New “Find My Kindle” device setting on HDX

New “Find My Kindle” device setting on HDX

Thanks to *~*Pineapple*~* for the heads up on this!

There is a new setting on my

Kindle Fire HDX (at AmazonSmile*)

If you swipe down from the top, tap settings, then tap Device, you’ll probably see it.

It says

Find My Kindle

Remotely Locate Your Kindle at Amazon.com

and then you can turn it on or off.

Presumably, this would be a way to physically locate your Kindle. I have a free app that does that for me

Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile

although it is imperfect.

I’m not finding anything about it yet. I’ve searched Help, and checked

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

My guess is that something will happen with it soon.

Oddly, while my Fire had restarted itself yesterday, when I checked it for system updates, it said it had last been updated April 1st.

If this is a locator, it would likely work both with and without 4G…just better with the latter.

I’ll let you know if I hear more.

Update: I see a “Device Actions” dropdown in MYK in Google Chrome, but not in Maxthon. There is no related action there, though.

Update: I’ve been given permission to share this from Amazon:

Hey everyone, as you know, from time to time Amazon tests new features on the website, and that during these test periods certain aspects of the site will function or appear differently to randomly selected customers.

What you’re seeing is a new feature available for certain Kindle Fire HDX devices. You’ll be able to remotely locate, deregister, or factory reset your device. 

Some of the things you can do from the Manage Your Devices page are:

* Find a misplaced Kindle by selecting the Remote Alarm feature. Your device will play a sound to help you locate it (device obviously needs to be turned on and connected to Wi-Fi/Wireless)

* You can find an approximate location of your device on a map if you’ve enabled “Find My Kindle” on the device itself and then using “Find Your Device.” Note, the location displayed is dependent on a number of factors and shouldn’t be relied upon for precise location information

* Deregister or Factory reset your device remotely

All of these options are found under the “Device Actions” dropdown on the Manage Your Device page.

There was also this additional information:

* Manage Your Device features will only work if the device is on, connected to Wi-Fi/mobile, and if Kindle FreeTime is turned off

* Location-based services and Find My Kindle must be turned on in the device settings for the Find my Kindle feature to work

* The factory reset feature will only work if the battery is over 30%. If the device is not connected to a network or is turned off, Amazon will keep trying to reach it for three days and will send an e-mail indicating success or failure

So, it is rolling out (you may not have it yet)…and I haven’t actually seen it work yet. It is only going to be available, from what I can tell, on the Kindle Fire HDX.

Update: it worked this morning! At least, part of it did…the Remote Alarm option appeared in Chrome (but not Maxthon) this morning, and it worked just fine. I tried it when my Kindle HDX 7″ was asleep (not turned all the way off), and with the volume on and all of the connection options on (wi-fi, Location Based Services). It made a loud enough, but not too annoying 😉 sound. When I opened the cover (which wakes it), there was a simple thing to tap to turn off the alert.

I haven’t seen the Find My Kindle or Deregister or Factory Reset options yet.

New! Try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.