Here's how to find your lost Android smartphone
Losing a cell phone or having it stolen, especially a smartphone, has far more serious consequences today than it did a few years ago. In addition to being expensive, these devices now have much more both personal and professional user information, which can be extremely dangerous in the hands of criminals.
Google, the company responsible for the development of Android, offers a tool within the operating system itself, the Find My Device, so that users discover the location of the device more easily. There are also other applications with similar functions, in more serious cases, it is possible to block the device by the IMEI number, the unique identification number of each device.
How to find your phone with your Google Account
According to Google guidelines, to ensure that the device is found, it needs to have the location and the Find My Device function turned on, in addition to being turned on and connected Internet, whether over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
From your computer, you must access the service's website and sign in to your primary Google account. If you're using another Android smartphone or tablet, download the Find My Device app and sign in with your Google Account.
If you have more than one device, select the phone lost or stolen in the menu at the top of the screen. The approximate location of the device will appear on the map.
After that, there are three possible actions you can take. If the phone's location is close to you, activate Play sound for the phone to play at maximum volume for five minutes, even if you are in silent mode.
If the phone is far from you or has been stolen, there are two alternatives. To dust Protect device go lock the device with your password, pattern or PIN. It is also possible to set up a lock on the fly if you have not done so before. If you think it's safe, you can also add a message or a phone number on the lock screen to help the person who found your phone return it to you.
The second option Wipe device. When activated, all device data is permanently erased, except data that is in the SD card. If you clean your phone, Find My Device will stop working on that device. If the phone is found after a complete wipe, it is likely that you will have to use your Google Account password to use it again.
If you lost your phone at home or at work, Google also offers the possibility to find it using a smart watch, if it is connected to the phone via Bluetooth. Search the apps installed on the watch and contact Find my smartphone. Your phone will ring at maximum volume even if it is in silent mode.
Pay attention when using third party applications
On Google Play, you will find several applications that, in practice, have the same functions as the tool already made available by Google. Some programs allow you to make the lost cell phone at home ring by clapping or whistling, not requiring a second device with internet for this.
Others promise to find the device even without an internet connection, like the app Find Lost Phone. Without internet, the application works with SMS commands and messages. Even if the phone is stolen and the chip is exchanged, the program will send a previously saved SMS to a contact with the location in coordinates, the IMEI number of the cell phone and the battery level.
In return, the application must be installed on the lost device and trust contacts must be entered before the loss. In addition, the Find Lost Phone works with advertisements, which appear with each action taken, which greatly reduces the agility and quality of the service.
Lock the phone with IMEI number
If you have been stolen and prefer to make your phone unusable, you can also block it completely with the IMEI number, which is unique for every mobile device anywhere in the world. For discover the IMEI from your cell phone, just type * # 06 # on the keyboard, as if you were going to make a call, and the code appears on the screen. You can also check IMEI on appliance packaging, next to a barcode, or by Find My Device by clicking on the i next to the device name.
After discovering the IMEI number, make a police report to notify theft or theft. In So Paulo, it is possible to do the BO online through the website of the Electronic Police Station. With the number of the BO and the IMEI, it is possible to call your mobile operator and ask for the block.