How to Use Find My Device for Android Devices

This article shows you how to use the Find My Device feature developed by Google to find your lost Android device. Although the Find My Device feature is enabled by default on most new Android models, you will still need to adjust a few settings in advance to be able to track your lost phone or tablet.

Turn on Find My Device feature

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Open Android settings. To do this, swipe down from the notification bar from the top of the home screen, then select the gear icon in the top right corner.

This is a method that ensures you can find the location of your lost or stolen Android device. In case your Android device is lost, you should see the Find Android device method.

Many (but not all) Android devices have these menu options enabled by default. However, you should still check again to avoid some settings being changed.

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Tap Security & location . If you don't see this menu, tap Google and select Security.

The options in the settings menu often vary depending on the phone model. You will have to scroll through many menus if you don't see the above options.

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Select Find My Device.

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Push the slider to the "On" position. If the slider is already enabled, you don't need to do this step.

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Tap the back button until you return to the settings menu.

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Tap Location . If you don't see this option in the menu, try looking under Security & location.

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Push the slider to the "On" position. If the slider is already enabled, you don't need to do this step.

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Tap Advanced . If you don't see this option, select Mode.

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Select Google Location Accuracy . If you selected "Mode" in the previous step, you can skip this step.

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Push the "Improve Location Accuracy" slider to the "On" position. If you see a list of modes instead of a slider, choose one of the following modes:

Select High accuracy to get the most accurate location of your lost Android device. This option uses GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile data, and sensors for positioning.

Select Battery saving if you only want to use Wi-Fi and mobile data. This option will be less accurate, but will help you save valuable power.

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Open a web browser. You can do this by pressing your Android's Home button and selecting Chrome, Internet, or your favorite browser on the home screen.

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Visit https://play.google.com/settings to open a page that displays a list of your Android devices.

If you're not signed into your Google account, follow the onscreen instructions.

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Check the box next to your Android device. This is the box displayed to the right of the Android device description, below the "Visibility" tab. If this box is already checked, you do not need to change it.

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Test your new setup. Now you have enabled all the necessary features for Find My Device to work and you should try it to see how effective it is. See Find My Android device for instructions on how to do this.

Find Android devices

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Visit https://android.com/find from a web browser. You can access this site on any computer, phone or tablet.

If you didn't set up Find My Device before your Android device was lost, you can't use this method. You can only trace your Android device when:

The device is not powered off and is logged into a Google account.

Find My Device feature enabled.

The device has a network connection using mobile data or Wi-Fi.

Location services enabled.

Google Play visibility enabled.

If you are using another Android device, you can also download the Find My Device app from the Play Store and follow the same steps.

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Sign in to your Google account. You must sign in to the Google account used on your lost Android device. After logging in, you will see a map.

If you're signed in with another account, enter or tap the account's profile picture in the top right corner of the page, click Sign Out, and follow the onscreen instructions.

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Click or tap the icon for your lost Android device. This will zoom in on your device's location on the map. You'll also see some data like your Android device's last login and power source.

If your Android device is powered off (or Find My Device is not fully turned on), the map will show the device's last location.

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Click Play sound to make your Android device ring. When you think your Android device is missing somewhere, use this option to tell the device to ring at the loudest volume possible for 5 minutes - even when the device is in silent mode.

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Click Lock to lock the screen. Even if you have disabled the screen lock, you can still lock the screen with your new passcode at this step.

Locking also allows the device to display a message on the screen. Share your contact information in this message so that when someone finds your Android device, they can return it to you.

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Tap Erase to delete all data. If you fear that your device has been stolen or lost, use this option to reset the device. Thus, the Android device will only be usable when you enter your Google password.

If Find My Device fails to connect to a lost Android device, a reset will occur when the device is reconnected.

You cannot delete data stored on an SD memory card.