How to lock your phone when you lose it. Remote locking android

What to do if your smartphone was stolen

My smartphone was stolen the other day. a professional biker thief snatched it out of my hands at speed right in the center of the city and was gone. It can happen to anyone, anywhere in the world. I, by virtue of professional deformation around IT, data, privacy and security, was morally prepared for the situation and knew what to do. Friends, with whom I shared the story advised to write a memo that everyone can use, even those who are far from it. This text is this very memo. It will not give you back your smartphone. But, if it helps someone to reduce damage and save gray hair, it means I did not waste my time writing and you did not waste your time reading it.

To be fair, most thieves already know that every smartphone is essentially a beacon that can always be used to track a thief. That’s why they rarely leave it turned on. practically at once they take out and throw away the SIM card, turn the phone off and sell it for a penny for parts. Which is a shame. because the chances that, for example, my iPhone 12 Pro Max 512 would be torn apart for screen, battery and a few particularly needed chips. tend to 100%. That is, the thief has stolen an extremely expensive device, and will get for it or dick, or (if he is an idiot). time. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you can really get a truckload and a cartload of problems. First, in some types of theft (as in my case) the phone gets into the hands of a bad guy in an unlocked state and there is a risk that the thief will not intentionally lock the device. will keep it activated and get the most out of it, for which he will have in theory up to 24 hours (after which the protection system in the factory settings will work and again ask to enter the pin code, even if the phone is still unlocked). When unlocked, the thief has full access to all accounts, correspondence, credit cards (albeit limited), personal mail, calendar, contacts, private photos, settings, maps, and, through accounts like gmail / iCloud and. also to all life history, social connections, and so on. At the same time the thief can successfully pass the two-factor authentication, for example, to pay or change passwords almost everywhere. because the SMS comes on the phone in his hands. If you became a target for a targeted attack. meaning that the thief knew who you were, had been following you and was getting ready to steal. it’s not good, because he probably already knows, for example, your phone number and your typical passwords that he bought from hackers or hacked himself beforehand. For this case (if you’re a tidbit target) need to write a separate instruction (let me know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев, if you need it). Now let’s assume that you were just unlucky and your phone was stolen. unlocked or locked. is not clear.

1) The first task is to block the communication directly, that is, so that the thief could not use the two-factor authentication. Look around. if you’re in the city center. find any communications store, hardware store (there are usually all demo samples connected to the Internet). You need a phone or network access to contact the cellular operator. In my case. I simply stopped a cab, got in it, explained the situation and asked for the phone. It did not take more than 5 minutes from the time of the theft until the call to the operator. The cellular operator has the technical capability to do two things instantly. First, lock your SIM card, which is already useful for protecting your finances and accounts. Secondly (which many are not aware of), he can blacklist the phone itself. Every modern smartphone has a bunch of identifiers, one of which is the IMEI number. To find out your IMEI dial “#06#” on the keypad and press call. Let it be a new feature that you learn today about your smartphone.

At your request, the operator can block the IMEI, and even if the thief inserts a new SIM-card, his cellular network will not work, only WI-FI. If you get your phone back, the operator can unlock it for you.

You can easily find your operator’s number in the network or, if you have just a dumb phone from the 90s, dial 112 and they will help you. You’d be surprised how cool they work in Russia and Europe. In any other country. use your local service number. in the states it is 911 and they will help even with that. For loss of data and money is also an emergency.

2) From the same phone (cab driver/waiter/salesman/police officer) call one (so as not to lose time!) To the person closest to you. That’s why you should know at least one phone number by heart. for cases like this. And the voice calmly and briefly (!) tell them what happened, that you are ok, and that you should not be alarmed if someone calls from your number or writes from your channels in social networks, most likely asking them to transfer money to something similar. let them know that you are not in danger and that after this call nothing can be trusted. Then ask the person closest to you to notify the other most important people. In my case, my wife just made a post on his Instagram and everyone who is needed. found out.

About the cops, no joke. There are a lot of bad rumors about them, but actually. in general, they have nice people working there who won’t leave you in trouble. Especially one like this. If you see a policeman or a traffic cop around, feel free to talk to them. Besides, they might still be able to do something on a hot tip. Because if you do, there’s very little chance of catching the perpetrator.

3) For all the other steps, you need access to the Internet. If you see any Mvideo, IoN or ReStore around, just go in. all the demo booths are connected. If not, it’s your choice. My advice, as I said. stop the cabs (they are still, thank Singularity, everywhere. what, in London, New York, Tokyo. enjoy the last years before the unmanned transport, with which such a story will no longer fly). If you find yourself in a cab or hitchhiking, you can ask the driver for the phone and the chance that you will be given it out of understanding is high. But even if not. go home or work. somewhere where you have access to the Net and the money, because the cab driver will have to pay and, chances are, that not you, because you do not know whether you still have money in your account, or the thief has already taken everything (it’s unlikely, but still very real).

The third option instead of a cab. find a cafe or restaurant with free Wi-Fi. Chances are high that the waiters at some Kofemaniya or Naschivny loaf will help you. At least in Russia for sure. In London I had to twist and make an effort.

How to find or lock a lost Android smartphone

Good afternoon Lately, smartphones have completely filled our lives. It’s rare to see a person with a regular phone anywhere anymore. But just like ordinary phones, smartphones are also often lost, forgotten on public transportation, etc.e, etc.n This article will explain in detail how to find or lock a lost Android smartphone

And banal theft has not yet been banned. So what to do if you lost your Android smartphone?

Let me tell you right away that your phone must be linked to your Google account. It is this service and will help you quickly locate your device to within a few meters. Also the smartphone must be turned on.

How to Find or Lock a Lost Android Smartphone

So, it is assumed that the phone, produced a sign in to the Google account. 95% of Android smartphone owners use Google services. So there should not be any problems.

To search use a computer, laptop, tablet or any other device with which you can access the Internet. Follow this link to one of the services of Google

You will be asked to sign in to your account.

Log in, and as a result you will see the service window. Here you need to press the “Accept” button, located in the right corner at the bottom (if there is one).

If your lost smartphone is on, then in a new window the data about the model of your phone, its charge level, time of the last connection will appear.

As a result the music of the selected incoming call will be played on the phone within 5 minutes. Stop the dialer with the corresponding button at the bottom of the window.

How to lock lost smartphone

The basic steps are the same as in the previous paragraph. When the service window opens, the second from the top item will be “Lock phone”.

You need to press the button, and then perform a few simple actions according to the suggested algorithm. Here you can send an SMS message to the lost phone. For example, with a request to report a find and return it for a fee.

How to erase all the information from a lost smartphone

Agree that on any smartphone there is purely personal information that is not intended for public view. Even worse, it happens if the device memory contains some important or secret information, the access to which by unauthorized persons is extremely undesirable.

And in this case this service will be of invaluable help to you. You will need to click on the “Erase Data” button below the previous button.

Keep in mind that all deleted data will be permanently deleted, and you will no longer be able to track the location of your smartphone. I hope the information I offer will be of help to you in case you have lost your smartphone.

How to find a lost or stolen phone?

If your Android phone was stolen, but your phone was prepared for it (you enabled the above options), you can easily find it. It requires:

• Go to com/find and sign in to your Google account;
• A notification will be sent to the lost device;
• Information about where your phone is located will appear on the map;
• After that you will have the opportunity to. call the phone (it will ring loudly for 5 minutes even if the sound is muted); lock the screen and add a phone number or other message to contact you; delete data from your phone without the possibility of recovery.

Many of us are worried about personal data. After losing your phone, someone can access sensitive information, so the above steps to remotely delete data from your phone. is a good way to keep yourself safe.

Calling your phone through Google

Follow the “How to lock your phone if it’s stolen” instructions to step four. Now, at this point, click on the call icon.

You can still redial your phone through your Google Account, even if it’s on silent mode, or if you’ve set the ringtone to very low. This is possible because the call volume control is independent of user settings.

Now you know how to find your phone on silent mode. After all happens so that simply there is no one to ask to dial a number to find your phone by sound or to call there is someone, yes phone on “silent mode”.

How to call your phone through Google

Changing the lock screen

One more not radical way to return the phone will be a message on the lock screen. In it you can write where to call if someone finds the phone. Believe me, random passersby do get them back. This is how I myself got back a lost expensive phone. For reliability you can promise a reward. So even a thief might want to return it, because modern phones are so well blocked that they can only be sold for parts, and that’s a very small amount of money.

Zoom is already preparing for end-to-end encryption for more security

If these remedies do not help erase your data. Just remember again that this does not apply to memory cards.

It is also important to remember that once erased, the search functions will not work. So first make one hundred percent sure that the phone is somewhere far away. If you do find it after wiping it, you’ll have to enter your Google password to unlock it, but the data can only be recovered from a backup in the cloud, if it was made.

How to find a lost phone?

Suppose you do get into one of these unpleasant situations (God forbid, of course). Do not panic in this case.

Get it together and start thinking logically. Do not spend every second turning the question in your head “How to find a cell phone?!”.

The first thing to do is to call it. But not to yell all the time, but to make one or two calls. Who knows, maybe you just forgot your phone at home, or it was left at your friend’s house. If you’re sure you’ve lost your phone, think about where it might have happened first.

You could have been in a lot of places in a day, but remember the last time you used your phone and start looking from there. If there are not many variants of places and you have someone to help you, do not hesitate for a long time. Go each by your probable route. This will save a lot of time searching.

When you are in the supposed place of the loss. call on your cell phone. So you can find the phone by its sound. Of course, there is a risk that someone else can find it this way too, but then you have to take a risk.

In addition, the situation is not excluded, when the person who found your phone will be bona fide and try to find the owner. But of course this is a very unlikely scenario. Most of the time you will have to figure out how to find the phone yourself.

If the supposed places of loss are more than three, and there is no one to help you, then I do not advise to use the option of ringing. It is best to gradually explore each area.

The worst-case scenario is not just losing a phone, but losing a phone that is empty. Or if you have lost your phone when it was switched off. In this case, there are even fewer options on how to find a lost phone.

You can try to insure yourself against such situations by buying a special keychain, which reacts to claps or whistles. It is also possible to use so-called “not lost.

The essence of the device. a notification of the owner when the transmitter is removed from the receiver at a prescribed distance. The transmitter and receiver in this situation is you and your phone. There is also a reverse action of the device. alerting while approaching the phone. It is useful during the search.

To find a lost phone, try to concentrate as much as possible on each area you are exploring. Look for it even in those places, where, it would seem, well, could not have lost it. Practice shows that the cell phone can be anywhere: in the refrigerator, in the microwave, and even in the trash (there were cases, yes :)).

Remember, how to conduct a search by law enforcement officers. You can also conditionally divide the search area into separate areas and search step by step. This is the only way you can successfully resolve the question of how to find a cell phone.

Since we started talking about law enforcement agencies, it should be mentioned that they can also help you. If all methods failed to find the phone, or if you are just sure that it was stolen, turn for help to law enforcement agencies.

Unfortunately, not everyone has such option, as the use of special means to find the phone by IMEI.

It is important to understand that no global database of search phones by IMEI exists, every mobile operator has its own. But if you have the opportunity. be sure to use it. In this case the chance of a successful search will increase many times over.

Unfortunately, more often it is necessary to search the answer on your own how to find the phone. The best way to prevent its loss! Be careful and never leave your phone in an open place.

But this is a topic for a separate article. Now I suggest summarizing all of the above. So after all how to find a lost phone? Let’s follow in order:

• Call your lost phone 1-2 times to make sure you did not forget it at home or with friends.
• Remember the last time you held the phone in your hands.
• We define probable places of phone loss.
• If you have helpers, we go each to one of the probable places of loss. When everything is in place. call the phone to try to find it by sound.
• If you have to act on your own, then don’t call. Gradually scrutinize each of the suspected places of loss.
• All in vain? Then try to find the phone by IMEI (if possible, of course).
• If you know a phone reseller, get in touch with them and ask them to let you know if they have a similar phone.

What to do if you have lost the phone

The first thing I would like to note: if your phone is not just lost at home or at relatives (friends), and was stolen by intruders. then even after finding out the coordinates, where it is, in any case do not go there (it can be just dangerous for life)! Appeal to law enforcement authorities!

Also, in this case I recommend first of all to take care not to find the phone itself, but to block your cards and accounts (if any), which you have linked to your smartphone (for example, many have Sberbank online). Now you can do it just by calling to the bank (that’s why it’s important not to hesitate).

If this is not done, attackers can simply withdraw all of your money from your account!

By the way!

If you can, I would advise you to set a PIN code on the SIM card // ext. protection so that no one can use it, except the owner (it is recommended to all those who have the phone connected to the Internet Bank!)

2) Search the phone or block it, delete personal data with the help of special applications. applications

On a modern smartphone (I will consider a smartphone running Android, as the most popular version) you can install applications from the smartphone itself, or just from a computer by going to Play Market under your username (which for many people is a surprise ).

So if you do not have any applications on your phone to search for it (t.е. in advance did not secure it in any way), it is possible to install a similar application in Play Market.

One important note: after you install the application, the phone will pop up a notice about its installation. So if your phone is in the “wrong” hands. You will have to act quickly!

I recommend using the Find My Device app.

Please note that you do not need a smartphone to install the application! All you need to remember your password from your Google account. After you follow the link above. press the “install” button.

Then, when you see that the application will be installed, go to the developer’s website listed in the description of the application (see. screenshot below ).

you should see a map with the location of your smartphone. Please note that there will be three functions on the left side of the menu:

• call: your device will start beeping even if it is completely muted. A very useful option when you have lost your phone in a house or garage (at the cottage, with relatives, etc.).), and by the beep you want to find it quickly;
• lock : the device will be locked (not very effective if your phone was stolen);
• erase data : delete all data from the device (note that you will not be able to track it anymore). Can be used in those cases where you have reconciled to the loss of the device (hardware), but do not want someone to use your personal information.

To block or erase all data from the phone

In general, in my opinion, the app does all the basic things you need when you have this kind of problem. We recommend!

1) If you can’t install the application, you can make a call using the special. services, such as find-telephone.online.

2) There is another way you can block or erase data from your phone remotely. This can be done through your Google account. see. this note

3) Search for the phone by SIM-card through the operator

Modern cellular carriers have the ability to use satellite and GPS to send a signal even to a turned off smartphone that has your SIM card installed. Once the SIM card accepts it, the operator will know the location of your phone.

In order for the operator to take these steps, you need to:

• contact your operator’s service center;
• Provide a document proving your identity, indicate the phone number and IMEI code (a couple of words below about what it is);
• it is very probable that the operator will ask you to write an application (by the way, it is possible to address with similar now and remotely, if you have any numbers of contracts or something else, on what the operator can identify that you name your phone number).

A few words about phone IMEI

IMEI is a unique digital code for identification of mobile equipment (i.e. phones). Each phone has its own unique number.

It’s 15 regular digits. To find out IMEI of your phone, you can:

• Look at your phone’s documents;
• Enter code #06# (however, this method is not suitable for lost phones).

It is highly advisable while using your phone to keep all documents, receipts, IMEI in case of different kinds of troubles (the same search can be much more efficient, if you know IMEI).

1) If you go to law enforcement authorities and report the theft of your phone, the officers will be able to track it by IMEI number, even if the attackers change its SIM-card.

2) If search of your phone was not successful, then you can put your IMEI to the black list. Thanks to this, your phone will not work at any operator (such blacklists they exchange daily).

3) IMEI of the device can be flashed with special software. So if your phone fell into “professional” hands. chances to salvage the “iron” is almost no.

Preventive visits

Set Screen Blocker Password. Password must consist of four symbols only. Fingerprint identification and face scanning are unreliable.

Recorded on the archery PUK code SIM-card (a set of numbers that are listed on the plastic terminal from the SIM card). PUK-code can also be obtained in a private office of mobile operator’s extension, or you can obtain it via USSD-code.

Record the IMEI of the device on the archery device. You can also receive it via USSD code.

Get a simple spare smartphone and SIM-card to it or do not throw away your old smartphone.

In Google account, turn to the “Identity verification methods” section and enter a backup phone number, trusted email address, and a secret question. It is imperative to confirm the reserve phone number and e-mail address. Codes of authorization will come to the number and e-mail.

Get rid of payment card from fraud: simple rules to save your money

Set two-factor identification on your phone.

Turn on the notification display when the screen is blocked.

Create access passwords to critical documents.

Find and put in an accessible place the package under the starting package, plastic SIM-card holder, receipt for smartphone purchase, warranty card for the smartphone.

Register your number in your name. In this case, any procedures with the number and the SIM-card can perform only the owner of the document, which certifies the person. Subscribers of Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell can do it via Internet using digital signature or at the offline store.