How to find a lost smartphone

It seems everyone worldwide can’t separate themselves from their phones. We spend so much time on these devices 24/7 that they seem to be a new human body part. 

Yet, we can still drop and misplace them, so how can we find them? 

READ: How “Find my iPhone” works

Fortunately, Android devices and iPhones have proprietary options to help you locate missing gadgets. Read further to learn the options available to you.

How to track your lost or stolen Android phone

Google has a Find My Device website that helps users find missing devices for free. Open your PC, open the website, and follow these instructions:

1. Sign in with the Google account connected to your missing device. 
2. Then, choose the lost smartphone you want to track from the top of the left sidebar. It shows the most recently used device by default. 
3. Check the current status of your lost gadget, such as its last known location, battery life, and the last time it went online.

You would likely need Find My Device at the device’s last known location to facilitate searching for it. Consequently, it’s best to use Find My Device on another Android phone:

1. Install and open the Google Find My Device app.
2. Next, sign in with your Google account.
3. Select the device you want to track.
4. Head to the phone’s last known location.

Tap the Play sound button to make your phone ring and help you locate it. This feature will emit a sound for five minutes even when in silent mode.

If you can’t find it, someone might have stolen your phone. MakeUseOf suggests tapping Secure device to lock your phone, sign out of your Google account, and display a message on the lock screen.

How to track your lost or stolen iPhone

Apple devices have different apps from Android. For example, you can find your iPhone by opening icloud.com/find and signing in to Find Devices.

Choose your lost smartphone in the All Devices list on the left. If the website can locate your gadget, it will show the current location.

Otherwise, Find Devices will label it as “Offline” and show its last known location for 24 hours. Select “Notify me when found” to get an email when it’s online again.