If your
Can’t find your smartphone?
Google’s Find My Device
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Google’s Find My Device service is available as an
You can then play a sound to ping your device, lock it and display a message on the screen, or wipe all personal data. Google has some
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If you think the device is within earshot, tap Play Sound to ping the phone or tablet. You can then follow the sound to your device. Even if the device is not in your immediate area, the ping may alert a Good Samaritan who may find it. When done, tap the Stop sound button.
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If you can’t find the device or aren’t nearby, you can lock it so that no one can access it. You can also add a message and phone number for anyone who does find it so they can reach out.
Tap Secure device, then add a message and phone number to display on the lock screen. Tap Secure Device to finalize and lock the phone. The missing phone is locked with your message and phone number displayed.
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If the device is lost or stolen, you can
You may be asked if you want to review your Google Account. Tap the Security Checkup link and go through the security steps. If you change your mind about erasing your device, tap Dismiss.
Samsung’s Find My Mobile
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If you have a Samsung phone, you can also make use of a special feature called Find My Mobile to track down a lost device. Set this up on your phone by going to Settings > Biometrics and security and turn on Find My Mobile. Note that this feature requires a Samsung account.
Open the Find My Mobile settings and turn on Remote unlock to be able to unlock your phone and control it remotely. Turn on the option for Send last location to receive the last known location of your phone if the battery drops below a certain level. Enable Offline finding to be able to locate your phone even if it’s offline.
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Once enabled, use the SmartThings Find
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Choose the Ring option, then press Start to ping your phone. It will then start ringing to help you track it down if it’s nearby or allow someone else to notice it. You can also select the Lock option to set a PIN to unlock your device, enter a contact phone number where you can be reached, and add a message that will display on the Lock screen.
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If you think your phone is being moved to a different location, you can choose Track location to get an updated view of your phone’s location every 15 minutes. You can also wipe the phone clean if you’re worried about someone gaining access to your data. Hit the Erase data icon to
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If you plan to erase your phone or don’t believe you will ever retrieve it, you can back up the data remotely. Click the Back up icon, then set up
Select all the data points you wish to back up, such as messages and contacts, and then select Back up to send your data to be stored on the
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If you have any important messages or voicemails on the phone, you can remotely retrieve them if you choose the Retrieve calls/messages option. This will allow you to see and hear up to 50 recent calls and messages.
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If you ever forget the PIN that unlocks your phone, you can always open it from the
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