Who has not reached into his pocket and realized that his mobile is missing. At that moment all doubts arise. Have I left it at home? Was it stolen from me in the subway? Questions, all, with an answer. We teach you how to locate an Android mobile.
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How To Locate An Android Mobile
There are many reasons for not finding a mobile. We may have forgotten where we left off. Maybe it got out of our pockets while we were riding our bikes. It may even have been swallowed by the sofa. In the same way, there are several ways to locate an Android mobile . The first one is through Google’s own application, included in all smartphones with its operating system. The others go through using third-party applications that we have to install on the device.
Find My Device, From Google
Any mobile device linked to a Google account can be located through the Find my device application of Android Device Manager. To use this service, the lost device has to meet the following conditions. If we are not sure, we can always refer to Google’s advice to check. In addition, in the event of theft, it is important to have the IMEI number at hand to be able to report the disappearance to the police or the operator.
- Have the device turned on.
- Be logged into a Google account.
- Be connected to a network.
- Have the location activated.
- Have the device visible on Google Play.
- And have the Find my device system activated. This last one is very important. We can find it in the phone settings, in Security> Device administrators> Find my device.
To access Find my device, we have two options. We can write directly in the Google search engine ‘find phone’, ‘find phone’ or ‘locate phone’, among other phrases. To do this, it will be necessary to do so in a browser in which we are logged in with our Google account.
We can also click on the option ‘Find my device’ found within the options of our Google account. Both ways will take us to the same place: a simple application in which we can take control of our device. Through the ‘Find my device’ service we can:
- Check the battery status of the device and the network to which it is connected.
- See in real time the precise location of the Android phone.
- Play an alarm sound for five minutes uninterrupted. Although we keep it in silence.
- Block it completely, log out of our Google account or show a message on the screen. Even if it is blocked, we will still have access to your location.
- Clear all device data. The last option, intended to protect our personal information if we already assume that the Android phone has been stolen. From that moment on, we will not be able to locate it using conventional methods.
If we do not have access to a browser in which we can log in, there is also the possibility of locating the smartphone through the ‘Find my device‘ application . We will have to download it in another terminal, log in with our data and follow the same steps as in the previous section.
Other Apps To Find An Android Phone
In addition to the Google option, pre-installed on all Android phones, you can have applications developed by third parties. They all work in a similar way and are available, for free or paid, on Google Play.
- Cerberus . One of the oldest anti-theft apps , among us since 2011. It is paid, but its plans start at 5 euros per year. It is one of the most complete applications, since it allows you to locate the phone, lock it, take photos or emit sounds. In addition, it has a very interesting option. In case the phone is not connected to any network, Cerberus will triangulate the area where the device is located using SMS messages.
- Prey anti-theft . It is similar to Cerberus and also free. Of course, to access all the functionalities it is necessary to pay for the premium version. Basic options include locating, sounding, remote locking, and using smartphone cameras .
- Where’s My Droid . With more than 10 million downloads, she is another veteran. It also has two versions: a premium and a free one, although quite complete. The only thing that the basic version does not include is the possibility to lock the phone and erase its data remotely.
In addition to these three, there are many other applications, although less complete. Broadly speaking, any tracking app , such as those developed for families, allows you to locate an Android mobile. We have been the subject of a robbery or it is simply a mistake, technology is always available to give us a hand.
