Thanks to watchOS 8, I may never lose my iPhone again. You may be surprised to learn that for a device that appears to be glued to the palm of my hand, I've put it in all sorts of unusual places.

Until I can literally strap the iPhone 12 Pro Max to my body like the Apple Watch 6, the iPhone can easily disappear completely. However, after enabling the new "Notify me when left behind" setting in the Find My Device app, which was added in the watchOS 8 software update, I feel a bit more secure.

The last time I accidentally left my iPhone behind, the local pizza place rang the house phone where I had ordered pickup. They were kind enough to keep it safely behind the counter until I returned.

I'm not sure I've ever been so lucky in the places I frequent. Whether it be in a park, a crowded restaurant, or on public transportation, there is no shortage of places where my iPhone is forgotten and rehomed.

But now, when my paired iPhone is left behind, the Apple Watch alerts me. Unless it has wandered off into the distance, the chances of eventually being reunited with your smartphone are greater than ever before.

Notify When Left Behind also works with iPhones running iOS 15. The iPhone will alert you when you leave an Apple device or item behind in an unfamiliar location. I'm sure I'll be carrying my new iPad mini 6 (which I received for free) with me frequently, but with Notify When Left Behind, I'll almost never lose it on my travels.

In the unlikely event that I leave the place and receive a notification, I can tap "Direct to iPad" just as I would be directed to AirTag's Key Finder. And the first time I was notified that I had intentionally left my iPad at home, I tapped "Don't Notify Me Here" to better manage the alert.

Still, the "Find My" app for Apple Watch, added in watchOS 8, is the most useful iteration of Apple's device tracking feature. Previously, when I left my iPhone in my car after arriving home, I didn't realize it wasn't with me or in my bag until I noticed the subtle disconnect icon at the top of the smartwatch's display. Next time this happens, I will be proactively alerted.

If you can't tell at this point, I am the type of person who pings my iPhone at least 10 times a day. Again, I should either get one of those cell phone strap accessories that the kids on TikTok use (follow Tom's Guide on TikTok if you haven't already) or turn the wristband playbooks that athletes wear into wearable cases.

But Notify When Left Behind is more practical, not to mention free; note that it doesn't work automatically, even if you know how to download watchOS 8. You'll need to open the Find My Device app and allow it access to your location; check the notification settings on your iPhone or other Apple device and toggle Notify When Left Behind on to enable these alerts.