Accidental phone loss or theft is a common disaster that can happen to any of us. There are the obvious ramifications that’ll affect your wallet, but there are plenty of other things to worry about too as your precious information are stored inside. Rather than panicking after it’s gone, you’d far better off searching for feasible ways to find your lost Android phone and get it back as soon as possible. Keep reading and check them out.

What to do before you lose your phone?

Instead of waiting for the incident to happen, it’s better to take the proper precautions to minimize the damage of losing your phone. Here are a few steps to take while you still have your phone safely in your pocket.

Set a strong passcode

Above all, you should set a strong PIN or password. If your phone has a fingerprint scanner or facial recognition, be sure to turn those on, as they add another layer of security. In case someone finds your lost Android phone, it’ll be hard for him/her to crack.

Enable Find My Device

It’s advisable to enable Find My Device in settings to make sure that you can remotely locate, lock or wipe your lost Android phone. This will make it far more likely that you’ll actually be able to recover your precious device, thus saving you a lot of headaches and money.

Note down the IMEI number of your phone

IMEI number can help you verify the stolen phone is yours if it ever turns up. To get your IMEI on Android, you can go to Settings, scroll down and choose About Phone. Write this number down and keep it somewhere safe.

How to find a lost Android phone?

If your Android phone goes missing, there are some key things you can do to minimize the damage. Some of them might help you get it back as soon as possible, so you don’t have your personal information stolen.

Locate Android phone using Find My Device

Google features built-in phone retrieval technology as part of the native software package that works via your device account. It gives you the ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe your phone, make it ring and send messages to alert whoever finds it. If you have enabled Find My Device ahead of time, the service will be available to locate and find a lost Android phone by using WiFi or GPS. All you have to do is sign into the app or search in your desktop browser, you’ll see all of your devices listed at the top and simply select the lost device.

Locate Android phone using Find My Mobile

For Samsung users, Find My Mobile works great as long as your phone’s battery holds up. It can be used to locate, lock down or wipe a missing phone. You need a Samsung account and the Remote Controls options enabled on your mobile phone. Just go to Settings > Biometrics & Security. If you see Find My Mobile in the menu, it can be available. Then enable the Remote Control options via Settings > Biometrics & Security > Find My Mobile > Remote controls.

Locate Android phone using Find My Phone

In case you do not enable the above options ahead of time, you will not be able to find your lost Android phone using them. Thus, Find My Phone can be one of your last resorts to locate android phone without google account. It incorporates global positioning system, WiFi access and cellular network to pinpoint the exact location of a mobile phone. You only have to enter the phone number and let the system do the rest of work. It will provide you with precise location on an interactive map.

How to find your not-so-smart cell phone?

With simple cell phones, programmatic or app-based options may not be available to help you find a lost or stolen cell phone. However, there are always some principles to follow when you lose your phone.

Call or text your lost cell phone

When you lose your cell phone, the first thing you’ll want to do is to call or text it. You can listen for the ring or vibration and try to locate your phone. Or you can send a text message to your mobile phone with contact info and a reward offer if you choose to do so.

Inform your carrier

Another important step to take is to let your cell phone carrier know the device is lost so they can suspend your service. It will make the person who has your phone can’t usually use it.

Register your lost phone

If you have access to your phone’s IMEI number or have it written down somewhere, register it with Immobilize.

Can I still find my lost Android phone if it’s switched off?

Chances are that your phone goes missing and its battery won’t last forever or a potential thief might have turned it off. Except you’re working for the CIA, there is no way to stay connected with your device. It needs to have an active internet connection to send approximate location. However, you can resort to Google Maps location history to see where it was located before its internet connection stopped.

Can I track my phone if someone made a factory reset?

Resetting a phone brings it back to its factory settings, which means that connection to your Google account won’t be there anymore. If you haven’t installed a tracking app with root access, such as Cerberus, you won’t be able to track its location anymore.

Final thoughts

If you have any worries about your mobile phone being lost or stolen, you can set up and test your preferred tracking system ahead of time. But if your phone is currently lost, it’s best to find your lost Android phone using Find My Device or Find My Phone. No longer need to worry about losing track of your device.