With your Nintendo Switch, you enjoy quality games like FIFA 23, Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil, and Call of Duty, to name a few.
Many opt for the video game console as it’s more portable than alternatives like the PlayStation and XBOX. It’s almost like a smartphone or tablet but offers more game quality.
However, with that portability comes a disadvantage, which is that you can easily misplace the console. If you lose or misplace your Nintendo Switch, what do you do?
With modern technologies, you’ll expect a device like the Nintendo Switch to have a GPS tracker. But does it have tracking functionality?
Find out in this post as I answer the question — Can you track a Nintendo Switch?
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Can You Track A Nintendo Switch?
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Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch doesn’t come with a built-in tracker or GPS. Therefore, by default, you cannot track a Nintendo Switch. The console features location settings, but it only works to identify your region and time zone, especially when playing online.
Nevertheless, this isn’t peculiar to the Nintendo Switch video game consoles. Other popular consoles like PlayStation and Xbox also don’t come with built-in trackers.
You may still be able to track your Nintendo Switch, even if it has no built-in tracker. But for that, you’ll need a third-party tracking device.
You can easily find such devices in the market for $20 to $40. They are relatively affordable, considering a Nintendo Switch console costs $299 or more.
With the third-party tracker, you only need to place the tiny tracking device on the console.
These trackers are usually lightweight (less than 15 ounces) so you don’t have to worry about them making the console heavy. Afterward, you can monitor the location of your Nintendo Switch from anywhere via your mobile phone.
Installing a third-party tracker is an advisable preventive measure to take should your console get lost or misplaced. However, if you’ve lost or misplaced it already, a third-party tracker won’t help.
If tracking isn’t an available option, let’s find out what else you can do if you lose your Nintendo Switch.
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What To Do If You Lose Your Nintendo Switch?
If you lose your Nintendo Switch, here’s what you should do:
Contact Nintendo
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While the Switch device has no built-in GPS tracker technology, the company, Nintendo, may be able to track the device somehow. Even if they don’t find the device, they are in the best position to instruct you on what to do next.
Hence, if you lose your console, it’s advisable to contact Nintendo support and report it. They’ll most likely ask for your serial number.
The serial number is usually written on the body of the console and in the system’s settings. It is one of the essential details to jot down after purchasing your Nintendo Switch device.
Nintendo has different contact details for different regions. As a result, you’ll get personalized support when you reach the support team. You can reach the support team via phone, email, or social media.
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Remove Your Payment Details
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Nintendo Switch users enter their payment details in their accounts to purchase games and other items. You most likely did, too, so one of the first things to do after losing your console is to remove it.
If the console was stolen, whoever possesses it can also exploit your money since they can access your payment details. They can use it to purchase more games from the Nintendo eShop, or, worse, use the details to purchase on other websites.
Fortunately, removing your payment details isn’t difficult.
All you need to do is to log out of your account from the console, which you can do remotely with your smartphone or laptop. You can also ask Nintendo support to remove it when you contact them.
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Change Your Passwords
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This is an extra security measure to take after logging out of your account from the console. Changing your passwords transcends your Nintendo account. It also involves your other social accounts.
Sometimes, you give Nintendo access to your Facebook, Discord, or Twitch account when connecting with friends.
Access to your Nintendo account for an hour is enough for an ill-intentioned stranger to leverage this.
Therefore, while you should change your Nintendo account password, also identify your social accounts linked to Nintendo and change their passwords. Also, deactivate Nintendo’s access to these accounts.
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Inform The Authorities
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Perhaps you suspect someone of stealing your Nintendo Switch video game console. In that case, you should contact your local police department and report the person.
To help you recover your stolen Switch video game console, the authorities will require helpful details. Therefore, you should provide as much information as you can remember about the console.
Furthermore, you must have substantial reason to believe someone stole your hand console.
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How To Find A Nintendo Switch?
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You may be able to find your Nintendo Switch with a quick search if you misplace it indoors. However, finding it may be impossible if you lose it outdoors or it gets stolen.
The best thing you can do, as explained earlier, is to inform Nintendo and provide them with your console serial number. If they have any means of searching and tracking the serial number, they will help you find it.
Otherwise, you may have to accept that your Nintendo Switch is gone forever. This won’t be the case if you take preventive measures like installing a third-party tracker beforehand.
Another measure to prevent your Nintendo Switch from getting lost is to tag it with your details. That way, if it’s misplaced and not stolen, whoever finds it may be kind enough to contact you and return it.
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Can Nintendo Shut Down A Stolen Switch?
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Nintendo cannot shut down a stolen Switch and make it non-functional. So, unfortunately, whoever stole your game console will still be able to use it.
The best thing that Nintendo can do is to unlink your account. That way, you can rest assured that the illegal owner won’t tamper with your games and other details.
Unlinking your account from your stolen Nintendo Switch can shut it down somehow. In particular, the illegal owner may be able to use it for a couple of days. This is because unlinking your account removes all games you downloaded from the eShop.
So, until the illegal owner registers and downloads new games, they’ll be unable to use the console. While you can contact Nintendo to unlink your account from your Switch console, it’s faster to do it yourself.
Launch the browser on your smartphone or laptop and visit accounts.nintendo.com.
Next, enter your Nintendo account details to log in and navigate to the “Sign-In and Security” settings.
Then select “View your Sign-In History.”
From the list of sign-ins, locate your Nintendo Switch device and sign it out. To be safe, you can sign out from all devices.
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What Happens To The Games On A Stolen Nintendo Switch?
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Games you purchase via the Nintendo eShop are linked to your Nintendo account and not your Switch device. This is why when you log out of your account from the stolen console, whoever steals it won’t be able to use it as it will feature no games.
Similarly, if you get a new console and log in to your account, you’ll recover all the games in the stolen Switch. You won’t have to repurchase the games. You’ll only need data to redownload the games.
Afterward, you can continue playing with the exact details and settings, and the game progresses just like in the stolen Switch console.
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Bottom Line
Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch video game console comes without a built-in tracker. As a result, you cannot track it if it gets lost or misplaced. You can only track it if you install a third-party tracker in advance.
If you lose your console and you suspect it was stolen, contact Nintendo support. They may be able to help.
Additionally, you should log out of your Nintendo account from the stolen console immediately to safeguard your games and personal details.
