Skip to main content

Lose your phone? Android Device Manager will help you find it

android device manager announced blogpost  1

There are approximately one million different ways you can misplace your smartphone. (That’s science.) Whether you left it in a cab last night after one too many drinks, it slipped between your couch cushions, or some sticky fingered deviant is gearing to sell it on Craigslist, we’ve all felt that panicked “Where the eff is my phone?” sensation on at least one occasion. 

Apple users have long been able to enjoy the benefit of the company’s free Find My iPhone app, but Android users, who far outnumber iOS users, have had to rely on third party apps … until now. On its official blog, Google’s Android team announced today that it will be releasing its new Android Device Manager later this month. The feature will essentially serve as a Find My iPhone for Android devices.

With the app, you’ll be able to make your phone ring at the loudest possible volume, regardless of what volume you last left it on. (Even if it was on silent.) So if it’s nearby, you can breathe easy and follow your ears until you find the random nook your phone somehow became nestled within. Can’t hear anything? No worries. You can pull up a map and figure out just where your phone is sitting pretty. (Hopefully it’s somewhere you can actually get it.) Of course, all this depends on your phone being on, so let’s hope it was charged when you parted ways! 

Finally, in the event that you have determined your phone is gone for good, you can at least protect your personal information (and all of those photos you don’t want anyone else to see!) by wiping all the data from your phone.  

We’re a little surprised that it took this long for Android to come out with such a basic feature, but happy that it’s on its way nonetheless. Be on the lookout for the service later this month, as long as your device is running on 2.2 or higher. 

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Pramis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Spending a childhood engrossed in such technologically inspiring television shows like Voltron, Small Wonder, and Power…
iPhone Lockdown Mode: how to use the security feature (and why you should)
Lockdown mode for iPhone

Apple takes pride in selling a promise of privacy to its customers, and to a large extent, it lives up to that promise. As cyber criminals devise new ways to target phones, with tools as sophisticated and virtually undetectable as the Pegasus spyware, Apple also keeps fortifying its devices.

One step in that direction is Lockdown Mode, an “extreme” safety measure that was introduced with iOS 16 last year. The feature blocks a lot of vectors through which a zero-click, zero-day spyware like Pegasus finds its way inside a phone. From phone calls and message attachments to shared albums and network profiles, Lockdown Mode limits those risk routes.

Read more
How to create a camera timer on your iPhone
The camera module on the iPhone 14 Pro.

One of the best reasons to have an iPhone is because of the camera. After all, the iPhone 14 Pro is equipped with a mighty fine 48MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera, and 12MP telephoto camera. There’s even a 12MP front-facing selfie camera, with the capability to capture wide shots — which comes in handy with big group selfies.

Read more
Your iPhone has a secret feature that helps the environment — here’s how it works
iPhone 14 Pro showing Battery & Health

As Earth Day approaches, you may be wondering how you can help reduce your overall carbon footprint. You could use less disposable household items, get eco-friendly items instead, or drive an EV instead of a gas vehicle — there are plenty of ways to do your part.

But if you have an iPhone with iOS 16.1 or higher, you’re already contributing with a new feature Apple added called Clean Energy Charging. Here’s everything you need to know about how this eco-friendly charging option works.
What is Clean Energy Charging?

Read more