Find, lock, or erase your lost Android device (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you erase a device on Find My Device Android? ›

You can delete your device if you can't find it. Important: These steps permanently delete all data on your device, but may not delete SD cards. After the device is erased, its location won't be available in Find My Device.

If your device is offline and you have Find your offline devices turned on, then Find My Device can display the location of the device when it was last online based on its encrypted stored location. For best results, find items through the network with the Find My Device mobile app.

We recommend using this option as soon as possible to keep people out of your personal information. Erase Device — Erase Device factory resets your phone and removes any personal information from it. We only recommend this option once you've deemed your smartphone lost forever.

All of your personal content and settings are deleted. Activation Lock remains on to protect your device. To turn it off, remove the device from Find My. If you erase a device that had iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or later installed, you can use Find My to locate or play a sound on the device.

What happens when you mark a device as lost? A confirmation email is sent to your Apple ID email address. You can create a message for the device that says it's lost and how to contact you.

If your phone doesn't have any sort of passphrase/passcode/anything then yes, they can just do as they please with your phone. Putting a 6-digit passcode on pretty much means your phone is secure. Secure enough for most purposes and secure enough so a thief isn't going to be able to do much of anything.

For Android users, Google Find My Device can serve as a first line of defence to secure your data. This feature can help you locate your phone remotely, lock it down, or even erase all data if necessary. But this feature only works if you have it enabled on the device.

You can set up a screen lock to help secure your Android phone or tablet from unauthorized access. Each time you turn on your device or wake up the screen, you'll be asked to unlock your device, usually with a PIN, pattern, or password.

Yes, it is possible to track a phone that is turned off, but with some limitations. When a phone is powered off, the network and GPS radios are deactivated, making it difficult to track the device's real-time location.

How to lock a Samsung phone when lost? ›

For an extra layer of security, you can remotely lock your device. From the Find My Mobile website, select Lock on the right side, and then select Next. Create a PIN number for when you find the phone; make sure to enter it twice.

Enter your phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number and click on the "Search" button. The portal will display the current location of your device if it is switched on and connected to the internet. To block your lost smartphone, click on the "Block Stolen/Lost Mobile" button.

Note: Remotely erasing your phone will perform a factory reset to remove all data on your phone storage, including apps, app data, and settings. Some data—including personal information—may not be permanently erased. You won't be able to remotely access your phone after you do this.

Lost Mode locks down the ‌iPhone‌ and prevents it from being accessed in iTunes when plugged into a computer, but it can't stop someone from wiping an ‌iPhone‌ via iTunes using recovery mode or DFU mode. Even if your ‌iPhone‌ is fully erased, the person who has it can't use it.

Stop seeing a friend's location

When you remove a friend, you can no longer see their location, and they can no longer see yours. In the Find My app on your Mac, click People. In the People list, select a name, then click the Info button on the map. Click Remove [Friend] or Stop Sharing My Location.

If you use the Erase Device feature, you will no longer be able to track the phone. Reserve this feature as a last resort. Should the thief turn off your phone, you won't be able to track it until it's turned back on and has a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Google will send you an email once it locates your device.

A factory reset will remove any personal data and return the phone to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box. There are various ways to trade in or sell your old iPhone or Android phone, but you must wipe it properly first.

As an administrator, when you delete a device, the device no longer syncs user-account data, but no information is removed from it.