Android Device Manager lets you
locate your phone or tablet via another Android device or through the browser
on your computer. Its Ring feature is very useful for tracking down your device
when you know you've left it somewhere nearby, and if It’s been
lost or stolen you can lock the handset remotely, leave a recovery message and
contact number for when it’s found, or even wipe its contents entirely.
Open Google Settings from the Apps
screen on your device and select Android Device Manager. By default, the
‘Remotely locate this device’ option should already be ticked. Tick ‘Allow
remote lock and erase’, select Activate, and repeat this step for any other
Android devices you own.
Next, download the Android Device Manager
app (bit.ly/android352) from the Google Play Store. Make sure you have turned location
services on and when you open the app, click Accept when asked to let Google
use your location data to locate your devices. Enter your Google password and
select Sign In.
Android Device Manager will show
the last-known location of your device(s). The size of the blue circle
surrounding the pin Indicates how accurate this is. Tap the arrow to see
another device or tap the menu button and select ‘Rename device’ to give your
device a different name.
Should your phone or tablet be
lost or stolen. you can open the app on your second device or visit
android.com/devicemanager from your browser. You can also use Android Device
Manager on a friend’s device by tapping Device Manager and selecting Guest to
sign into your account.
Once you've signed in. tap Ring to
make your device ring for five minutes at full volume. If you still can’t find
it, select Lock to lock the handset with a new password. In this menu, you can
also enter a recovery message and contact phone number in case someone finds
your missing phone or tablet.
If you cannot recover your phone
or tablet and are worried that someone may access its contents, tap Erase to
remove all apps, media settings and data. You’ll need to tap Erase again to
confirm this, but you should only do so as a last resort, and if you’re certain
that you won’t get your device back.
