Gone are the days when you forget about your phone once it is stolen. Smartphones have built-in technologies and with the help of software you can track your phone whenever you want. Phone tracking depends on a lot of factors and a bit of luck. Android and iPhone both have native phone tracking applications and you can also use third party apps to get more evidence.
Today, I am going to show you three extremely easy ways on how to track your phone once it’s lost. First let’s take a look at native apps built into smartphones, Android and iPhone.
Android
Android smartphones come with a built-in app known as Android Device Manager. As soon as you purchase your phone, enable the app and it will be linked to your Google account. Android Device Manager gives a precise location of your phone, allows you to remotely delete all the data and ring your phone in case you lost in your house or office.
You have to activate the app just once and now you want to look for it since you have lost it. Go to Google and search for Android Device Manager or visit this link directly: www.google.com/android/devicemanager and log-in to your Google account associated with your phone. Android Device Manager will give the last known location of your phone tracked through the phone’s GPS. If you are certain that the phone is stolen then you can use the erase command and factory reset the phone remotely. If you are unsure then you can lock the phone and go to the mentioned location and look for it.
iPhone
In case of an iPhone, Apple has been kind enough to provide a built-in app called Find My iPhone. It serves the same purpose as Android Device Manager and is linked with your iCloud account. If you have lost your phone and want to track it then all you have to do is get hold of a computer or any other Apple device.
If you are using another iOS device then start the Find My iPhone application and log-in to your iCloud account. You will be able to get the exact location of the phone or play a sound on it as an alert. If all else fails and you do not want to erase your data then you can put it in lost mode which will make it unusable for anyone. With this method you might be lucky to find your phone because if it’s stolen and you make it unusable then the person will just leave it there and you can get it back by tracking it. If you think it is a lost cause then remotely erase all data. If by any luck you get your device back and you put it on lost mode then do not worry, you can easily activate it again through your iCloud account.
Third Party Apps
Prey
Prey is the most effective phone tracking app that works on both Android and iOS. Although the app also works for computer systems, we will focus on smartphones only. Prey is free for up to three devices and paid plans offer more services. All you have to do is download the app on your phone either Android or iPhone, sign-up for the service and sync your device with it.
Once you have synced your device with the app, you do not have to worry about anything else. Use your phone the way you do in your daily routine. In case you have lost your phone or someone stole it or you forgot it at the public library, you can use prey to track it.
Go to Prey’s website and log-in with your credentials. You will see a list of devices connected to the app, open the device which you have lost and you will notice a small switch in the window. Flip the switch from Ok to Missing and Prey will give you your device’s precise location. Similar to Android Device Manager and Find My iPhone, you can send a command to the phone to play a loud sound or even take a set of photos to see who has your phone. Sometimes friends and co-workers play pranks so you can easily know who has it.
The free version of the app does not let you wipe your data. You can just track your device’s location, send a sound command and delete your messages. Paid plans give you access to wipe data and other services.
AccuTracking
AccuTracking is another service similar to Prey but it is not free. You will need to subscribe for a minimum of $5.99 a month or lower if you pay for the year. The app gives you a range of services and makes it worth those 6 dollars especially if you own a $600+ phone. AccuTracking also supports devices apart from Android and iOS. You can use it to track Windows, Blackberry and even Java phones which have GPS.
It gives a precise location of your phone along with active alerts if the phone is on the move. Apart from that, the app also has plenty of protection services which can be used to protect your data. You can also check a 30 day history of GPS tracking of your phone.
These are some of the ways which you can use to track your phone through your computer and if you are lucky enough get it back if it’s lost or stolen.
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