Your phone was lost? There’s no reason to freak out. Nowadays, there are several ways to locate a lost or misplaced phone. And to do this, your Android phone doesn’t even need any apps installed.
Every Android device released in the last few years has an integrated anti-theft system that enables you to locate it if it is ever misplaced or lost.
It’s a nightmare when you lose your phone, but you might be able to find it again. Here are some methods for finding a lost Android phone.
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In This Article
Finding a Lost Android Phone
Google’s Find My Device feature is integrated into all Android smartphones and tablets by default. Your phone can be easily tracked when lost or stolen thanks to the feature’s ability to play a sound or track its location.
To set up Find My Device on your Android phone, nothing needs to be done. When you initially sign into your Google account on the phone, it is automatically configured in the background.
For Find My Device tracking to function, your lost Android phone needs to be connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. You can only see the phone’s last known location if you don’t have access to the internet.
- On a different Android phone, launch the Find My Device app.
- Select your Google account and log in if it is your device.
- You can trace the stolen phone by using the Android phone belonging to a friend or member of your family.
- Use the Google account connected to your missing Android phone to sign in using the Find My Device app’s Sign in as a Guest option.
- Choose the phone you wish to monitor from the tab at the top if you have numerous devices connected to the account.
Your missing Android phone will attempt to be located via the Find My Device app. If the device cannot be reached, its most recent estimated position will be shown. To get the device’s IMEI number and last saw the date, tap the I button next to the device name.
Use the Play Sound feature to make your phone ring if it’s lost so you can find it. Even in quiet mode, your smartphone will ring for five minutes.
To lock the device, log out of your Google account, and show a message on the lock screen, using the Secure Device option.
On your Android phone, don’t turn off location access since Find My Device depends on it. It won’t be able to provide your phone with a precise position without location access.
A missing iPhone can be located in several ways, including using Apple’s fantastic Find My app. The functionality also works offline, increasing the likelihood of finding your missing iPhone over an Android phone.
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How to Use Your PC to Find a Lost Phone
To locate a missing phone, you can use the web on a PC or laptop to visit Google’s Find My Device service.
- On your computer, go to the Find My Device webpage. Continue to log in using the Google account associated with your lost or stolen phone.
- From the tab bar at the top, choose the device you wish to monitor. The location of your most recent used device will always be shown by default in Find My Device.
- To find your phone, you can play a sound or track its whereabouts. Use the Secure Device option to lock down your misplaced Android phone if you can’t find it.
- This will stop a thief from accessing your phone’s saved info.
- Use the Delete device option to erase your lost Android phone if you have little hope of finding it or if it contains important information that shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.
To complete this step, you must enter your Google account password. However, your device won’t be erased until it establishes an internet connection.
Find My Device can be used to monitor Android tablets and Wear OS watches in addition to smartphones.
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The Best Way to Find a Lost Samsung Phone
Samsung’s Find My Mobile anti-theft and monitoring system is available on their smartphones. It has several benefits over Google’s Find My Device service but is otherwise comparable.
You must sign into your Samsung account on your Galaxy device to use Find My Mobile.
- Go to the Find My Mobile webpage on your computer or mobile device.
- Sign in using the same Samsung account that you used to access your lost phone.
- The devices connected to your account are shown in a sidebar on the left. Choose your missing phone from this list.
- Following that, the map will automatically refresh to display the phone’s most recent position.
- The Track location feature on a moving phone allows you to check its whereabouts every 15 minutes.
Samsung’s Find My Mobile anti-theft technology includes several more sophisticated capabilities than Google’s Find My Device.
Your missing phone can be tracked down, its calls and texts can be recovered, and you can even set it to the most power-saving mode to prolong the time you can track it.
Even offline locating is supported by Find My Mobile on more recent Samsung smartphones. This enables your phone to remotely broadcast its position even if Wi-Fi or mobile data are not active.
The function works by pinging neighbouring Galaxy phones through Bluetooth and using them to broadcast the missing phone’s position.
Can You Find Your Lost Android Phone With Your Phone Number?
The answer is regrettably no. You cannot use a phone number to trace your misplaced phone using any internet resources.
This power is only available to law enforcement authorities since it would otherwise compromise people’s privacy. As a result, you cannot find your phone even if it is lost while still containing your SIM card.
The IMEI number of a phone cannot be used to locate it in the same way. You can try getting in touch with your network provider or the police since they have the equipment needed to do this.
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The bottom line
Thanks to Find My Device, you can locate your missing or lost Android phone. However, the functionality is not completely reliable since it needs a live Wi-Fi or mobile data connection to function.
After taking your phone, a thief may remove the SIM card, making the phone more difficult to find. As a result, it is always advised to keep your phone secure in your pocket and avoid leaving it unattended in public places.