Are you worried that you can’t find your Android phone. Has it been stolen? Put your fears to rest by installing a tracking system before the worst happens. Most smartphones now come with a built-in service called Find My Device (previously called Android Device Manager). This service automatically tracks the location of your phone, so if it gets lost, you can sit down at your computer and find out the last known location of your missing gadget.
While the built-in Google service is certainly better than nothing, there are worthy alternatives in the form of third-party applications. Below we will tell you about the best of them. If you are unsure about the choice, install several. It is much easier than looking for a lost phone that does not have a security system installed at all.
Google Find My Device
Find My Device is Google's official tool for tracking a lost Android phone or tablet, and it doesn't require installation. All you have to do is go to Find My Device website, using your Google account. The site will automatically try to determine the location of your phone.
In a recent update, Google has introduced new features to the search page: you can quickly find any registered Android device directly in the search results, just like you would normally search for information. If you type “where is my phone,” Google will display a small map above the search results.
You can track a lost device from someone else's phone. To do this, use the Find My Device application. You can log in using the guest mode and a Google account. Now you can track the lost device, make it ring, or erase its data.
You can't find your Android this way? There could be 2 reasons: it's not connected to the internet or it's turned off.
Timeline from Google
Here's what you need to do. Go to Google Places Timeline (formerly Google Maps Location History) and make sure the current day is selected in the calendar. On the left sidebar, you can see the full timeline of that day, including the names of all the locations recorded. On the right, you can see all the places shown on the map.
In addition to the Find Your Device feature, which uses satellite GPS for tracking, Timeline uses cell tower IDs and Wi-Fi location to collect data on the location of the device. This way, you can identify frequented places where the thief might live or work. This will help the police catch the person who stole the phone.
Samsung Find My Mobile
If you have a Samsung device, you may be able to locate your phone using Samsung's tracking service - Find my mobile.
Got the app installed? Great! Go to the Find my mobile website and sign in. Check the left sidebar and make sure the device is connected to the account. Now all you have to do is select Find my device from the sidebar and click the Find button.
If the device is connected to the network, remote control is enabled, you will see its approximate location. This option also allows you to perform other actions: lock the device, call it, send messages and erase data.
Prey Anti Theft
Prey Anti Theft — is an app from a developer with over 10 years of experience in finding lost phones, laptops, and tablets. It is also available for iOS, Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, or Mac. With a free account, you can track up to three devices. The service is used by over 7 million people.
Prey opens up wide possibilities for remote control. Getting the exact coordinates of the device on the map and access to all built-in cameras will allow you to find out the location as accurately as possible. It has not only GPS, but also scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks for better location determination.
If your phone is lost in a closed room, such as at a conference, you can remotely activate a very loud sound signal, even if the silent mode is on. Displaying a warning message on the screen will help motivate the attacker to return the device to the owner. When changing the SIM card, you will receive a message with information about the new card. By sending just one SMS command from any phone, you will start receiving a report on the status and location of the gadget.
Family Locator
Application The Family Locator from Life360 is primarily designed to allow friends or family members to share their location with each other. But it can also be used to find a stolen phone.
It will be most useful for families who use multiple phones at once. Family members are grouped together in a Circle — the name of a closed group of people in the app who have agreed to have their phones tracked in real time. If a phone in this group is lost or stolen, the app will immediately show its location.
Where is my droid
Main functions of the application Where is my droid will allow you to call a lost phone, find it using GPS on Google maps and use a passcode to prevent unauthorized changes to the device. When changing the SIM card, you will immediately receive a notification, and an invisible mode is available.
There is a Stealth Mode (invisibility mode), which will not allow the thief to view incoming text messages. SMS messages can be used to control the device. The paid version allows you to remotely erase data, lock the device and control the front and rear cameras to take a photo of the intruder.
Use Google Photos
With Google Photos' backup and sync feature, every image you take on your phone will be uploaded to your account. The image will show the location where it was taken. So if the thief is not signed out of your Google account and is using the camera, new images will appear in Google Photos.
So, sign in to Google Photos with your account. Check if the photos were taken after the device was stolen. If so, click on the image. Now click on the information icon in the upper right corner. In the sidebar that appears, you can see information about the image, including the location where it was taken.
Please be careful if you have located your lost phone - it may well be the thief's home address. Do not try to retrieve it yourself! Use this information and call the police to take your report.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find my phone if it is turned off or the battery is dead?
There is no way to do this, unless you work for the FSB. If there is no access to the Internet, you can use the location history, if this function is activated, to see where he was before the connection was lost.
Can I track the phone if someone did factory reset?
This reset will return it to factory settings, meaning it won't be connected to your Google account. Unless you've installed a rooted tracking app like Cerberus, you won't be able to find it anymore.
Can I find a phone by IMEI number?
This is impossible. The only way out is to block it. To do this, it is best to contact your mobile operator. By the way, you can find out the IMEI by dialing *#06#. This code works on most devices.
My phone isn't showing up on Find My Device. Why?
There could be many reasons for this: it's turned off, disconnected from the internet, or disconnected from your Google account. Keep in mind that changing your account password will automatically disconnect it from Google and Find My Device won't be able to track it.