Everyone has had to bear the brunt of losing a cellphone or having it stolen. Most of us always fear that our phones may be stolen at any time.
Whether you were at the mall and forgot it in the bathroom, or you spent the night with friends and had it slip out of your pocket or handbag, losing a cellphone is inconvenient and frustrating.
But did you know that there are ways of tracking down your mobile phone? And many people don’t know that it’s possible to trace your phone without going to the police first.
However, it is possible, nowadays, to use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track the location of a lost phone. For this approach, you will need to have a third-party application installed.
Let’s look at some of the tips that you can follow to find it once it is lost.
Use Android device manager (ADM)
Android phone manufacturers include a provision to connect your phone to your Google Account. If you had it connected with your Google account and the location was turned on before it gets lost, you can use the Android device manager to track its location. The application can track the phone’s location by default provided your smartphone is enabled to be found once lost. However, it should be installed in the lost smartphone for it to be recoverable.
To make use of this approach, your smartphone must be running on Android and meet the following:
- Its location is on
- Has google play visibility enabled
- Connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data
- Logged in to a Google account
- The Find My Device feature should be own
- The smartphone should be on
It is advisable to be ready to find your smartphone once it gets lost. Here are the necessary steps:
Turn the Find My Device feature on
From the Settings application , tap the Security & location button. Some gadgets may require you to go to Google and then Security. You will see the Find My Device icon; tap it to switch the application on. However, you must be the owner of the device to change these settings.
Turn the Location on
Turn the location feature of your smartphone from the Settings icon . In some cases, you may not see the Security & Location option, just tap the Location button. It will allow you to switch it either on or off.
Turn Google play visibility on
Hiding a device on Google Play implies that you cannot locate it using the Find My Device option. To turn it on, go to Google Play play.google.com/settings and pick the device under ‘visibility’.
Turn Find My Device on
This is the most important step in preparing to find your device once it gets lost. Begin by accessing the application from https://android.com/find. Use your main profile to log in to your Google account and ensure that your device is selected.
With this option, it is possible to find the approximate location of the phone and even allow it to ring if it is on the silent mode, lock it using a pattern or a PIN password, or even erase any data on it.
Use the Google search option
If you are among the category of people who dislike the idea of connecting their mobile gadgets with the Google account, think again. It could be the only way out to finding your smartphone once it gets lost. All you need is to google find my phone. However, this option only works if your smartphone was signed in to your main account before it gets lost.
Track your lost device using third party applications
Apart from built-in applications such as the Find My Device, installing third-party apps can help you track your device. Such applications come with several benefits such as the ability to find the location of your smartphone, erasing all the data, as well as locking it such that no one can use it. It is important to sample a few applications to establish the one that comes with the best features.
Use the International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number
Every mobile device comes with a unique IMEI number. Can you track a phone that’s turned off? If you are constantly asking yourself how do I find my phone android if it has been switched off, the IMEI number approach is the most appropriate way to go. It is also applicable if the person who accessed your smartphone has restored its factory settings.
However, to use the IMEI tracker South Africa, it is advisable to involve law enforcement agencies and your network operator. In addition, it is possible to track your phone’s IMEI number from a database of stolen and lost smartphones. The IMEI number is always available behind the battery. Alternatively, you can find it by dialing *#06#
Use Google maps
Google Maps makes it easy to track lost devices when they get lost. The feature is effective in that it keeps a track of all the areas you have visited. The Maps feature makes it tack your phone’s location in a timeline manner.
Follow the steps below:
- Access Google maps from this link www.maps.google.co
- Ensure that you are logged in to your Google Account
- At the right-hand corner, select the three horizontal bars icon and click it
- Choose the “Your Timeline”
- Fill in details of the specific day that you want to track your lost phone
- You will get details about your phone’s location with the focus on the specified day, as well as a possible location of where it is presently.
However, the device should be on, and the location switched on for the Google Maps feature to work effectively.
