AllowFindMyDevice 0: turning off Find my device in Windows
Short answer
UpdatedFind my device periodically sends the PC's location to your Microsoft account so you can locate it if it is lost. The AllowFindMyDevice policy set to 0 turns it off. In the registry it sets AllowFindMyDevice to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FindMyDevice.
HKLMSOFTWARE\
AllowFindMyDeviceYour previous value0
What it does
Find my device periodically sends the PC's location to your Microsoft account so you can locate it if it is lost. The AllowFindMyDevice policy set to 0 turns it off.
In the app the switch is called "Disable Find My Device", described there as: Stops Windows from sending this PC's location to your Microsoft account.
When it helps, and when it hurts
When it helps
- Privacy on a desktop that is not going anywhere.
When it hurts
- You cannot locate or lock the PC from your Microsoft account. On a laptop that is a real loss.
What it writes
Exactly what the switch changes, read from the app's source. Switching it off is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.
| Key and value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
|---|---|---|
| HKLMSOFTWARE\ | 0 | Your previous valueSaved before the change, or deleted if there was none. |
From the app's source (pack_extra.hpp), app 2.0.0, checked .
The same change by hand
You do not need the app for this one. These commands make the changes from the table above. Run them in a Command Prompt opened as administrator, and make a restore point first.
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FindMyDevice" /v "AllowFindMyDevice" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /freg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FindMyDevice" /v "AllowFindMyDevice"How to undo it
In the app: Yes
Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. The app saved what each value was before the change and writes exactly that back, or removes the value if it did not exist.
Changing several settings at once? The app's Make a restore point button, on every plan, makes a Windows restore point before you start.
Verdict
Fine on a desktop. Keep it on for a laptop.
Questions
- What does the "Disable Find My Device" tweak change in Windows?
- In the registry it sets AllowFindMyDevice to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FindMyDevice.
- Is "Disable Find My Device" safe to switch on?
- Fine on a desktop. Keep it on for a laptop. The main cost: You cannot locate or lock the PC from your Microsoft account. On a laptop that is a real loss.
- How do I undo it?
- Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
- Is "Disable Find My Device" free in Frozen Tweaks?
- Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.
In the app
- Switch
- Disable Find My Device
- Category
- Security
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
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Written by
Frost LIVEFounder of Frozen Tweaks, based in Hamburg, Germany. Publishes settings guides for competitive games on his YouTube channel, Frost LIVE.
In the app
- Category
- Security
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
Frozen Tweaks
Free for Windows 10 and 11
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.
The free Windows app for competitive games.
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Frozen Tweaks runs on Windows. Send the link to your PC and download it there.
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.