How To Track Lost Or Misplaced Smartphone Via Google Find My Device

You might be wondering what's the function of this feature and how can we bring it to use in our daily lives. Well, this feature comes handy when you accidentally misplace your smartphone or even if it gets stolen.

Using the Google Find My Device app you can not only keep a track of your lost device but also lock and erase data remotely using any other smartphone. This article is a step-by-step guide on how you can locate a lost smartphone using this app.

Steps To Download And Use Google Find My Device App

The first step is to download the application via Google Play Store or Apple's App Store. We are using the former for the reference. The Google Find My Device app weighs around 2.3 MB on the Play Store.

Once you download and run the application, you will be given an option to login via your registered email address on the device or as a guest. If you want to find a device registered with your email address, it's the first option you need to select.

However, if you need to locate a handset that isn't registered with your email address of you are trying to find your device from some other users' account; you will need to select the ‘guest' option.

Steps To Find A Lost Smartphone

Once you login to the app, you will be able to see the list of smartphones that are registered to your email address or the one you have entered in the guest section. The app will show the location of the device in proximity where it was last seen. You can also refresh the Maps Timeline if the ‘Last Seen' hasn't been updated for long.

Features Offered By Google Find My Device App

This app will provide you three different options to track and manage a lost smartphone. The first feature is the ‘Play Sound' option which on clicking will turn on the notification sound/ringtone on the device to be tracked.

It is worth mentioning that even if the lost device is in silent mode, it will ring. Only when the power key on that handset is pressed, or the stop sound command is given; the ringing will stop.

The second option you get here is the ‘Secure Device'. As the name suggests, this option will let you lock the lost handset. You are not able to lock the device remotely, but also leave a lock screen message along with a phone number for the founder to contact you.

Lastly, there is also an ‘Erase Device' option whose functionality is to permanently delete the data stored on lost smartphones. This feature is useful if in case your smartphone gets stolen and you don't want your personal data to land in the wrong hands.