is later.
To use Find My, users do not need Amazon Prime or Alexa+, but they do need to turn on location tracking for supported devices. Echo Buds, Tile, and Amazon Find My compatible devices all need to be activated first.
Once activated, users can ask Alexa to locate these devices, and some devices can even sound an alert to help users find them. Amazon’s Find My feature works well inside the home or around the property, but it can also be used to track items outside the home.
Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network created by Amazon devices that allows authorized devices to connect and use the localized network. This feature enables users to track lost items outside their home, as long as the items are within range of a Sidewalk-ready device.
The Tile Network and Ring’s neighborhood pet watch use similar technology. When an Echo or compatible device is in range, it can use the wider network to track lost items through Amazon Sidewalk. Amazon says that when a Tile tracker is near an “Echo Sidewalk Bridge,” Alexa can inform users when it was last seen there.
For Find My to work properly outside the home, other users must have the community finding features enabled for their Echo devices through the Alexa app. This allows users to ask Alexa to track other compatible devices in their neighborhood.
Users can install skills like Matchbox.io’s Find My Phone to track their phone, and use Amazon Sidewalk to track other lost items. Amazon’s Find My feature and Sidewalk network provide a convenient way to keep track of belongings, both inside and outside the home.
