# how does the "Find my Kindle" work?



## plasmagal (Dec 13, 2009)

I was setting up my new Kindle Fire HDX and in the settings under device there is an option to turn on the Find my kindle. I turned it on but can't figure out how it works. I tried looking for information about this on amazon but couldn't find anything.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Congratulations on the new Fire!

I'm not sure....there are several articles on the web that say to select "iCloud" under settings and then enter your Amazon ID...but that sounds like something for an Apple device.  

I can't find anything on Amazon, either.

Betsy


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

This is off on my HDX.. and if I tap on Find MyKindle in the list, I get this message:

Location-Based Services Disabled

This app or website is requesting information about your
location.  To allow Amazon and any third-party apps and 
websites to access location data about your Kindle, please
enable location-based Services on your Kindle by tapping 
below.  :earm<pre abpit jpw tjos date os cp;;ected amd used.

And they let you cancel or enable.

So it sounds like if you want to give Amazon the capability to locate your Kindle, you must have Location-Based Services enabled, which would allow other apps to locate you.  (or your Kindle).  So kind of a Catch 22.  I would have thought that since Amazon can do many things to our Kindles remotely, they'd have a separate process for this service.

ADB is apparently even more invasive, allows developers  access to all apps AND date on your kindle and is not secure, per the blurb you get when you tape that feature.

Location -Based Services, under Wireless, also enables location date to be sent to Amazon and third party apps and websites, so maybe a bit more broad?

Clicking on Learn more under Locate My Kindle OR Location Based Services asks you to select your country and then goes to the same explanation.

So, if you want  your Kindle to be findable, you cannot restrict this without removing certain apps from the device, it seems.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, you have to have Location Based Services on, which I already did.  (I use several apps regularly where I want it to know where I am already. *shrug*)  And the Find My Kindle was off, but when I turned it on, nothing happened.  And, like I said, various websites when you search on "Find My Kindle" Fire HDX, say you have to click on "iCloud" under settings, which sounds like they copied something from an Apple guide.

Don't know how it works...maybe if you call Amazon and report a Fire lost, they can do something with it.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'd suggest asking via MayDay. I'd read something about it in Bufo Calvin's blog: http://ilmk.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/new-find-my-kindle-device-setting-on-hdx/ Looks like he doesn't have a lot of info either but did have a response from Amazon that he posted.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

That would be useful IF you want to set your device to allow apps to know your location and if you lost it somewhere where you also had access to Amazon other THAN  your lost Fire.  

Or if you were willing to have access turned on AND you lost it at home or anywhere you also had internet access.

The only time I lost a Kindle, I was not at home, did not have access to the internet.. I was waiting for a patient who was having a colonoscopy and I could have asked the medical office staff but it wouldn't have been well received.

My phone is not smart, but it was smart enough for me to call Amazon.. actually I called Discover card first and they kindly gave me Amazon's CS number.  Amazon quickly assured me that nothing had been purchased using the fire since my last purchase that morning and de-registered it for me.  And later helped through the much more difficlult process of re registering and getting my stuff back!!

Now, if they could separate this function from the other function and this would strictly be to allow us to locate the Fire, via Amazon and not allow other apps to be poking around my location, that would be of use.  I always let my device sleep and only hard reset when I'm having a problem..

Still it is nice to know that they are continuing to add to their software functionality.

And I do have the option on my HDX 9.9" 4G (with no plan, so I just use wifi).


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'd suggest asking via MayDay. I'd read something about it in Bufo Calvin's blog: http://ilmk.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/new-find-my-kindle-device-setting-on-hdx/ Looks like he doesn't have a lot of info either but did have a response from Amazon that he posted.


Ah, good info, Ann!

Betsy


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## plasmagal (Dec 13, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for your help. I'm not sure if I want to enable the location feature or not. looking at the blog it seems the find my kindle feature might still be in the testing phase.


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