Lost Your Android Phone? Here’s How to Find It Using ‘Find My Device’
The “Find my Device” feature on Android has been around for a few years now, replacing Android Device Manager as the way to track down your lost Android phone or remotely lock it if you worry it’s been stolen.
Here’s everything you need to know about the feature and how to make the most of it to give yourself at least a little peace of mind when you lose your phone.
Related: 7 of the Best Android Screen-Recording Apps
Setup and Features
The first thing to do is switch on location settings on your device (Settings -> Security & location -> Location -> On).
You can use a web browser on PC, Android, other devices, or head over to the Play Store to download the Find My Device app. If using the app, you’ll of course be required to have it installed on a device other than the one you lost. (You don’t need the app on the lost device.)
Whether using the app or your browser, you’ll need to be signed in with your Google account credentials to start using it.
We’ll demonstrate the process using Chrome on PC, which is probably the most universal way to use this feature. Make sure you’re signed in to your Google account on Chrome, then go straight to the “Find My Device” page.
From here, you can manage all Android devices associated with your Google account, switching between them using the drop-down menu under the map.
Click the Ring button to make your Android phone ring at full volume.
The Recover button will take you to a screen showing your devices. Click one, enter your Google credentials, and you’ll go to a screen showing you your recent security events.
You’ll also see options to lock your phone, sign out of it, or even erase all data from it. (This will permanently get rid of all data on your phone, so only do this if you’re convinced it’s been stolen.)
This feature is so useful that it deserves to be mentioned every now and then because really everyone should be using it. Thanks to features like this, smartphone theft is on the decline. as it allows you to lock thieves out of your phone, rendering it useless to them.
