A child’s smartwatch worth more than 2,000 yuan (about RM1,200) has been successfully recovered after its tracking function continued sending out location updates — and even automatically captured clear images of the man who had picked it up.
The heartwarming incident happened on the morning of August 23 in Hangzhou, China, when a mother, identified as Fang, was riding an electric bicycle with her child to the Gongshu Library. While passing the entrance of Zhihui Wanggu on Shixiang Road, the detachable smartwatch accidentally fell from the child without either of them noticing.
It was only when they reached the junction of Shixiang Road and Chatang Road that the child realised the watch was missing. Fang immediately turned back to search along the route, but the device was nowhere to be found.
When she checked the smartwatch’s location, however, she discovered that it was still moving. The tracking data showed the device travelling towards Lishui Road, giving Fang a crucial lead. She repeatedly called the watch but initially received no answer, prompting her to activate its alarm and contact the police.
The smartwatch then continued updating its location, reportedly stopping at a Hema Fresh supermarket on Zhoujin Street before eventually being tracked to Huaxin Village. During the search, the device also automatically took several photographs. Among them were two clear images showing the face of the person who had picked it up.
Those images became an important clue as Fang tried to locate the missing device. With assistance from an auxiliary police officer, she was also preparing to head to the police station to retrieve surveillance footage and continue the search.
Fortunately, the story eventually had a happy ending. Fang later contacted a man surnamed Zhang, who had picked up the smartwatch and made repeated attempts to contact its owner.
Zhang reportedly called the smartwatch 13 times before successfully getting in touch and arranging for it to be returned. Fang subsequently expressed her appreciation for his honesty and persistence in helping reunite the child with the valuable device.
The incident also showed just how useful modern smartwatches can be when something goes missing. Beyond location tracking, functions such as remote alarms and automatic photography can provide valuable clues when owners are trying to recover a lost device.
For Fang and her child, what began as a stressful search turned into a reassuring reminder that a lost item can sometimes find its own way home — especially when technology and a helpful stranger come together.
