How to Find a Lost Phone Using Amazon Echo or Google Home
If you have an Echo device from Amazon or Google Home, you probably already use it to play music, get news updates and request weather information, but thanks to the integration with the If This Then That (IFTTT) platform, you can do much more. , including finding a lost phone.
It takes a few steps to set up any device to ring your phone when it enters the Bermuda Triangle of Devices, but they are pretty simple, and once completed, putting your iPhone or Android back in your hands is as simple as saying a short phrase. aloud.
First, a little about IFTTT.
IFTTT is a free online platform that allows you to use applets that you create yourself or choose from out-of-the-box suggestions. Applets are basically short sets of instructions that tie together different Internet-connected devices or services. So, for example, you can install a Wi-Fi-enabled light in your home that comes on when you open the front door lock that is connected to Wi-Fi. In order for Google Home or Amazon Echo to find your lost phone, you need to create different applets. Here’s how.
Google home
First, you will need to register an account (or log into an existing account) on IFTTT . Once that’s done, hit Search at the top of the screen and type in Google Assistant. Google Assistant is Google’s answer to Siri, a voice search feature.
Once you’re at a screen showing a number of Google services, tap on Google Assistant. You will then be prompted to choose which Google account you want to use with that service. Make sure to select the same account you have already linked to your Google Home device.
Then go back to the search function and search for “Phone Call”. On the screen that appears, tap Phone Call (US only) (yes, this feature only works for US residents). You will then need to go through a verification process in which you enter your phone number and receive a callback with a PIN. Enter this number when prompted and you can use the phone call service.
Usually you need to link two services together to create an applet, but Google has already taken care of that, so all you have to do is visit that applet page and hit enable. You can then leave the applet as it is, or customize it by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner of the black box. Do this and you will see three different phrases that you can use to find your phone. You can leave them as they are, or customize them to your liking by changing the text. You can also enter the phrase you want your home device to answer to you after it recognizes your command, as well as the message you hear if you choose to answer the call when it rings.
Amazon Echo
The Echo setup is much the same as for Google Home. You also need to enable the phone call service, so follow the instructions above for that to happen.
Then just click here to access the applet and click the enable button. You will then be able to enter a phrase that will launch the applet, which will ring your phone again if it is lost. Unlike Google Home, you will have to use the echo trigger phrase in front of any phrase you choose. So, for example, if you want the phrase to be “I lost again”, you will need to say: “Alexa, trigger, I lost again.” You can also customize the message you hear if you answer the call when it rings.
With both applets, you can test if they work by clicking the Test Now button and watching the results in the bar that flashes at the top of the screen.
In addition, it is important to remember that they will only work if your phone still has power, its ringer is on, and it is not in Do Not Disturb mode.