Find, lock, or erase lost Android phone via Google Account, Find My Device app, smartwatch

If you have lost your Android phone, you can find, lock or erase it using your Google Account, Find My Device App, or your smartwatch. Check steps here.

Here is how to Find, lock, or erase your lost Android phone. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

We store all our crucial information including bank account details on our smartphones. If we lose the phone it can not only cause us financial losses, but our details including personal information, contacts, images etc can also be used by fraudsters for wrong deeds. But do you know that you can find, lock or erase your Android device, if you have added a Google Account to your device? Yes, your Google Account can find your phone!

"If you lose an Android phone or tablet, or Wear OS watch, you can find, lock, or erase it. If you've added a Google Account to your device, Find My Device is automatically turned on," Google Support page said. However, it needs to be noted that in order to find, lock, or erase an Android phone, that phone must be turned on, be signed in to a Google Account, be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi, be visible on Google Play, have location turned on, have Find My Device turned on.

Also, if you used your lost phone for 2-step verification, you must have a backup phone or backup code. Here is all you need to do:

How to remotely find, lock, or erase your Android device

1. Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.

2. If you have more than one phone, click the lost phone at the top of the screen.

3. If your lost phone has more than one user profile, sign in with a Google Account that's on the main profile.

4. The lost phone gets a notification.

5. On the map, you will get info about where the phone is. It can be noted that the location is approximate and might not be accurate. If your phone can't be found, you will see its last known location, if available.

6. Pick what you want to do. If needed, first click Enable lock and erase.

Play sound: Rings your phone at full volume for 5 minutes, even if it's set to silent or vibrate.

Secure device: Locks your phone with your PIN, pattern, or password. If you don't have a lock, you can set one. To help someone return your phone to you, you can add a message or phone number to the lock screen.

Erase device: Permanently deletes all data on your phone (but might not delete SD cards). After you erase, Find My Device won't work on the phone.

7. If you find your phone after erasing, you will likely need your Google Account password to use it again. Also, if you have linked your phone to Google, you can find or ring it by searching for find my phone on google.com

How to find your android device with Find My Device app

1. On another Android phone or tablet, open the Find My Device app.

2. If the other device does not yet have the app, get it on Google Play.

3. Sign in. If your own device is lost, tap Continue as [your name]. While, if you are helping a friend, tap Sign in as guest and let your friend sign in.

4. You can then follow the same steps as listed above for remotely finding your phone.

How to find your Android phone using your smartwatch

It needs to be noted that to use your watch to find your phone, your phone must be powered on, connected to your watch by Bluetooth, close enough that you can hear it.

Your phone rings even if your volume is turned off and your phone is set to vibrate.

How to make your phone ring

Time

5 Minutes

Step 1: If you can't see your screen, wake up the watch.

Step 2: To see your list of apps, press the Power button.

Step 3: Tap Find my phone.