TrackItBack / Tablets & E-Readers

Lost Tablet or E-Reader – What You Should Do

Tablets and e-readers often contain store accounts, saved cards, games, notes, emails and documents — even when they “feel” less important than smartphones. Whether it’s lost at home, school, a café or during travel, take a few quick steps to either recover it or secure the accounts tied to it.

These steps apply to iPads, Android tablets, Kindles, Fire tablets, and other major brands. The menus may differ, but the principle is the same: track, lock, protect accounts.

Step 1 – Use built-in location tools (if enabled)

Tablets often stay signed in for months without re-entering passwords. That makes them convenient, but also risky when misplaced.

  • Apple iPad: check Find My for last known location and activate Lost Mode.
  • Android tablets: use Google Find My Device to locate, ring or lock it.
  • Amazon Kindle / Fire tablets: check your Amazon Devices list for remote deregistration or location features.
If the tablet is offline: Find My / Find Device may still show where it was last connected. Use that to retrace your steps or contact the venue.

Step 2 – Lock down purchases & stored cards

Many tablets — especially those used by kids — have stored payment methods or one-click purchases. Disable them while you figure out where the device is.

  • Remove saved cards from Amazon, Apple ID or Google Play.
  • Disable one-click purchases on Amazon.
  • Revoke “trusted device” status if possible.
  • For kids’ school tablets, notify the school’s IT team immediately.

Step 3 – Secure accounts used on the tablet

Even if you think the tablet is “probably at home somewhere”, secure the important accounts anyway. Tablets auto-sign-in to more apps than most people realize.

  • Email apps (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud mail).
  • App store logins and subscription services.
  • Cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive).
  • Notes apps containing personal info.
  • Games linked to payment methods.
If the tablet was shared within the family, check whose account was actually logged in. A stolen child’s school tablet may also expose parents’ accounts through saved logins.

Step 4 – Check the obvious places (tablets hide too well)

Tablets disappear at home more often than they get stolen. Kids slide them under cushions, into toy bins, between car seats, or leave them at school.

  • Sofas, beds, cushions, cars, backpacks and drawers.
  • School classrooms, lockers, library return bins.
  • Café tables, bathrooms, power outlets where you charged it.
  • Airport security trays (surprisingly common).

Step 5 – If it was a school or work device

School and corporate tablets often run Mobile Device Management (MDM), which may allow administrators to track or wipe the device remotely.

  • Report it to the school IT helpdesk or your company’s tech/security team.
  • Provide last known location or the class where it was used.
  • Follow their instructions — they may request a formal incident report.

Step 6 – When to consider it stolen

Tablets are less attractive to thieves than phones, but they do get taken — especially during travel. Treat it as stolen if:

  • The device moves somewhere you definitely didn’t go.
  • It goes offline immediately after it was taken out of your possession.
  • You receive unusual login attempts on accounts linked to the device.

For stolen devices, prioritize account security and remote wipe over chasing locations. Never attempt to physically recover property from risky areas.