Want To Find Your Phone? Just Google It

77,866

I lose my phone in more stupid places than I can possibly count. I seriously considered installing a landline so that I can call my phone the three times per day it goes missing. But Google just made something even better. Type three magic words into search, and you’ll find your missing handset.

Type “find my phone” into Google, and provided you’re logged into your browser with the same Google account as your phone, you’ll instantly get a map of its location, along with the option to ring it.

To get at more serious settings — like the option to wipe your phone, before anyone can Facebook those nudes — you’ll still need Android Device Manager installed. But if you’ve lost your phone down the back of the couch (or had a particularly immemorable night out), a Google browser is all you need from now on.

114Reply

All replies

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

Show pending

CJT3
Profile Follow

CJT3Chris Mills
4/16/15 12:05am
You should specify Android Phone in the title, this only works with one platform.

43 Reply
Show more replies in this thread
greg_barton
Profile Follow

greg_bartonChris Mills
4/16/15 12:02am
Find your phone? How about find everywhere your phone has ever been?https://maps.google.com/locationhistor...

19 Reply
- MistaButters
  Profile Follow
  
  MistaButtersgreg_barton
  4/16/15 12:11am
  
  So I’ve seen this before and it was creepy the first time how accurate it was. This time though, it shows my device had been all over the country, and even to Mexico and Canada...
  
  Edit: I had location services and GPS turned off all weekend. Looks like that did it.
  
  2 Reply
- greg_barton
  Profile Follow
  
  greg_bartonMistaButters
  4/16/15 12:21am
  
  It can also be tripped up if the geolocation of a wifi router is off. It partly uses the geolocation of wifi routers gathered by google streetview cars.
  
  Reply
- CaptainJack
  Profile Follow
  
  CaptainJackgreg_barton
  4/16/15 12:33am
  
  Yeah, I was just checking for some dates I had traveled to Europe, and apparently on that trip to Germany I decided I’d grab a quite lunch in New Zealand and get back to work within the hour.
  
  I think it was because I was in a shipyard that had some vessels that had been in NZ with their wifi on when the Google Streetview cars swung by.
  
  2 Reply
- Alejandro Tellez
  Profile Follow
  
  Alejandro Tellezgreg_barton
  4/16/15 12:59am
  
  Now, I can know where my girlfriend go, all day (6)
  
  1 Reply
Show more replies in this thread
BigAsn
Profile Follow

BigAsnChris Mills
4/16/15 1:22am
Pretty neat. Except for when that creepy hacker decides to stalk you.

9 Reply
- Pessimippopotamus
  Profile Follow
  
  PessimippopotamusBigAsn
  4/16/15 2:28am
  
  Every time the locator function is used, the device will notify you of the fact.
  
  Reply
- BigAsn
  Profile Follow
  
  BigAsnPessimippopotamus
  4/16/15 2:58am
  
  That won’t stop her. I’ll hesitate to check my phone and it’ll be too late.
  
  Reply
- Diviance
  Profile Follow
  
  DivianceBigAsn
  4/16/15 3:19am
  
  She just wants to love you.
  
  Forever. And ever. And ever. And ever. And ever...
  
  Reply
hermtownhomy
Profile Follow

hermtownhomyChris Mills
4/16/15 2:41am
I see articles all the time that touch on lost phones or finding your phone, or breaking your phone... I just don’t get it. It’s been probably 8 or 9 years now that I’ve been exclusively mobile phone and I have not lost nor broke one single phone yet. Are these alcoholics that this is always happening too, or what? I dropped my phone once, but I stuck my foot out and broke it’s fall, so it was fine. I went to work and left it at home once, but I immediately knew that I forgot it and it was patiently waiting for me when I got home. What the hell are you people doing that you lose your phone all the time?

2 Reply
- theimmc
  Profile Follow
  
  theimmchermtownhomy
  4/16/15 3:06am
  
  Man, you just jinxed it.
  
  2 Reply
- AgentRockstar
  Profile Follow
  
  AgentRockstarhermtownhomy
  4/16/15 4:06am
  
  7 billion people on earth, and you think no one should be able to lose their phones?
  
  It’s called robbery, distraction, oops I tripped, it slipped in back of my chair, hey I just let someone borrow it and now it’s gone, did I pick up the kids? shit I left the phone on top of the car roof.... etc.
  
  2 Reply
Show more replies in this thread
Dubstar23
Profile Follow

Dubstar23Chris Mills
4/16/15 4:15am
The WiFi on your phone has to be turned on in order for this to work. If someone steals your phone and keeps it offline or if you’re like me and turn the WiFi off when you’re not using it (to save battery juice), Google won’t be able to find your phone.

Other than that, this is a pretty nifty feature. I just tried it. Be warned though: when you click on the “Ring” option, Google will make your phone ring at the highest volume for 5 minutes until you find your phone and press the Home or Power button. So if you’re trying to test this out, maybe don’t do it when your wife just put your infant son to sleep...

3 Reply
- Dubstar23
  Profile Follow
  
  Dubstar23Dubstar23
  4/16/15 4:16am
  
  As a follow up: Yes, I know I said WiFi but this applies to your 3G/4G/Whatever data plans also. Basically your phone needs to be ONLINE (I live in an area where there is no 3G coverage. People around here use WiFi only).
  
  Reply
DonJohnson
Profile Follow

DonJohnsonChris Mills
4/16/15 1:19am
Holy shit! best thing ever. is this a new function? I lose my phone all the time.

Google, now please find my remote.

5 Reply
- Pessimippopotamus
  Profile Follow
  
  PessimippopotamusDonJohnson
  4/16/15 1:28am
  
  Google, now please find my remote.
  
  Or better yet, get a new phone with an IR blaster. Your phone IS your remote! This isn’t really a new function. It’s just an easier way to access the existing Android Device Manager features. It only works if you go to your phone’s security settings then allow it to be managed via other devices.
  
  2 Reply
agreen182
Profile Follow

agreen182Chris Mills
4/16/15 1:12am
soooo...it’s “find my iphone”, then? That’s a pretty old feature on ios.

2 Reply
- Kazmodaa
  Profile Follow
  
  Kazmodaaagreen182
  4/16/15 2:29am
  
  It has been around for quite awhile for Android in a few different methods. One required Android Device Manager to already be installed on your phone and the other could find your phone without that program but couldn’t ring it. This way is basically just a faster third option and gives you the ring phone feature without installing anything extra before hand.
  
  1 Reply
- Diviance
  Profile Follow
  
  Divianceagreen182
  4/16/15 3:20am
  
  It is just another way of accessing a pre-existing feature. It isn’t a new feature in and of itself.

Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies

Translation from English

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Gizmodo- Google, Find My Phone!

How To Do Particle Physics On The Cheap

Duracell Doesn't Understand Wireless Charging

The Northern Lights Are Even Better Seen From The ISS

Want To Find Your Phone? Just Google It

No comments:

Post a Comment

What do you think of my blog?