Here's how to find a lost phone and wipe data remotely

Rancakmedia.com – There are many instances where we lose our cell phones, sometimes just in our homes, when we can't remember where we last stored them, and unfortunately, sometimes they are stolen or misplaced while we are out and about.

In the first case, it is easy to find a lost phone, namely using the Find My Phone feature on our paired smartwatch, or simply asking someone to call it. But if it gets lost outside our homes, we need a little extra help.

Thankfully, there's an easy way to remotely locate and locate your Android phone, lock it, and even wipe all data if necessary.

Google offers a simple process by which users can find, lock and wipe all data on their Android phone – if they ever lose it. With the “Find My Device” function, Android users can locate the handset and lock it by remotely setting a PIN, passcode or pattern to keep out prying eyes.

Users can even display a message on their lock screen asking the Finder to call once they have their phone. This feature also allows users to wipe all data on their Android phone so searchers cannot access it. In addition, device protection is triggered, which makes the phone unusable for anyone other than the owner.

Here's how to find your lost Android phone and wipe data remotely

To find, lock or wipe Android phone, there are some prerequisites needed. The phone must be turned on, the user must be signed in with a Google account, the user must be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi, they must be visible on Google Play, their location setting must be enabled and the “I Find device” setting must also be enabled. If all of these prerequisites are met, the user must do the following:

Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google account similar to the one used on the phone. After logging in, you will see your phone in the top left corner. If you have multiple phones with the same account, select the lost phone. It shows you details about battery life and when it was last online.

At the same time, Google shows the approximate location of the handset on the map. If your phone can't be found, its last known location is shown, if available.

If your phone is nearby and you know its location, you can go to that location and then select the Play Sound option to have your phone ring continuously for five minutes, even when it's on silent mode.

If the phone is in an unfamiliar area, readers are advised not to attempt to restore their Android phone themselves, but to contact law enforcement who may ask for a serial number or IMEI code. How to find your cell phone serial number.

If you want to lock the screen, select the Secure device option. This is a great way to lock your phone and sign out of your Google account. You can even display messages and phone numbers on the lock screen so searchers can contact you if they see a phone in front of you. If you don't have a key, you can even manage it via this option.

You can also choose the third option – wipe device. This permanently deletes all the data on your phone and once you delete it, Find My Device on the phone stops working. If your phone is offline, deletion will start the next time the phone is turned on. This will prevent rogues from accessing the data on your phone.