Set your smartphone up for safety: How to track a lost or stolen device

For many of us our Smartphones are far more value than the Rand value we paid for them. They hold a world of information – contact numbers, personal pictures, and possibly financial data – losing them causes more distress than the pain our wallet feels. Although preventative measures are always key when securing your smartphone, we sometimes find ourselves in situations we can’t control.  With phones being one of the most stolen everyday items of value, there have been many apps developed to assist in the tracking of these lost or stolen phones.

Setting your phone up for safety

There are a number of apps that can help you locate your lost or stolen phone, the most commonly used apps being:

1. Android’s Find My Device
2. iPhone’s Find My Phone
3. Window’s Find My Phone
4. And Prey’s Anti Theft App, which is compatible with a few different operating systems.

Each have their own steps to set up, however most require the following:

1. Many of the apps are pre-installed onto your device but some need to be downloaded and most require you to sign in to a specific account and give the app permission to run.
2. Your phone needs to be on in order for the app to work – this means ensuring your phone is always fully charged.
3. And lastly, your phone’s location feature must be turned on.

Tracking a lost or stolen device
You should NEVER try and play the hero by recovering the phone yourself. Doing so could put you into a seriously dangerous situation and no device is more valuable than your life. Earlier this year, an arrest was made after one of our response officer’s discovered a housebreaker’s hide-out when he helped the Hillcrest resident track his stolen phone. 
Aside from pinpointing the phone’s location, many of these apps have a number of other options:

1. The ring feature, which highly useful when you’ve misplaced your phone somewhere near you, forces your phone to ring even if your phone is set to silent.
2. The remote lock feature will force the lock screen to lock even if the device is in use. This means that even if the thief has access to your password you can set a new password and lock them out. Some apps even let you create a personalised message that displays on screen.
3. The erase feature, comes in handy when you are unable to recover your lost or stolen device. This is your last resort as it securely erases all data off of your device.

Have you ever recovered a lost or stolen phone using an app? Share your experiences with us by replying to the Siren email.