Your smartphone is more than just a phone – it’s an essential device for modern life. It contains our bank details, precious photos and memories, and conversations with our closest friends and family. The cash value of a phone is almost always less than the loss of everything on it, and the thought of all that crucial and private information being lost in the wild, or in the hands of a stranger, is terrifying.
However, it doesn’t have to stay that way for long as there are several simple and reliable ways to find a lost iPhone or Android device. Whether your smartphone or tablet runs iOS or Android, it will have built-in software that can help you find your lost device. If they don’t work for some reason, there are also many third-party apps that can track your smartphone.
Whether you’re looking for something expensive like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro Max, or something more modest like the Google Pixel 6a, here’s how to find your lost smartphone.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends
Find lost smartphones
If you accidentally lose track of your iOS or Android smartphone, both Apple and Google have built-in phone finder technology as part of their native software package that works through your device account: Google for your Android account and iCloud for your iPhone. Both let you remotely lock and wipe your phone, set it to ring, and set special messages to alert whoever finds it. These features work great as long as your phone’s battery lasts.
Be careful when you communicate with anyone who has found your smartphone. Avoid revealing personal information, such as your home address, until you know you are dealing with someone you can trust. Just submit phone numbers or email addresses so the finder knows how to get your phone back. Here’s our guide on how to find your lost phone or similar device for each operating system. The following example uses Android 13.
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How to find a lost Android phone
The easiest way to locate a lost Android phone is to use the Find My Device feature, which is built into your Android smartphone via Google Play Services; it can also be used in a browser or downloaded from the Google Play Store. Most devices running Android 2.3 or later can use this feature.
Always enable Find My Device on your Android smartphone. Using the feature is as easy as asking “Where is my phone?” on Google, which will cause the service to search for your phone. We’ve covered Find My Device and its ability to call it, set a new passcode, and call your phone from afar, along with a host of other notification features. Although you can set up Find My Device in advance, the service should be available if you lose or misplace your phone using Wi-Fi or GPS to help you find your device.
Step 1: Go to settings > Security. Alternatively, you can also go to Google. Both methods will take you to the next step.
Step 2: Tap find my device. Alternatively, you can also open settings and type “find my device” in the search box. When the setting appears, tap it.
Step 3: Turn on find my device setting. It should always be on. Then tap to open the web app or phone or tablet app. These utilities will show you where your phone is on a map.
Step 4 – See the location of your device marked on the map.
Galaxy S23 Ultra (right) and Galaxy A54 (left) Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
How to find a lost Samsung phone
Another option for some Samsung smartphones is the Find My Mobile service. You can use it to locate, lock or wipe your lost phone. You need a Samsung account and Remote controls options enabled on your phone. To check if Find My Mobile is available for your smartphone, please do the following.
Step 1: Go to settings > biometrics and security.
Step 2: Tap find my cell phone and turn it on. Enter your Samsung account information or create an account.
Step 3 – You can then opt for features like remote unlock, send last locationand offline discovery.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends
How to find a lost iPhone
Apple has a proprietary app called Find My iPhone that helps you locate a lost or misplaced iPhone. The app installs on all iOS devices and can display your lost device on a map to help you find and manage it. You must use another iOS phone, tablet, or computer that also has the Find My iPhone app installed.
Step 1: choose settings > Your Apple ID (Name).
Step 2: choose find me > find my iphone. Make sure the Find My iPhone button is always on the left In (green).
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Step 3: Turn on find my network and send last location switches Help you locate where you last left your phone in case Internet services are down.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Step 4: Run find me application, and then select Devices from the bottom tab.
Step 5: choose yours iphone either iPad for which you want to see the location.
Step 6 – You can also play a sound to locate your device, get instructions to locate your device, set notifications when your device is left behind, mark your device as lost, or remotely wipe your device.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Prepare before theft or loss
If you can’t get your smartphone back, you can always wipe it to prevent sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. Your device will need an internet connection and enough power to communicate with you.
With Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google introduced Factory Reset Protection (FRP). It is designed to prevent thieves from using or selling a stolen phone. If you factory reset your phone with FRP enabled and someone tries to set it up as a new phone, you will be asked to enter the username and password of the last Google account registered on the device. If they can’t, then the phone remains locked with data protected.
Android also works with several third-party apps designed to find your smartphone. For example, Prey Anti Theft has remote access and control, allowing it to collect more information about where your phone is. Gives you more granular control over how you or the police can track your device: GPS coordinates, MAC address, camera photos to help catch thieves, and other more detailed information that Find My Device doesn’t offer.
Customize and extend location methods
Apple’s Find My utility gives you options to play a sound on your device, mark your device as lost, and send a message to your phone in lost mode. You also have the option to wipe the device in case it falls into the wrong hands. Find my iPhone can locate your Mac, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch, or any Apple device.
Your iPhone maintains a high level of security in the event of theft with Activation Lock. Enabled by default, Activation Lock requires you to tap your Apple ID and password before you can turn off Find My iPhone, erase your device, or reactivate it.
Apple AirTags is another great way to track specific iOS devices.
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How to find your not so smart cell phone
With basic cell phones, there aren’t many software or app options available to help you find your lost phone. However, there is always a basic protocol to follow when you lose your phone. Try to do the following.
Step 1: Call his cell phone. Listen for a ring or vibration and try to locate your phone through proven human detection. If your phone is actually lost and in someone else’s hands, they will probably get in touch, if they intend to return the phone.
Step 2: Repeat your steps. Do a full visual search. If you couldn’t hear a ring or vibrate when you called, don’t immediately assume your phone is far away – the battery just died.
Step 3 – Send an SMS to your phone. If you think someone has stolen or found your phone, send a text message to your phone with your contact information and a reward offer if you’d like. There are many online services that allow you to send free text messages, such as txtDrop.com. Do not share any personal information.
Step 4 – Notify your service provider. If you’ve given up hope of finding it, call your wireless service provider and let them know you lost your phone. Ask if they offer a GPS tracking service. If they don’t, ask them to suspend service on your phone to avoid fraudulent charges. Operators have different policies on this, but it’s always worth a try, even for a smartphone. This FCC page has a handy list of numbers.
Step 5: Register your lost phone. If you know the IMEI of your phone or have it written down somewhere, record it in Freeze.
Step 6: Prepare for the next time you lose your phone. Maybe you are one of those people who constantly lose their phone. You may want to consider signing up for a tracking service like AccuTracking.
Losing your smartphone is definitely a scary experience, although sometimes it just gets lost somewhere in the house. Fortunately, almost all smartphones have a built-in function to locate them if they are lost or stolen, and activating them is quite simple. It is highly recommended to turn on the “find my device” feature after you get a new phone or tablet and leave it on. You may never need it, but it will be there if something happens, better safe than sorry!
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Source: newstars.edu.vn