How to retrieve your lost Android, iPhone, or other smartphone

How to find your lost Android, iPhone, or other smartphone

There are plenty of ways to find your lost devices these days if you’re using a smartphone. Most smartphones these days don’t even require additional software installed to be tracked. If your lost phone happens to be a smartphone (running iOS, Android or Windows Phone), there’s a phone retrieval technology in case you ever end up losing it but forget to install a “find my phone” app. Usually, the way these apps work is through the account associated with your device (iCloud account, Google account or Microsoft account). All three allow you to remotely lock and wipe your phone, make it ring, and set up special messages to alert whoever finds it.

For any normal Android device, as long as you sign in to your Google account, you can easily find it by typing “Where is my phone” on Google Search. You can set up a new password, make your phone ring… If you can’t find your smartphone, you can always wipe the data to prevent sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. For iOS and Windows Phone, the steps are similar. But you will need to sign-in to your iCloud or Microsoft account on their website first.
 
While these methods are fairly easy to use, they require your phone to have power and internet connection to make any adjustment. We also recommend caution when communicating with anyone who has found your device. Be careful to avoid giving away any personal information, such as your home address, until you know you’re dealing with someone you can trust.

How to find your lost not-so-smart phone

There’s no app for this so you can only stick to the traditional way of finding a phone: text or call the number. You can also ask your service provider (SIM) to track down your phone if possible. If not, ask them to suspend service to your phone to avoid possible fraudulent charge.