Find My Device is a service offered by Google to track Android phones and tablets as well as smartwatches. This service is certainly very useful for those who often forget where they last placed their phone.
Not only tracking down lost Android devices, but this service also has additional features that can secure the device from nosy hands.
To track the location of your smartphone using Find My Device, there are several things that you must prepare. Quoted from the Google Support page, the requirements are as follows:
Prerequisite:
- The device must be in good working condition
- Connected to Google account
- Connected with mobile data or Wi-Fi
- Visible on Google Play
- GPS or active location
- Find My Device service is active
After all the above conditions are met, then you can use the Find My Device feature on your mobile or PC.
Here’s how to use Find My Device to track a lost smartphone
1. Make sure Find My Device On
You cannot search for the lost smartphone location without first activating the Find My Device feature. To check if this feature is active or not enter into the Settings application on your mobile.
Look for the Security option then Find My Device. If there isn’t, try searching for Security & Location or Google then Security. After finding the Find My Device option, make sure the toggle is active.
2. Track the Phone Location
Visit the https://google.com/android/find and log in using the Google account registered on your smartphone. If you have more than one smartphone using the same Google account, select the one that is missing from the list at the top.
3. Finding the Position of the phone
The lost phone will then get a notification. On the map of the Find My Device site, you will get information about the position of your lost phone.
This location is only approximate and may not be accurate. If your smartphone cannot be found, you will be given information about its last location.
4. Secure Lost Phones
After a lost smartphone has been successfully tracked, you can take several actions to find its exact position or secure it. You can choose the Play Sound option so that your phone plays the loudest volume for 5 minutes, even if your phone is idle or vibrates.
To secure your cellphone you can choose the Lock or Erase option. But before clicking Enable Lock & Erase on the Find My Device site.
The Lock option can lock your lost phone remotely automatically. To help others return the phone, you can add a message or number that can be contacted on the lock screen.
The Erase option can erase all data on the cellphone, but data on the SD Card may not be erased. But it should be noted, if you have chosen this option, the Find My Device feature will no longer be able to be used on the cellphone because your Google account is no longer connected.
5. Track Phones Using the App
In addition to using the site, you can also track your lost phone using the Find My Device app installed on other phones. To get started, you first need to download and install the Find My Device application from the Google Play Store on another phone.
If your phone is lost, sign in using your Google account that is connected to the lost phone. To help a friend who lost his phone, click Sign in as Guest so that your friend can sign in using their Google account.
After that, follow the steps mentioned above to track and secure the lost phone.
Conclusion:
There is no certainty on the accuracy of the Google Find My Device GPS location. However, if your smartphone cannot be found, simply use the erase option to keep your data safe. Also, take note of the location, some regions can pose a risk to your safety when you go looking for your lost phone yourself, if retrieving your lost phone is too important then it’s advised to notify the police.
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