By Christine Betterton-Jones – Knowledge Junkie
Both Google (Android smartphones) and Apple provide services to help you locate your missing phone. Firstly, find another device which has Internet access, such as a laptop or tablet and search for “Find my Phone” in the browser.
You’ll see two options for Google:
- Find my Phone: https://myaccount.google.com/intro/find-your-phone
- and Find My Device: https://www.google.com/android/find
- …and an option for Apple iphones: https://www.icloud.com/find
These links will ask you to sign into your Google or iCloud account before taking you to sites which enable you to manage your missing device.
For Android phones:
The website will display a map showing the current location of your phone, assuming it’s powered up. Google will have an idea of where it was before it was powered down. (Note: The phone must have had the Location settings on (this is the default).
Google will enable you to:
- Make the phone play a sound for 5 minutes even if set to silent. (This is the ideal option if it has disappeared under the sofa.)
- Secure the device: This locks the device and signs out of Google. You can display a message or a phone number on the lock screen and the phone can still be located by Google. Note – It’s a bit of a faff to unlock your phone if you find it afterwards….. as you would expect since it’s a security feature! (This is the ideal option if you think you left it in a restaurant).
- Erase Device: Delete all content from the device (Nuclear option if the phone has been stolen). Note: After it has been wiped clean, Google won’t be able to locate it.
Apple
provides a similar service for iPhones.
Apps
Both Apple and Android provide apps to enable you to find other Apple or Android devices you may own. e.g. a tablet/iPad.
- Google Find My Device from the Playstore
- Find My from Apple https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/ This can do loads of things for Apple devices including those mentioned above for Android and has the additional ability to find the device even if it is off-line ( this is because the iPhone and other devices that run the iOS software, including Apple Watch, iPod touch, and iPad support peer-to-peer connectivity, which is the technical way of saying that these devices can communicate with one another directly via a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth)
Apparently “Find My” can be built into bikes and headphones…!
…now where did I put my keys….