Mumbai: Google offers a safety mechanism for Android smartphone users that can help you remove and secure your sensitive data and potentially even retrieve your lost device.
Here is a guide on what to do if you lost your smartphone:
Use Find My Device
For Android users, Google Find My Device can serve as a first line of defence to secure your data. This feature can help you locate your phone remotely, lock it down, or even erase all data if necessary. But this feature only works if you have it enabled on the device.
Open Settings.
Tap on Google.
Depending on your phone’s version, you might see an additional tab named All Services. Tap on it if available.
Look for Find My Device and tap on it.
Ensure the Use Find My Device toggle is switched on.
Once Find My Device is enabled for your phone, you can locate it remotely using a web browser or another device.
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To locate the phone, you can use any web browser or another Android device to access Find My Device: google.com/android/find and sign in with your Google account associated with the lost phone.
Under this, you will see all the Android devices, including watches and earbuds, connected with your account. Tap on the device you have lost, and you can then track it. Notably, the feature only works until the device has an active internet connection. So, in case the device has been switched off, it will show you the last location it was in before switching off.
If you are able to locate the phone but are not able to find it, you can also take actions like the “Play Sound” feature, which can help you find it if it’s nearby. If you believe your phone is stolen, you can remotely lock it with a strong PIN, password, or pattern. This step will prevent anyone from opening and accessing your smartphone. Additionally, you can also erase all data on your phone. This action, however, will permanently delete the data on your phone which cannot be retrieved even if you get your smartphone back.
Take these preventive measures:
Ensure “Find My Device” is enabled on your Android phone. Check your settings regularly to verify it’s still active.
Use a strong PIN, password, or fingerprint lock for your phone’s screen. This makes it much harder for someone to access your data if they find your phone.
Back up your phone’s data regularly to protect your photos, contacts, and other important information. You can back up to your Google Drive or another cloud storage service.
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