How to Track Lost
Android Phone and Tablet
Your Android gadgets are the most important things in your
life. It contains all your important contacts and information. If you lose your
equipment, you will be losing all those sweet memories with the photos and
video. But there is some good news to android phone/tablet users, you can now
easily find or at least know where your missing phone is with or without using
android application.
Let’s first look at the way of
finding your lost phone which doesn’t contain any app installed on it.
1.Use the IMEI Number
Every android phone carries a unique
IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity Number). It will be
printed at the back of your device. If you are unable to find the number, you
have to launch your phone app and dial the number *#06#. This will give you the
IMEI number of your phone. Store this number in a safe place so that it helps
you in locating your phone when it is lost.
When you file a complaint, this
number has to be added in the report. Your service provider uses this number to
track your phone and tell you where it is. No matter if the person using the
phone is using a different SIM card or has switched off the phone. Once the
device is traced, you can request your service provider to block it from using.
This is one of the easy ways of
locating your lost Android phone or tablet.
2.Plan B
Another way of tracking your lost
Android gdget in no time is through Plan B app. This app does not require you
to install any recovery software previously but still helps in finding your
lost phone. All you need to do is log on to your Google play account. Lookout
mobile security offers free software called Plan B. Download the software from
play store to your phone. This will be possible only if your phone is within
the Internet coverage area. Wait for some time and then send the keyword
“locate” without the quotes through SMS to your phone. And a map showing where
your equipment is will be sent to your Gmail account. This app is very much
useful in situations where you don’t have IMEI number.
If you have installed and configured
any of these below android software previously, there is good chance of finding
it.
You can log on to Google Play store
> My Android Apps, on your computer and check if you have installed any of
the following apps previously.
3.Lookout Security and Antivirus
Lookout is the best android app for
security and antivirus. So far, it has received millions of downloads. Just
recall if you have installed this on your phone.
If you have activated the option
“Missing Device” in this app, it is easy to find your device. If you have also
enabled “Signal Flare” option, you can trace the last known location of your
android device. This is helpful in case your phone battery is dead or tablet is
switched off.
Now sign in Lookout to locate your
device. The map shows the location of your phone. If you are at a short
distance from the tablet, you can choose Scream option to make a loud noise to
find it.
4.Android Device Manager
Google has recently released a new
locator feature for Android gadgets called Android Device manager, which helps
its users locate their lost or stolen phones and tablets. It functions in the
same way as Lookout and Samsung’s “Find My Mobile”. Here’s how to use Android
Device Manager.
Go to the Google Settings app, then
select Android device manager. By default the locator feature is activated but
to activate remove data wipe, select the box next to “Allow remote factory
reset”, then select “activate”.
To use this feature, open the site https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager and
sign in to your Google account. You may be prompted for permission to allow
Android Device Manager to use location data. Select the Accept tab to continue.
Now you will be provided with a map
that shows the location of your device along with other details such as the
name of the place, when it was last used and more. The location data doesn’t
help you if your phone is misplaced somewhere in your home. Instead of making a
call to your phone using other’s phone, you can call your phone directly from
Android Device Manager. This will make your device to ring with high volume for
5 minutes, even if it’s in silent or vibrate mode.
One feature that is missing in
Android Device Manager is remote locking, which can be useful in preventing a
stranger from accessing your data, while you’re tracking its location.
Apart from these, there are other
apps such as Android Lost, Where do My Droid and GadgetTrak that help you in
finding your lost Android phone/Tablet.
- Source-
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