What you’re dealing with
The advantage is that they sleep rather than shutting down, so the radio stays reachable for days after you last used one.
| Broadcasts as | Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or the device name you set |
|---|---|
| Typical battery | 2 to 8 hours in use, days in sleep |
| Findable by scan | Yes, while powered on |
| Search window | Days to weeks |
Once the battery is gone: Sleep keeps the radio reachable for days. A full shutdown does not.
Where it usually is
In the bed or beside it
Used until you fell asleep.
On a shelf in a case
In a carry case that looks like anything else on the shelf.
Travel bags
Packed for a trip and never unpacked.
How to search for it
- Check the last-seen map firstBefore you search a room, find out which building. A pin saves you from searching the right way in the wrong place.
- Scan from the middle of the roomNote everything that appears, then select the device you want so the rest of the list drops away.
- Walk and watch the signalSweep in a straight line, give each position a few seconds, and turn 90 degrees when the reading stops rising.
- Search inside things, not across themA strong signal with nothing visible means it is underneath or inside something. Fabric and metal block Bluetooth badly.
Tips specific to steam deck or handheld
- Give the device a distinctive name in its settings. Anonymous hardware in a scan list is much harder to act on.
- If it was shut down rather than slept, no scan will find it, go to the last-seen pin instead.
Other things people lose
The same method applies to these, with different battery windows and different hiding places.
- How to find a misplaced baby monitor unit, 8 to 20 hours on the parent unit
- How to find a lost glucose monitor or sensor, Readers last days
- How to find where you parked, Vehicle battery
- How to find or identify a smart scale, Months on AAA cells
- How to find an Android phone from an iPhone, A day typically
- Bluetooth scanner for iPhone, Scan tab
- How to find your phone when it’s on silent, The silent phone problem
- All device guides, the complete list
Common questions
Does a Steam Deck broadcast in sleep mode?
Generally yes. Sleep keeps Bluetooth reachable so controllers can reconnect, which is also what makes the device detectable.