While the portability the Nintendo Switch offers is a great convenience, there’s always a chance that carrying it around can lead to it being stolen. Has this happened to you, or are you looking to prepare for the worst-case scenario? Here’s how to track a stolen Nintendo Switch.
Contact Nintendo’s customer support with the serial number of your stolen console. Nintendo can see when the thief last went online and using the IP address where the console is. Give the serial number, IP address, and as many details as possible over to the police.
To know more info about tracking a stolen Switch, how to deactivate a lost Switch, how to know your Switch is stolen and what if happens if you lose a switch cartridge please read on!
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How To Track A Nintendo Switch
Knowing the serial number of your Nintendo Switch is crucial to tracking it. The serial number can be found next to the USB-C port at the bottom of your Switch as well as over at the System Settings in the Settings menu of the console itself.
If your console has been stolen, then hopefully you still have the box lying around, because at the bottom of it you can also find the serial number of your Nintendo Switch model.
If you don’t have the box either but you bought your console from a retailer, then you should head over to the store you bought your console at as they should have the serial number of it.
If you do have the serial number, then you can contact Nintendo’s customer support, give them your serial number, and they then should be able to check when is the last time the console has used the internet. They can then see the IP address as well as the city it is in, which should also be the same place the thief is at.
Once you have been given all this information you can then head over to the police and file in a report, giving them the new info you acquired but also all the details you knew already – what the console looks like, when and where did it get stolen, what else has been stolen with it, what games did you have on it and so on – the more details, the better.
If you happen to have your credit card connected to your Nintendo account, then make sure to unlink it as soon as possible to prevent the thief from using it to purchase games. Here’s how:
How To Unlink Credit Card From Nintendo Switch
- Log in to your account over at accounts.nintendo.com.
- Click on Shop Menu.
- Find your credit card and click on Delete.
How To Track A Nintendo Switch
Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch does not come with an included tracking solution. However, there is a solution called a Tile mate that you can purchase from Amazon for around $20,
This mini device can be attached to your Switch with connects with a mobile app informing you of where your Switch is using Bluetooth tracking so it’s limited to close proximity but can be life-saving if you realise it’s lost when the Switch is still close by.
Although Tite has a community which will send you an alert if your Switch is within Bluetooth range of another Tile user.
Whilst definitely not perfect a tile will save your Switch if you realise it’s lost and it’s still within Bluetooth distance and it’s a good alternative to not having any recovery method at all.
Check out this review of the Tile Pro so you can get a better understanding of what the device is. It can work with anything you want to keep track of such as your phone or laptop, not just your child’s Switch.
How Do I Deactivate A Lost Nintendo Switch?
- Go to accounts.nintendo.com and log in to your account
- Open Shop Menu
- Click on Deregister Primary Console
- Enter your password and click OK
- Confirm deactivation by pressing Deregister
Do keep in mind that you can only deactivate a Nintendo Switch once per year through the web. Deactivating from the console itself can be done as many times as you want.
How Do I Know If My Nintendo Switch Is Stolen?
Check your switch’s serial number with Nintendos support, who can see if it’s tied to a Switch labeled as stolen, see if the switch’s serial number matches the switch’s original packaging. Contact the police and ask if anyone has reported a missing Switch in your area.
It can be quite difficult to find out whether your Nintendo Switch is stolen or not. Checking whether the serial number on the console is the same one as the serial number found on the box is a good start.
It’s written at the bottom of the box, as well as on the bottom-left side of the console. If it is the same, then it’s most likely not stolen, but you can’t know for sure, so you may want to check with Nintendo’s customer support to see whether that is actually the case.
If Nintendo’s customer support has no information about it being stolen, then you may want to contact the police and see if they have any reports of a missing Nintendo Switch that matches the serial number of the one you have.
If you didn’t get the basic equipment together with your Switch, such as the charger, dock and controller, then there’s a chance that you have a stolen Switch – unless of course the buyer provided genuine info on why things that should come together with the console are not included with the purchase. A leftover account could well be a sign that the Nintendo Switch has been stolen.
What Happens If I Lose A Switch Game?
If you lose a physical version of a Switch game, your save data will continue to remain on the console, but you will have to buy another cartridge of the game in order to continue playing.
Don’t worry about your progress being restarted because of losing the game. Your progress should be saved on the console, so once you buy the game again you should be able to continue from where you left off.
But what if you lose your Nintendo Switch console too, what happens to the saves then? Well, if you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, then your saves should be stored in the cloud, but if you’re not, then unfortunately your save files are stuck on the lost console.
Protect your switch with the tile mate and learn more about the best switch accessories have endless fun down below on Amazon
