How to Find a Lost Android Phone
If you have lost your Android phone, there are a few things you can do quickly to find it, so take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and follow these steps as we show you how to find your lost Android.
What you need to find your lost Android phone
Before you start looking for your lost phone, keep in mind that there are a few prerequisites. Your phone must be turned on, signed in to a Google account, connected to the Internet and enabled GPS and Find My Device (you can check this by going to Settings> Security> Find My Device ). If your lost phone is turned off or does not meet any of the above conditions, it will be difficult to find it.
How to Find a Lost Android Phone
Once you’ve gotten around to the basics, go to android.com/find and sign in with your Google account. Be sure to sign in to the same Google account you used on your lost phone.
For those with only one phone, entering this site will show you the location of your device. If you have two or more phones, you can click the name of your lost phone at the top of the web page to find it.
Please note that the location of your phone will be displayed on the map on the right side of the screen. This location, Google notes , is approximate and may not be accurate. Of course, keep in mind that if your phone has been stolen, it probably isn’t worth looking for it yourself.
How to Play Sound on a Lost Android Phone
If you’ve forgotten your phone somewhere, the location on the map will help you remember where you forgot it. However, once you get there (and you’re in a safe place), you can identify your phone by pinging.
To do this, you can log into android.com/find with your google account and select a phone that you cannot find. Click the Play Sound button on the left panel to have a continuous beep sound on your phone for five minutes, even if the device is in silent mode.
How to Lock a Lost Android Phone and Put a Message on the Lock Screen
On the same android.com/find page, you can click Safe Device in the left panel to lock your lost phone and sign out of your Google account to keep your data safe. This feature allows you to display a message on the screen along with a phone number. If you’re lucky and a kind stranger finds your phone, your message and alternate number can help him get it back to you. When you have typed your message and number, tap Protected Device again to block it.
How to Remotely Erase All Data from Android Phone
If all hope is gone and you’ve sadly lost your phone forever, you can click Erase Device at android.com/find to restore factory settings. You will need to press the green Erase Device button a second time to confirm that you want to erase everything on the device. Just note that this method will erase data from internal storage, but may not do the same with SD cards in your phone.