Losing your Android phone is a frustrating experience. Not only is a phone a considerable financial investment, but it also contains plenty of personal information and in the wrong hands, that might create major problems. However, all is not lost if your Android phone goes missing. There are many easy-to-follow steps to locate your lost android phone and even delete any data if there’s no way you'll get it back.

Protect Yourself in Case the Worst Happens

Although it’s good news that there's more than one way to locate a lost Android phone, you'll want to make sure you’re prepared before it disappears. This way, you have everything in place to mitigate your stress and potentially get your phone back.

1. Create a strong passcode

If your Android phone goes missing, don’t worry about someone snooping through your texts, email, photos, and other personal information. Create a strong passcode, especially if your phone doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor. Make it as difficult as possible for someone to gain access (1234 or 0000 isn’t going to cut it!) and some of your worries can be alleviated. Also, be sure not to save all your passwords in a note keeping app!

2. Turn on ‘Find My Device’

Not sure how to track a lost Android phone? Lost Android phones can be tracked using Google’s official Find My Device feature, but for it to work you need to make sure it’s turned on in your settings. Best of all, you don’t even have to download an app to make this work. All you need is a Google account and an internet connection.

Enable Find My Device on Android:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on the Google entry.
  3. Choose Security.
  4. Choose Find My Device.
  5. Turn the toggle on.

3. Secure sensitive information

If someone does manage to gain access to your Android phone, you want to make sure any sensitive information you keep on your device is protected. If there’s any data that you desperately don’t want compromised, options like Samsung’s Secure Folder or OnePlus’ Lockbox store your photos, notes or documents in an area that requires an additional, stronger passcode to access.

4. Consider getting insurance

Everyone always thinks insurance is a waste of time – until they need it. If you want to experience the least amount of fuss when your phone vanishes, M1 offers a selection of incredibly convenient FoneCare plans. With the ability to swap or replace your phone, rapid-fast delivery and unlimited access to tech support, you won’t have to worry about losing your device.

Once Your Phone Has Gone Missing

So, how do you find a lost Android phone? If your smartphone has definitely gone missing, check out these great tips before you give up.

1. Play a sound with ‘Find My Device’

With Find My Device enabled on your phone, you can play a loud sound for 5 minutes to help you locate your device. Even if your Android phone is set to silent mode, you’ll find it makes a loud enough noise to capture your attention if it's nearby.

  1. Visit android.com/find on a phone or computer.
  2. Sign in to your Google account.
  3. Choose your device.
  4. Click play sound.

2. Lock your device down or erase the data

Find My Device also allows users to lock their device or even delete their data completely if it’s gone missing. If you’re the kind of person who keeps sensitive personal or business information on their phone, this is a great feature that can save you from future trouble. However, do note that you won’t be able to locate your device once the data is permanently deleted.

  1. Visit android.com/find on a phone or computer.
  2. Sign in to your Google account.
  3. Choose your device.
  4. Depending on your needs, click Secure Device or Erase Data.

3. Track your phone’s location

Tracking your Android phone is also made possible with Find My Device. Following the same steps as before, you’ll be shown a Google Maps page and a relatively accurate location of your phone. However, this only works if you have your location settings turned on. If you suspect your phone has been stolen, you can use this information to inform the police.

  1. Visit android.com/find.
  2. Sign in to your Google account.
  3. Track the last known location of your lost Android phone.