How to track your lost Android phone
Lost or stolen phone with no tracking apps installed? All hope is not lost.
Drama unfolded in the Caxton Joburg West offices on Wednesday, 17 January, when one of our colleagues, Sonette Beukes, lost her phone in the early hours of the morning.
After dropping her son off at school she noticed that her cellphone was nowhere to be found. Our hearts just about broke as we watched our beloved colleague close to tears with this horrible dilemma facing her. After all, for the Digi-Girls of Caxton Joburg West, losing your phone is just about the worst thing that can happen.
After spending the whole day searching her car, sending WhatsApps and calling her phone, we decided to consult our trusty friend, Google, to see if there was any way we could track her beloved “Shiny.” Sure enough, we came across a WikiHow website that explained how you could track your phone using the Google Device Manager.
Much to our relief, it was able to track her phone to the exact street it was in, just around the corner from her son’s school. “It’s in the street, IT’S IN THE STREET,” she screamed as she rushed out to rescue her poor, distressed and very lost Hauwei just before we filed a missing electronics report and sent out the flyers.
To cut a long story short – after walking the streets and using the “play sound” function of the Device Manager that allows your device to ring even when on silent, she found “Shiny” – in a dustbin!
Here is how you too, can track the location of your lost or stolen Android phone:
Visit google.com/android/devicemanager and log in with the Google account your device is signed in to.
If you have enabled location services on the device, you will easily be able to track it. From this menu, you can see the location, and select the “play sound” option, which will allow the device to ring even when it is turned to silent. In the event that you can no longer retrieve the phone, you will be able to erase all content from the phone. Please note that if you use the last option, you will no longer be able to track your device.
Happy hunting!
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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