The more we depend on a smartphone, the more worrying it is to think about losing it. And most of us rely heavily on our phones.
But if you’ve prepared in advance by turning on location services and making sure your Android phone or iPhone has battery life, you can track, lock, or wipe it remotely.
First, make sure you’re signed in to your Google or Apple account. Then backup your Android phone or backup your iPhone as a precaution.
If you lose your phone, then you can follow the steps below to recover it.
How to find a lost iPhone
To locate a lost iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device, you need the Find My feature, but only if it has been set up on your device. Here’s how.
Just tap “Settings,” “iCloud,” then scroll down and turn on “Find My iPhone.” Also enable the “Send Last Location” option below, which will send your last known location just before your battery runs out.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Find My also requires location services to be active, which you can find under “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Location Services”.
After setting up Find My, you have two ways to track a lost device. First, you can use the Find My app on another Apple device to track your phone.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
You can also sign in to your iCloud account on a desktop browser, then tap the Find My app.
If you have multiple Apple devices, select the one that was lost.
After you select your phone, Find My will show you its last known location on a map and provide options to sound an alarm or erase its contents.
Artur Tomala / Foundry
Artur Tomala / Foundry
Artur Tomala / Foundry
How to find a lost Android phone
Using Google’s Find My Device is the easiest way to track an Android phone, regardless of brand.
It is a free download from the Google Play Store, and you can also access the service by visiting the Find My Device website from any browser.
Find My Device offers options to ring, lock or erase your device, if it slips out of your hands.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Another option, if your phone is turned off, is to check your location history to find its last reported location.
You can do this by visiting Google’s Activity Controls website and tapping “Manage Activity” under “Location History.”
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
You will now see a map of all the places your device has reported its location during a period of time that you can specify. Of course, this is only if location history has been enabled beforehand.
The last known location is where Google last saw it before the battery died, and if you’re lucky, it might still be there.
How to find a lost Samsung phone
In addition to being able to use Google’s Find My Device, Galaxy phones get an extra layer of protection thanks to Samsung’s tracking service.
To get started, visit the SmartThings Find website on any device, sign in with your Samsung account, and select your lost device to see its location on a map.
Artur Tomala / Foundry
Artur Tomala / Foundry
Artur Tomala / Foundry
Once your phone is located, you can ring your phone even if it is in silent mode, lock it, display a message or set a contact number.
You will also be able to continuously track your phone’s location every 15 minutes and permanently delete all data from the device to protect your personal information.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Losing your phone can be a major inconvenience, but with the right tools and knowledge, you have the best chance of getting it back.
If you need to know how to find a lost phone, including how to track an Android phone or iPhone, solutions from Apple, Google, and Samsung make finding and securing your device much easier.
