by If your android phone(Opens in a new tab) is ever lost or stolen, you have several options for tracking it down. Google offers an app and website called Find My Device that you can use to find your missing Android, backup it, and erase all data. Samsung devices have an additional feature called Find My Mobile that can help you track down your lost device. Here’s how to use Find My Device and Find My Mobile to track down your missing phone.
Can’t find your smartphone? Here are some tips(Opens in a new tab)courtesy of Lance Whitney of PCMag.
Google Find My Device
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Google’s Find My Device service is available as an Android app(Opens in a new tab) and standalone website and(Opens in a new tab) works with any android device. If you’re already signed in to your Google account, you should automatically see a map with all your registered devices. From here you can select the image of the device you want to find and track its location(Opens in a new tab) on the map.
You can then play a sound to ping your device, lock it and display a message on the screen, or erase all personal data. Google has some additional information(Opens in a new tab) You can refer to it when you need to find, lock or erase your Android phone.
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When you think the device is within earshot, tap play sound to ping the phone or tablet. You can then track the audio to your device. Even if the device isn’t in your immediate vicinity, the ping can alert a Good Samaritan who might find it. When you’re done, tap stop sound Button.
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If you can’t find your device or you’re not around, you can lock it so no one can access it. You can also add a message and phone number for anyone who finds you so they can reach you.
Beat Safe device, and then add a message and phone number to display on the lock screen. Beat Safe device to lock and lock the phone. The missing phone will be locked and your message and phone number will be displayed.
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If the device is lost or stolen, you can wipe it clean(Opens in a new tab) finally. Beat Delete device and then tap it again to complete this action. Be sure to read the information here about what’s about to happen to your phone, because there’s no going back.
You may be asked if you want to verify your Google account. Tap the Security Check Link and go through the security steps. If you change your mind about wiping your device, tap Deny.
Find My Mobile by Samsung
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If you have a Samsung phone, you can also use a special feature called Find My Mobile to track down a lost device. Set this up on your phone by going to Settings > Biometrics and Security and turn on find my phone. Note that this feature requires a Samsung account.
Open Find My Mobile settings and turn it on remote unlocking so you can unlock and control your phone remotely. Activate the option for Send last location to get the last known location of your phone when the battery drops below a certain level. Make possible offline search so you can locate your phone even when it’s offline.
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Once activated, use the SmartThings Find website(Opens in a new tab) or App(Opens in a new tab) to track down any Samsung device connected to the same Samsung account. The service should show your Samsung phone’s location on the map, which includes other controls to help you with your missing device.
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Select the ring option, and then press begin to ping your phone. It will then start ringing to help you track it down if it’s nearby or to allow someone else to notice it. You can also choose the Lock out Option to set a PIN to unlock your device, enter a contact phone number where you can be reached and add a message to be displayed on the lock screen.
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If you think your phone will be moved to another location, you can choose track location to get an updated view of your phone’s location every 15 minutes. You can also erase the phone if you’re worried someone might gain access to your data. Beat those Deletion of data Icon to reset the phone to factory settings(Opens in a new tab).
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If you want to erase your phone or don’t think you’ll ever find it again, you can back up the data remotely. press the To back up icon, and then set up multi-step verification(Opens in a new tab), if you haven’t already. Click the website link in the notification to get backup codes that you can use to log in even if your phone is lost or stolen.
Select all data points that you want to backup, e.g. B. Messages and Contacts, and then select To back up to send your data for storage in Samsung Cloud(Opens in a new tab) Service.
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If you have important messages or voicemails on the phone, you can check them remotely by selecting this Option to retrieve calls/messages. This allows you to see and hear up to 50 recent calls and messages.
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If you ever forget the PIN that unlocks your phone, you can always open it from SmartThings search(Opens in a new tab) site by selecting the Unlock Button. To extend the life of your phone’s battery(Opens in a new tab)choose Extend battery life Option that activates your phone’s maximum power saving mode, giving you extra time to find the device before it runs out of juice.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com(Opens in a new tab), Mashable’s sibling site. PCMag.com(Opens in a new tab) is a leading technology authority providing labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
