With the advent of so many amazing apps that make life more convenient, easy, and fun, it’s hard for most people to stay away from their phones even for a couple of minutes.
Moreover, it is likely that your smartphone will contain your personal information, contact information, personal pictures, and maybe even the financial data. So, losing your phone can turn out to be a scary and devastating experience.
But there is no need to panic. With the help of the Google’s Android Device Manager (ADM), aka “Find my Device,” it is possible to find lost and stolen Android phones even if you don’t have the app installed on your phone.
However, most android phones come with this app built in and it is also enabled by default. Android Device Manager works by using the Gmail account that is linked to your smartphone.
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Requirements:
To use Android Device Manager to find your lost phone, the following requirements should be met:
- Your phone must be ON
- It should have an internet connection
- Your Google account is logged in
- Access to location is turned on
- Permission to access location is granted
- Allow Android Device Manager to locate your device. This setting is turned on by default
- Allow Android Device Manager to lock your phone and erase your data. This setting is also turned on by default
Installing Android Device Manager:
If your device does not have ADM, you can get it from the Play Store. Just look for Find My Device app and once you’ve found it, download and install the app. You can download the Android Device Manager APK from any of the numerous trusted websites that offer Free APKs Download.
Signing Into ADM:
After installing ADM, use your Google account to sign in. If you’re using multiple Google accounts on your device, you’ll be given the option to select the account to be linked to the phone.
Checking If Your Phone Is Findable:
After signing in to ADM, a map will be displayed with your present location along with your phone’s brand and model. You’ll also see two choices — Play Sound and Enable Lock & Erase.
- Open ADH from your app drawer or the home screen
- At the top most part of the screen, you’ll see a list of devices. Choose your phone from this list
- Check if your device is findable
If your phone is not discoverable, maybe it’s because you have disabled the location services. Just enable the location and check again.
Locating Your Phone Via The Internet:
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If your phone is lost, you can locate it by heading to the Find My Device website. Log in to the Google account that you’d used while setting up the ADM. Click on Find my device and the service will help you find your phone.
Ringing Your Device:
ADM gives you the option to Play Sound, whereby a loud sound is played at full volume on your phone constantly for five minutes. The tone will be played even if the ringer is muted. Once your phone is found, use the power button to put an end to the ringing.
Locking Your Phone And Erasing Its Data
With the Lock option, a new password can be set to unlock your device. Additionally, you can choose to show a message on the screen and provide a call back number for anyone finding your phone to contact you easily.
If you’re sure that you won’t get your phone back, you can choose to erase all the data remotely. With the Erase option, not only can you delete all phone data but also the data from a connected SD card, depending on the Android version and the manufacturer.
In case your device is switched off when the Erase command is issued, your phone will be subjected to a factory reset procedure once it is connected to the internet.
Now that you know how to use the Android Device Manager, it would be easy for you to locate your phone, should it get lost. If you find that your phone is not in good hands, make sure to inform the police rather than taking the matter into your own hands.