The final option is your last resort if you need to protect your personal information, or you don’t think you will be able to retrieve your phone. This will lock your phone and let you display an optional recovery message and a phone number where you can be reached if the phone is found. If you can’t retrieve your phone right away, then the Secure Device option is a good idea. This can help you find it if you’ve lost it somewhere around your home or office, or if you’re at the right location on the map but still can’t see it. You can choose Play Sound to start your phone ringing for 5 minutes, even if it’s set on silent. Google gives you several options for what to do next. You will also see how much battery life it has left. Google will show you a map with the last known location of your device. Sign in using your Google account if you’re not already logged in. You can use a web browser to find your phone by heading to /find. One involves going to a website and the other uses Google’s Find My Device app. There are a couple ways to access the finding feature. You can test out Find My Device before you actually need it. Here’s how to hide notifications on Android so people can’t see your messages. Chances are, your settings are all already in order, but it’s a good idea to check. “If you hide a device on Google Play, it won’t show in Find My Device,” Google warns. Look for your device and make sure the box under Visibility is checked. Next, open a browser and head to /settings. Depending on your Android operating system version, you may find this listed under “Location” in Settings. Check that the Location setting is set to On.

Head back to your Security & Location settings. Google recommends taking a few extra steps to make sure Find My Device works as it should. It also helps you keep your data safe if the device is lost.” Google describes what it does: “Find My Device helps you locate this device remotely. If not, tap on it and then tap on the toggle switch to turn it on. You may already see that Find My Device is set to On. Open Settings and tap on Security & Location.

What is find my device android