Updated on 05-24-2017 by Carlos Vega to include Android Device Manager.
No matter how cautious people are with their electronic devices, everyone’s endured the awful experience of losing a smartphone –after all, it happens to the best of us. Whether it occurs after a raucous night out with friends, or you’ve had the unlucky experience of running into a skilled pickpocket, it’s always a drag to reach for your digital friend only to come up empty.
Luckily for Android users, there are a range of applications and programs specifically designed for the tracking down and locating a lost or stolen smartphone. To help you sift through the sea of available options, we’ve compiled this list of the absolute best methods for finding and retrieving lost Android devices.
Note: Digital Trends doesn’t condone the use of these phone trackers for anything other than locating a lost or stolen Android phone. While these apps work wonders for finding a wayward phone, it’s never cool to be a creep. Please use sound judgment when employing the services of the following programs.
Find My Device
Features:
- Track your phone via GPS
- Erase your phone remotely
- Remotely play a sound
- Lock your phone remotely
Google’s Find My Device app is a must-have for Android users. The app is simple to use, and all you have to do to get started is download it from the Play Store. After you install the app, it will ask you to log in, and to make sure Location is turned on. Once the app is installed and running, you will be able to locate your device, assuming it’s turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.
To track your device, go to android.com/find in any browser, whether on your computer or another smartphone. If your lost device has access to the internet, location is on, and Find My Device is running, you will be able to locate it. One of the great features here is that you can lock the device and write a message with an accompanying phone number. That way if someone finds or has your device, all they have to do is press the Call Me button on the screen to call the specified phone number. You can also choose to play a sound or erase the phone remotely if you have no other choice.
Remember that if you track your phone using a browser, however, you will have to log in to your Google account. If you logged in from someone else’s smartphone or desktop browser, then you’ll want to log out of all your accounts when finished. If you leave your account logged in, anyone with access to that computer will be able to track your smartphone. The app only takes a minute to install and set up, and because it is so easy to use, it should be your first choice for finding a lost Android device.
Download now from:
Google Play
Find My Android Phone!
Features:
- See the GPS location of your phone via the app’s built-in map
- Keep tabs on missing or lost phones with real-time updates
- Receive navigational assistance from the app when locating a phone
- Delete any messages from a tracked phone
Family Safety Productions’ app Find My Android Phone! makes it incredibly easy to find a stolen or lost Android phones with its superior tracking technology. Perhaps one of its greatest features is that the application allows users to track the cell phones of any family member who syncs their phone to the program — though, we don’t condone the act of spying on spouses or loved ones unless necessary. When hunting down a lost or stolen phone, the application provides real-time location updates, which constantly change as the phone in question moves. The app also provides accurate GPS directions, and relies on its triangulation algorithm to produce a spot-on location.
The application’s easy-to-use website allows for quick viewing of all synced phones, and also provides the same real-time mapping as the application. Considering that the app is free, Find My Android Phone! remains one of the best options for locating your Android device after it’s either fallen victim to a long night on the town, or become the object of a thief’s obsession.
Download now from:
Google Play
Lost Android
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2vp29GbKNQ?feature=oembed&w=100&h=100]
Features:
- Read sent and received SMS messages via your computer
- Wipe your phone or SD card’s memory remotely
- Start a flashing screen alarm on the phone
- Forward any calls to a desired number of your choice
- Start and stop your device’s Wi-Fi and GPS functions
- Locate your phone via a GPS or network connection
Lost Android — or Android Lost, depending on the webpage — is a fantastic app, one that excels when it comes to finding your lost Android device. Although the Android app is technically still in beta, it still manages to provide users an incredible amount of features and benefits, many of which remain exclusive to this impressive app.
For starters, users have the ability to automatically forward any SMS messages received on their phone to their email inbox, and even have the option of sending SMS messages directly from their computer. Lost Android also allows users to activate a remote-controlled alarm, even if your phone is in “Silent Mode.” Moreover, the app allows users to wipe any content from a lost phone, forward all calls sent to the phone, and produce a pop-up message that lets any would-be thieves know to return the device ASAP.
Like Find My Android Phone!, Lost Android doesn’t cost a dime to download, and the fact it affords its users a laundry list of available benefits makes it an attractive solution for find your phone.
Download now from:
Google Play