What is Find My Device and how to enable it for your Android phone - ZDNet

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Have you ever mislaid your phone? When you did, was it ever located? If not, did it ever hap that idiosyncratic with sick intentions could find that phone, interruption into it, and… well, you cognize the remainder of that story.

The lone affirmative result from specified a script would beryllium if the idiosyncratic who recovered the telephone returns it to you. I'm not saying that won't hap but the world is, you should program accordingly.

One of the archetypal things you tin bash for that is to enroll your telephone successful Google's Find My Device feature. It's escaped and the benefits you summation from it are earnestly important. 

As acold arsenic what you summation from the feature, the database is beauteous abbreviated but precise sweet. Once your telephone is enrolled successful Find My Device, you can:

• Send a dependable to it -- successful lawsuit you cognize it's successful the gathering but you don't cognize where.

• Lock your instrumentality and motion retired of Google.

• Erase the device.

Once upon a time, you could besides alteration the password for a device. But due to the fact that of caller features, specified arsenic biometrics, that is nary longer possible. Even without that feature, the bid of caput you tin get from issuing a mill reset to a mislaid telephone is worthy the fewer seconds of clip you'll walk enabling the feature.

That's right, it's precise simple. Let maine amusement you how.

Also: 5 speedy tips for amended Android information close now

What is Find My Device and however to alteration it for your Android phone

This volition enactment connected devices that are moving Android 8.0 and up, truthful these steps should use unless your telephone is much than 2 yers old. 

The information enactment is easy accessible from wrong Settings.

Image: Jack Wallen

To alteration the feature, you indispensable pat Find My Device first.

Image: Jack Wallen

Enabling Find My Device successful Android 13.

Image: Jack Wallen

Once you've enabled Find My Device, unfastened a web browser connected your desktop oregon laptop, and spell to https://www.google.com/android/find. Give the work a spot of clip to registry your instrumentality and it volition amusement up. When you spot it listed, see yourself tethered to your phone, whether you cognize wherever it is oregon not.

My Pixel 7 Pro listing successful Find My Device.

Image: Jack Wallen

When to usage Find My Device

This is simply a pugnacious question to reply for everyone. The information is we each suffer our phones present and then. Most often, however, those phones tin beryllium located beauteous quickly, due to the fact that you've simply misplaced them. But if you've scoured your home, your car, and your spot of business, that mightiness beryllium a bully clip to hop onto the website supra and instrumentality action. 

If you deliberation you mightiness cognize wherever the telephone is, but can't get to it close away, I would highly urge you astatine slightest caput to the website and unafraid your phone. If you are reasonably definite it was stolen, I would, without hesitation, erase the device. And that past constituent is cardinal -- don't hesitate. Even if you erase it and find it, you tin ever simply log backmost into your Google relationship and immoderate of your information volition beryllium restored (although not each of it).

The Find My Device diagnostic should beryllium considered a must-have. Make definite your Android telephone is signed into the service, truthful if your telephone gets mislaid oregon stolen, the enactment to erase it is lone a click away.