How to find Windows Phone if you lose it

All mobile phones have one unpleasant property - getting lost. In addition, they are sometimes stolen. And, unfortunately, nothing can be done about this. Until recently, “sowing” an Android device outside the home meant parting with it forever without hope of return, because, unlike iOS, there were no search functions on Android. Today they exist, which means that the chances of returning the lost items are no longer zero. And it's time for us to get to know them.

Let's talk about how to find a lost phone on Android through Google and using third-party applications and services.

If a mobile gadget is lost, the functions of modern versions of Android allow you not only to determine its location using cell towers and satellites, but also to block it remotely. And if there is no hope of return (it was stolen), erase the owner’s personal data.

To do this, the following conditions must be met:

The device must be turned on (it is not necessary that your SIM card is in it).
It must be linked to your Google account.
The “Remote Control” function should work on it.
The transmission of geodata must be activated on it and Internet access must be enabled.
The phone must be detected in Google Play.

If you have turned off the location setting function (geodata transfer) to save battery power, you will not have a chance to find your lost or stolen phone. Searching via satellite does consume a lot of energy, but there is no need to use it in the city. Enable device location by cell towers - this option is more economical.

How to enable geodata transfer on Android:

Launch the Settings app.
In the Personal menu, tap Location Services.
Select the checkbox for the search method “By network coordinates”.

How to find out which devices are connected to your Google Account:

Open any browser (on a PC or mobile device, it doesn’t matter), go to Google.com and log in with your account.
Open the recently used devices page. The phone you are looking for should be in this list.

How to enable remote device control on Android:

Launch "Options" (Settings).
Tap "Protection" (Security) in the "Personal" menu.
In the right pane, select Device Administrators.

Check the box next to “Android Remote Control” and open it.

In the “Activate device administrator?” window click "Enable".

How to find a phone on Google Play:

Go to the Google Play website through any browser, open the “Settings” section (the button with the gear icon).
Look at the "My Devices" list. All Android phones, tablets, watches, etc. linked to your account must be present in this list.

How to locate a lost Android gadget

The steps below are performed through a computer or other mobile device connected to the Internet.

Open your browser and log in with your Google account.
Go to the main page of your account and in the “Search for a phone” section, click “Get Started”.

Select your lost device from the list and enter your password again to log into your account. Once in the search section, click the “Find” button.

The location of your device will be displayed on the area map.

Other available features:

The phone ringing. When ringing is activated, the device will ring for 5 minutes (even at zero volume), attracting people's attention. However, this helps more if you don't remember where you put it, but if the dialer is lost or stolen, it can worsen the situation. Also, not all devices support it.
Blocking. Return to the previous page and open the “Lock your phone” section. Change the default message if desired. Click "Block".

Call your phone using Google Hangouts messenger. To go, click on the highlighted word.

Sign out of your account on your device. To exit, press the appropriate button.

Delete user data from the gadget’s internal memory (excluding the memory card). Select this option if you are sure that the phone has fallen into the wrong hands and an attacker could use the information on it to harm someone. For example, it will start sending malware to your contacts or gain access to electronic wallets. If you agree to deletion, click the “Yes, erase” button, but searching on the map, blocking and dialing will be unavailable after that.

Services similar to Google's Phone Finder are also being developed by mobile device manufacturers. Their operating principles and range of capabilities are the same or slightly larger. For example, Samsung offers its smartphone users the following:

Determination of location on the map.
Remote blocking.
Erasing confidential data.
Ringing (playing a ringing tone loudly for 1 minute to attract the attention of others).
Access to call log.
Notification when the owner's SIM card is removed.
Remotely switching the device to “emergency mode” - reducing the screen brightness and disabling most functions and applications to save battery power. To keep a lost phone in sight for as long as possible.

Find my device from Google - a mobile application for finding lost devices

To simplify the search for lost or stolen Android gadgets, you can also use a mobile application, available for free download from Google Play. It has the same set of functions as the Google Phone Finder service. Namely:

Allows you to determine the location of the gadget on the map.
Rings it (makes it ring at maximum volume for 5 minutes).
Blocks use.
Allows the owner to log out of the Android account and remotely erase user data.

Find my device is intended to be installed on the device that will be used for searching, not on the one you want to protect from loss.

The conditions for the availability of application functions are the same as for “Find a Phone” through the Google browser service.

Phone search services by cellular subscriber number and IMEI

PLNET (Phone-Location.net)

The Russian-language PLNET web service allows you to determine the location of a lost gadget by both phone number and IMEI (the international mobile device identification code assigned to each device at the factory). The search is carried out using satellites and cell towers and works in the following networks of Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh cellular operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
Vodafone.
Altel.
TELE2.
Velcom.

The main functions of the service are paid. Free, unlike Google, it allows you to find out only the country, region and city in which the device you are looking for is located. More accurate coordinates are available for 500 rubles after registration. In addition, with a paid subscription, real-time device tracking, history of its movements, and search by IMEI are available. In the latter case, you should, along with the IMEI, also indicate the number of the SIM card that the owner was using before the phone was lost. If you didn't have time to write it down while you had the phone, look at the stickers on the box.

The service has similar functions for determining the location of devices, with the exception of searching by IMEI. Printouts of travel history are also available for paid subscribers. The one-time service of determining exact coordinates by phone number costs 900 rubles.

The service operates in the networks of the following mobile operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
TELE2.
Velcom.

PLNET, OM-TEL, and other similar resources are still more suitable for spying on loved ones (children, spouse, etc.). They are of little use in searching for stolen smartphones, because an attacker, if he is not devoid of intelligence, will immediately replace the owner’s SIM card with his own. In this case, the service will show the place where your SIM card was last registered in the operator’s network. Or it won't show anything.

— a service for checking serial numbers and IMEI of various mobile devices to determine whether they are included in the database of lost and stolen ones. Supports all phone models and brands.

The SNDeepInfo user can add the IMEI or serial number of a lost or found device to the service database, leaving his email for communication. If you wish, you can also specify the amount of the return reward here. No registration or payment is required for this.

The service works similar to the previous one, but only maintains the IMEI database. With its help, you can, for example, find out whether a phone you bought second-hand was stolen from the previous owner. And also add the code of your device to the database.

The author also considers phone search services by IMEI to be of little use, because with their help it is impossible to find out either the location of the device or who is currently using it. They are designed for honest people who, if they find a device lost by someone, will themselves begin to look for its owner. Law enforcement agencies also do not use such databases - they have the opportunity to obtain the necessary information directly from mobile operators.

Anti-theft apps for smartphones

CM Security: protection and antivirus

In addition to antivirus, firewall and system optimization tools, it includes an anti-theft module. It includes:

— a program to protect your device from theft with an expanded range of capabilities. Among them:

Remote monitoring of phone movement through the application website.
Remote blocking.
Calling.
Sending messages to a lost phone.
Deleted screenshots.
Taking photos and videos of the attacker's face. Record sound through a microphone.
Erase user data from internal memory and SD card.
Remote control of the device via the console interface using commands.
Automatically enable geodata transfer if it is disabled.
Power cut-off blocking so that a thief cannot turn off the device and thereby interfere with his search.
Create your own user rules, etc.

The majority of Cerberus functions only work in the paid version. Even more of them are available when you gain root rights.

Windows Phone also has a convenient remote phone search feature that allows you to control your smartphone remotely via the web interface. But for the tool to work, you need to configure it first.

Remote Search Service

We have already figured out how to find Android. Now we will talk about how to find Windows Phone. There are no fundamental differences in the operation of remote search services - they work on the same principle on different operating systems. The first step is to enable and configure the function.

To send push notifications, mobile data transfer must be enabled on your smartphone. Saving a location allows you to find the last known location of the device on the map.

Search on the map

To start searching for a phone, go to microsoft.com/ru-ru/windows/phones and log in using your Microsoft account details. Then expand the “My Phone” menu and select “Search”.

A world map will appear, above which there will be a large “Search for phone” button. Click on the button, then give Microsoft all the required permissions and indicate the number of the lost phone to which the system will send messages for management.

As a result of these manipulations, a dot will appear on the map indicating the approximate location of the device. The drawing can be scaled, its appearance changed, and printed.

Remote control

If you have lost your smartphone at home, then the “Call” function will be useful to you. When activated, the mobile device will start ringing at maximum volume, even if you have previously muted the sound. To stop the sound signal, you need to press any button on your smartphone.

If another person found the phone, you can help him return the device to the owner as soon as possible. To do this, on the management page you need to click on the “Block” button.

Enter a new screen unlock code.
Write a message that will be displayed on the lock screen.

It is recommended to additionally check the “Call after blocking” option. After completing these steps, the smartphone will ring and the message you sent will appear on the screen.

If you are not sure that Windows Phone fell into the hands of a worthy person, then erase your personal data. Clicking the Erase button will delete all user information from your phone, from contacts to messages and personal photos.

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Things happen when you may lose your Windows phone, misplace it, or have it stolen. Fortunately, you have the Find My Windows Phone function on your Windows phone, which can help you find back your Windows phone or just erase the personal data when you cannot get it back.

In this case, this article will be divided into four parts as follows:

Part 1. Enable the Find My Phone on your Windows phone

In order to use the Find My Phone function on your Windows phone, you need to enable it first.

Step 1. On your Windows phone, you need to go to the “Settings” option, then choose the “Find My Phone” option and finally tap on the “Save” button.

Step 2. Now on your computer, go to the address “ account.microsoft.com” and then log in with your Microsoft account. When you can click on the name or code of your Windows phone to see if the function has been successfully enabled.

Part 2. Location your Windows phone with the Find My Phone

Now after you enabled the Find My Phone function on your Windows phone, you can easily locate and track the location of your Windows phone as long as it is on. Just do like this:

Step 1. On your computer, go to the “account.microsoft.com” address and log in.

Step 2. Click on the name or code of your Windows phone to track it.

Step 3. Now you can see a map with the location of your Windows phone on your computer.

Step 4. Then simply use the different buttons on the map to help you find the Windows phone more quickly.

Part 3. Erase your Windows phone with the Find My Phone

Well, if unfortunately, you can not find your Windows phone back after locating it, the only choice becomes to erase it with the Find My Phone function.

Step 1. On the home page of the address “account.microsoft.com”, you need to go to the “Find My Phone” section.

Step 2. Then find and click on the “Erase” button.

Step 3. There you will see a popping up window, asking you to erase your phone or not. You need to check on the little box, and then tap on the “Erase” button. And then, all the personal data on your Windows phone will be removed.

Part 4. Some other Windows phone trackers

The features of the Find My Phone function is too limited for those who want more. So now, I will introduce some other Windows phone trackers for your reference.

Tracker 1. GPS Tracker by FollowMee

This is an app for the mobile phone. It can easily locate the position of your Windows phone. After being installed, this app starts to work and record the location of your Windows phone for further service. When you want to track your Windows phone, you simply go to the website of it. With this app, you can also locate your kids’ location, which is very convenient for the parents.

Pros:
1.It is easy to use.
2.The functions of it are multiple.
3.It will only take up very little storage space on your Windows phone.
Cons:
1.You need to connect your Windows phone to the WIFI when you use this app.

Tracker 2. Phone Tracker

This app offers detailed information about the locations of your Windows phone when you want, because it use the GPS reception. Then it refreshes the map at short intervals, so that you can always get the most accurate locations.

Pros:
1.It will cost only a little battery power on your Windows phone.
Cons:
1.The functions are too simple.

Tracker 3. Life360 Family Locator

This is also an app for the mobile phone, and then you want to track your Windows phone, you just need to use the browser on your computer. This app is also used to track the lost or misplaced mobile phone. The interesting thing is that you can perform a remote operation to make your phone alert so that you can easily find the location. And at the same time, if it is stolen, the thief will have to forget your Windows phone.

Pros:
1.It is a free app.
2.You can also use this app to send messages to your contacts who use this app too.
3.It can release an alert.
Cons:
1. There are too many bugs of this app waiting to be updated.

It's no secret that the location of any phone can be tracked by its outgoing signal. This feature is the basis of the smartphone search service running on the Microsoft operating system. It can track the location of the device using signals traveling over the Internet.

How Microsoft's search service works

Based on this, it is worth immediately noting that find Windows Phone Thus, it is possible only if two conditions are met:

the device is turned on;

has access to the Internet.

Otherwise, the search service will not be able to determine the current location of the smartphone, but will show the last place where its signal was last detected.

It is important that for the purposefind a Windows Phonein the event of its loss, it is possible only if you take care of it in advance. The thing is that in order to save battery, automatic synchronization with the search service in smartphones is disabled. It needs to be allowed to work in the background so that, if necessary, it can track the location of the smartphone.

To do this, you need to take a few simple steps.

Allow access to synchronization. To do this, you need to go to the “Options” menu section. At the very bottom of the drop-down list, or in the “System and Security” section, check the appropriate box. It sounds like “Save your location for easier searching” or “Save your location periodically until the battery runs out.”

Once these steps are completed, you can be sure thatfind lost Windows Phonewill not be difficult.

Functions provided by the search service from Microsoft

The developers of the operating system and service that helps find a lost smartphone have equipped this service with several useful functions. Each of them is suitable for different circumstances in which the loss occurred.

Location tracking. This is, of course, the main function of the service. If you are not sure where you left your smartphone, you can look at its location on the map. It will not be accurate down to a meter; it gives an idea of a place within a radius of up to 40 m. However, even this way you can find out whether you left your device at work, with friends, or if it is somewhere at home. Questionhow to find a lost Windows Phone will disappear.

Making a call on a smartphone. No less useful function. Especially if, after using tracking, you realized that the smartphone is somewhere at home, buried in pillows or things. It is noteworthy that a call made using the search service will automatically be in speakerphone mode. Even if vibration was initially turned on or the sound was turned off.

Phone lock. This function is useful if you are wondering whetherhow to find a stolen Windows Phone.This feature, of course, does not guarantee its return. But you can enter a special password in the Microsoft search service, without which the attacker will not be able to perform any actions with the smartphone. The owner can also enter a message of up to 160 characters, which will be displayed on the screen of the locked device. For example, indicate contact information with which you can return the phone.

Cleaning the contents of your smartphone. This is a last resort measure that is applicable in cases where it is no longer possible to return a lost device. Then, to ensure that the information contained on it does not fall into the hands of third parties, you can remotely wipe your smartphone.

In practice, the question is whetherhow to find a lost Windows Phonedoes not imply difficulties. Microsoft's search service can help solve this problem.

What to do to find a smartphone

Situations according to the principlelost my phone, how to find windows phone” happen often. In order to use the search service functionality, the device must be turned on and have access to the Internet.

This, of course, is not always possible. Especially in cases of theft. But the likelihood of accidental losses with the help of the support service is reduced significantly.

In order to set the location and use other functionality of the Microsoft service, you need to log in to the service website using your account. If your phone does not have a SIM card, you can use LiveID.

A lost phone icon will appear in the top left corner of the screen. By clicking on it, you will see a drop-down menu that offers all the functions described above. Choose from it the opportunity that suits you.

The service interface is very clear and simple. By going to the page with the desired function, you can see the tips of the service itself. But to search or make a call, just one click of a button with the appropriate name is enough.

It doesn't matter if you lost your smartphone, or misplaced it, or it was stolen - all these are reasons for concern. After all, it may contain your personal data, documents, photographs and videos. If you're using Windows Phone 8 and have lost your smartphone, there are several ways to find it. Microsoft provides a special service that allows you to track your lost or stolen phone.

With this free feature in the My Phone section of windowsphone.com, you can call your smartphone, lock it, erase it, or show its location on a map from any computer with an Internet connection. This feature makes it much easier to find your smartphone or prevent someone from using it without your permission. By going to the "My Phone" section, you can start tracking it.

The lock feature will lock your smartphone using a password. If you haven't set a password yet, you will be prompted to do so, and when you find your smartphone, you will have to enter that password. You can also write a message on the lock screen.

After locking, the following image will appear on the screen of your smartphone.

You can also call your smartphone using a special service. This is convenient if you forget where you put it at home or in the office. Finally, the last option is to erase data. This feature will restore factory settings and delete all your files and applications.