Find your lost Android phone with google device manager

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Google Device Manager

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If you've lost your Android phone, or someone's stolen it, have you ever wondered what you can do to track your phone?

Have you also wondered what that new icon called; "Google Settings", that seemed to suddenly appear on your phone does?

Well, one curious question could answer another.

Google, the makers of Android, has introduced "On The Fly", a new Android Device Manager feature that works with all Android-based handsets. Users who are running Android 2.2 or higher and already have "Google Play" installed are automatically equipped with this neat and powerful feature. Through the Android Device Manager, you can locate and perform remote functions on your lost phone via a web interface provided the phone is connected to the Internet.

This article intends to guide you through the steps to locate your Android phone and even how to remotely wipe the data on your phone - if necessary.

How to Locate Your Android Phone

1. 1
   Go to Android.Com.

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2. 2
   Click on "Security"

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   1. If you can't find the picture above, scroll down the TIPS at the bottom of the page, and click on the problem that pertains to you.

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3. 3
   Sign into your Gmail Account

   .

   In the succeeding page, you need to sign in the Gmail account associated with your lost handset.

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4. 4
   Wait as your phone is being located

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   The Android Device Manager locates your phone in real-time. If a location is received, the ADM presents it in a "Google Map" like visual.

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5. 5
   Ring the Phone

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   If the phone is located nearby, you can select the "Ring" feature to remotely ring the phone at the highest volume to aid in the search.

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Enabling Remote Deletion of Data

By default the feature that allows you wipe the data on your Android phone remotely is not enabled. If you think you'd want to erase all the data on your phone if it falls into the hands of others, you should enable this feature by following the steps below.

1. 1
   Open the "Google Settings" app on your Android phone.

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2. 2
   Select the Android Device Manager option

   .

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3. 3
   Tick the "Allow remote Factory Reset" check box.

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Wiping the Phone's Data Remotely

If your phone carries very sensitive or private files that you can afford to wipe out, you can remotely do so through the Android Device Manager granting that you performed the steps on "Enabling Remote Deletion Of Data" prior to the loss of your phone. Here is how to do it:

1. 1
   Follow the steps in the "Locating Your Android Phone" section of this article to access the Android Device Manager web interface

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2. 2
   Click the pane that says "Erase" on the location tracker box

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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