Methods and devices are provided for detecting connecting elements, in particular friction drilling screws, in mechanical joining and forming processes in which an error event in the process was identified. The method includes moving a carrier component for the connecting element toward a workpiece to determine a contact point of the connecting element on the workpiece. This feeding step is carried out as a next method step after the error event is detected and ascertains whether the contact point is detected within a predefined permissible tolerance in order to determine whether the connecting element is still located in a feed head.