There is one item that might as well be a permanent appendage….my Android Smartphone! If you are like me, you are constantly using your phone. No more guessing who the lead actor was in an old movie or the current temperature and exact humidity level. Google is always right at our fingertips, the correct answer just seconds away.
So imagine my panic last week when I reached for my trusty LG G2 smartphone while boarding a Delta flight and it was gone! After mowing down a dozen passengers on the way back to the plane door, I suddenly remembered my 4.2 Android update included a cool function called Android Device Manager (Apple offers the same type of feature with Find My iPhone). It allows the phone owner to quickly ring the device or see its general location on a map in real time. Using a friend’s phone, I quickly logged on to https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager. A map immediately popped up showing me the general location of my phone. I also sent a command to activate the ringer on the device. Turns out it fell under my seat at the boarding gate. I immediately heard the familiar ring and scooped it up. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, I got back on the plane and was on my way.
So what are the features of the Android Device Manager that will help you find your phone?
Location – The current location of your Android device will appear on the map, along with the name of the location, when it was last used, and when it was last located. You can zoom in and out of the map to check out the location.
Ringer – Instead of having someone call your phone to help you find it, you can choose to ring your device, which will activate the default chime for 5 minutes at the highest volume, even if it was set on silent or vibrate.
Remote Wipe – quickly initiates a factory reset, removing all your apps and personal information. This will remove most of the information on your device.
Screen Lock – Lock your device remotely so no one can access your data while you’re trying to recover your lost phone. To lock your device, click on the “Lock” option. Enter your new password twice, then click the Lock button. Once the command is sent to your device, it will lock it immediately, even if it’s being used. This and the remote wipe option can be very helpful if you believe your device was stolen.
If you own an Android phone, I highly recommend taking advantage of this free feature. It makes locating your phone easy and gives you peace of mind knowing that you still have some control over your lost or stolen device.
Have you ever lost your phone? Were you able to recover it?
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