Guide to find our smartphone and block it, in case of loss or theft

We carry a large part of our lives in our pockets, on our smartphones, and losing it or having it stolen can mean losing our essential applications, our photos and videos, phone numbers and much more.

Today, our smartphones are an essential part of our daily lives, containing the apps we use regularly, passwords for email, social media, and other services, as well as photos, videos, and important contact information. Losing your smartphone or having it stolen can be a major problem, and if the device is expensive, the distress it causes is even greater. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to track your phone if you've lost it or block it if it's been stolen, and we'll explain how to locate your cell phone.

ANDROID

Many may not know it, but Google developed its own tool, which allows us to track our Android phone, something that becomes a simple solution when we have some dislike. This tool is called Device Manager, it allows us not only to locate the phone on Google Maps, but also to make our smartphone ring, in case we have lost it. If it has been stolen from us or we cannot locate it, it also allows us to erase all the data from the terminal, to prevent anyone from being able to access certain content and at a given moment, it can block it.

It should be noted that we have to configure this tool, when we get our terminal, since if we have not previously configured it, we will not be able to use this function, which is very important. Activating and configuring it is relatively simple. We must go to Settings> Security> Device Manager. When we get to this point, we must activate the option to locate the device remotely and allow erasure and blocking.

If we've lost our device, the first thing we should do is access the Device Manager website . This will give us access to an interface with a map that shows the device's exact location. We also have the option to have our device play a sound for five minutes, even if it's on silent. We can also lock the device or erase its contents at any time. With the phone turned off, we select all available functions except for location tracking.

iOS

Those who have an Apple terminal can also rest assured, because the Cupertino company has implemented a similar function or tool that allows us to locate the terminal. This tool is called 'Find my iPhone', which is very similar to the one available on Android and which we must also activate in order for it to work. We must access Settings> Apple ID> iCloud> Find my iPhone.

To track it, we need to log in to iCloud in a web browser or access the 'Find My iPhone' app on another Apple device. We tap on 'Find My iPhone' and select the device to see it on the map. If the device is relatively close, we can make it ring to help locate it. Just like with Android, if it's not nearby, we activate 'Lost' mode, which allows us to remotely lock it or erase its contents. Activating either of these features will permanently disable Apple Pay.

OTHER OPTIONS

We can always use third-party applications, which will allow us to geolocate the smartphone using GPS, block it, delete the content and other functions. We are going to highlight two applications of this style, which can be useful in the event that our smartphone is lost or stolen.

Prey Anti-Theft: Available for Android and iOS , this completely free app allows you to register up to three devices. Naturally, you can track your smartphone and locate it if it's lost or stolen.

Cerberus: A well-known application, only for Android, that allows us to locate the smartphone via GPS, make it ring, lock it or erase its contents remotely.

Source: comolocalizarcelular.eu/