Android device manager remote control. How to find your phone if it's lost or stolen. Internet was disabled on my lost Android phone. Can I control him in this situation?
Almost all the most popular and popular operating systems have built-in tools in their functionality that allow you to remotely control mobile gadgets.
Such a function is more than relevant if the smartphone is lost or, worse, stolen, as it becomes possible to block the gadget, send a message to those who found it, or completely destroy their personal data.
In today's article, we want to talk about the standard tool from Google - Android Device Manager, how to use this application.
"Android Remote Control" is a small utility consisting of two interdependent parts that is installed on your device, while commands will be given to it through the web interface.
On many models of Android devices, manufacturers install it by default, and if this tool is not available on your device, it will not be difficult to install it yourself.
How to set up Android Device Manager
Google is a company that takes privacy very seriously. In this regard, you will have to independently perform the activation procedure for the utility and provide it with all the necessary permissions. To do this, we perform the following steps.
In the main menu, open "Settings" and go to the "Security" section, select "Device Administrators" there:
Put a tick in the "Android Remote Control" field, get acquainted with the opportunities provided by the program and click the "Activate" button:
Now go back and close the settings.
If your phone was stolen or simply lost, then with a high degree of probability, using the capabilities of the ADM service, you will be able to find its real location. True, if the smartphone was in the hands of intruders who immediately turned off the gadget or reset the settings, then your chances of finding the phone tend to zero. However, if you quickly discovered the loss, the opportunity to find it still remains.
Let's start searching for a smartphone:
- Starting from the page Android remote control". There, in the drop-down list, select your device (if you have more than one)
- Click the "Locate device" button.
We wait a few seconds, and a marker and data on the last connection to the network will appear on the map that opens:
It is important to know that the accuracy of detection directly depends on the activation of the GPS system on your gadget. However, although approximately, the search area will be determined.
If you are sure that the phone is somewhere nearby, it is quite reasonable to use the ringing function (the "Ring" button) to make the smartphone ring for five minutes at maximum volume:
Do not think badly about people - the world is full of good and, most importantly, honest people. It is quite possible that such a person found your Android and is ready to make you happy. Help him by sending a special message that will be displayed on the locked display. To do this, use the "Block" button, which is located in the " Android remote control" (see above):
Now, in the window that opens, you need to enter the lock password, message text and phone number. This data will be displayed when the device is turned on, which will help the person who found your device to call you back quickly without having to open your notes or photos:
If the circumstances are not in your favor and it’s understood that you still have to part with Andryukha (alas ...), then you still have the opportunity to protect yourself and delete your personal data on the same page “Android Remote Control”. To do this, click on the "Clear" button, brush off a mean tear for an untimely departed friend and confirm your choice, thereby performing a complete reset on the now no longer your device.
*Note: This procedure will not affect the contents of the es-di card, so you should not store personal information on it.
If your smartphone is still with you, then there are a few things that you should do to make life easier for yourself when the “X-time” comes. Consider the necessary steps for owners of Android smartphones and iPhones.
android smartphone
Many manufacturers of Android smartphones equip their own tools for finding and remotely managing devices, but for several years now there has been a proprietary solution from Google - Find My Device.
This function is enabled in the system settings, in the "Security" section, where you need to allow remote control.
In addition, turn on the transfer of geodata in the settings. Without it, finding a lost device will not work.
Be sure to also enable a PIN or other screen lock to protect your privacy. Otherwise, mail, messages, photos, social networks and a lot of other information that is not intended for prying eyes can be read like an open book.
If a good person finds your smartphone, then, knowing your contacts, he will be able to return it to you. To do this, in the security settings, you need to set a message with contact information, which will be displayed on the lock screen in case of loss.
iPhone
The search function for Apple devices appeared much earlier. It's now available on every iPhone and offers more search and blocking options.
You can go looking for an iPhone armed with the Find iPhone application or iCloud web version.
Both services allow you to not only find, but also remotely lock your smartphone or erase all data on it, blocking access to applications, contacts, payment information, and so on. This is the last link that connects you to the lost gadget.
To get started, you can try to search for a smartphone by a sound signal using the “Ring” function for an Android device or “Play sound” for an iPhone. But this only makes sense if you know the approximate location of the loss. Otherwise, you will only waste precious battery power.
If the search was unsuccessful or successful, but not for you, but for someone else, you need to block your Android smartphone or put your iPhone in lost mode. This will block access to your information and provide your contacts. Perhaps your phone fell into the hands of a person who at this moment is just looking for a way to contact you.
The most extreme measure that you can go to is a complete cleaning of the smartphone. It is worth resorting to it to protect your data if you still could not find a smartphone. You can do this remotely, even if the gadget is completely discharged - the changes will take effect the next time you turn it on.
After that, the scenarios for iOS and Android are slightly different. In both cases, you will lose access to remote control of your smartphone, but if the Android gadget can then be safely used, then no one will be able to turn on the iPhone without your Apple ID login data due to iCloud activation blocking.
How to protect your data without access to your smartphone
If you did not have time to set up remote control of your smartphone and did not protect it with a password or Touch ID, then you need to disable mail, social networks and other accounts as soon as possible.
Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter, Gmail and other services allow you to view active sessions open on your other devices and log them out remotely. For example, in your Google account settings, you can view all the devices you've recently used and delete any of them. The same allows you to do
Smartphones are very popular today, but this popularity has a downside - as the number of devices in the population grows, the number of their losses also grows. Let's analyze such a topical question for today: how to find an android phone in case it is lost or stolen, and what are the means for this? Is it possible to remotely determine its location, block the phone and delete personal information using a computer using special programs or services?
We can immediately say that such a possibility exists, but the probability of finding a loss will increase if:
- Lost phone included.
- Internet access is enabled on the phone.
- Geolocation is enabled on the phone.
- The phone must be linked to a Google account.
If the Internet or geolocation is not enabled on the lost phone, then the search capabilities will be somewhat limited.
How to find a lost phone through a computer
Google's Android Device Manager service will help you find your lost Android phone. To find your phone, do the following on your computer:
- Go to service;
- Log in to the service using your Google account username and password.
After logging into Android Device Manager, the smartphone owner can use the control panel to see the location of the lost phone on the map, call it, block it or delete personal data. 
On devices running on Android below version 5.0, the " device Manager" (or " Remote control”, depending on the manufacturer). You can do this in the following way:
If the operating system version of the lost Android phone is 5.0 or higher, there is no need to make any preliminary settings.
How to find your Android phone using apps
Many applications have been developed to find a lost phone. The principle of their operation is similar to the operation of the Android Device Manager service described above, but with its own nuances. Naturally, such applications must be in advance on the smartphone, otherwise it will not work to find the phone with their help. Consider the most popular of them.
Lost Android
The application installed on a smartphone disguises itself as a notepad called Personsl Notes, so the person who finds or steals the phone may not be aware that the owner of the device can determine its location. 
It can beep, turn on vibration, send a message to the owner's email about an incorrect unlock password entry, send a message to the email about the location of the device.
Lookout Security & Antivirus
The application is remarkable in that, in addition to information about the location of the lost phone, it also protects the phone from access by unauthorized persons and has an antivirus. In addition, the application can lock the device and beep. 
Where's My Droid
The application sends data about the location of a lost or stolen phone in SMS messages to a pre-configured number. The Where's My Droid Pro version of the program secretly takes pictures of the person holding the device, sending them to a pre-defined email address. 
By installing one of these applications (or similar ones), the chance of finding an android phone increases significantly. Although we wish you not to face this unpleasant situation at all.
In an ecosystem Android there are many different tools for finding lost devices, but no official applications have yet been created. And so Google decided to release their own service, which will be available to all users at the end of this month.
Will be suitable for all devices with operating system version 2.2 and higher. The essence of the service is that you can activate a ringtone on a lost smartphone from a computer. If the device is somewhere far away, and it is impossible to hear it, then it will determine its location. You can also remotely destroy all personal data stored on your smartphone / tablet, preventing attackers from gaining valuable information.
For some users, the service may already be running. https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager?u=0- here you can see for yourself. To use you will need the latest version of the browser, a logged in Google + account and, in fact, Android device.
UPD (30.05.14): Android Device Manager got a new Guest Mode
The next update got to . With the new version of the application, users can find their lost devices, remotely wipe all personal data, block or unmute a call from any other Android device with the latest version installed ADM. To do this, you just need to use the mode guest mode. By clicking on the name of the owner of the device, you can change the user. After entering new data Google account will display all devices associated with it, with which you can perform the above actions. There is a Sign Out button to exit the application.
We present to your attention a program from Google - Android Device Manager. Finding a phone with its help is quite simple. Recently, this program has been renamed to Find my device (you can download the update from the Play Store). Such an application is designed to search for lost or stolen devices on the Android platform with a small set of functions necessary for this.
A little about the functions
The program supports functions:
- turn on the call;
- phone lock;
- complete erasure of information from the device remotely;
- device discovery.
If the gadget was lost, not stolen, the alternative to blocking it is much more pleasant than completely erasing information. However, in the event of a theft, data cleansing can come in handy more than ever. Setting up and running the app is pretty straightforward.
Program installation
Since the application is official, just click the "Install" button in the Play Market, and it will be installed. If you have a Google account and are signed in on your device, the application will be installed automatically after you confirm the use of location data. After this procedure, the map of the area will start loading.
The approximate location of your device will be displayed next to its description. On the map, it is reflected as a single dot. Also, if you drag two fingers on the map in different directions, you can zoom in on the map for a more detailed display of the location of your device. The accuracy of the detection varies depending on the location of the device at the moment. Usually it does not exceed 20 m.
If you have multiple Android devices, you can switch between them. To do this, in the description of the phone, click on the triangle under its name and select the desired gadget.
If one of the devices is used more often than the others, then you can rename them to a more readable form. The function of determining the location of the phone is not enough to determine exactly where the lost gadget is. To do this, you need to use the "Call" function. This procedure does not require pre-configuration. When you press this button, the phone will ring for 5 minutes without turning off at maximum volume. Turning off this call by simply pressing the "Red Button" will not succeed. It will require a complete shutdown of the device.
Setting up a full wipe and device lock
In order for your device to be able to remotely lock and wipe, it must be configured.
How to do it? In case Android Device Manager is not installed on your device, there are two options for installing and configuring it. Either send a request from the web interface, and then simply click on it in the notification bar of your gadget to start the setup process, or go to your phone in Settings->Security->Device Administrators, then activate and turn on the app.
In this way, you can run the program on most Android platforms. After that, functions such as “Delete all data”, “Change password to unlock the screen” and “Lock screen” will become available to you. Even if you already have a passcode and pin enabled, Android Device Manager will require you to enter your own.
It is advisable to use a new code that is different from the rest and write it down somewhere so as not to forget.
In case of theft or loss, if someone unlocked your phone before you set up a lock on it, you will already have a lock password set in advance. When you click the "Lock" button, a menu will appear in which you need to enter a new password. A message will also be sent in which you can offer to return the gadget to the owner with or without a reward. In addition, the menu has a line for specifying a phone number that you can call without unlocking the phone.
Privacy issues
Very often, the user is worried about the confidentiality of their data, and many Internet forums and other sites often write that information can be used at the discretion of the creators or something like that.
If we consider this issue technically, then, indeed, the possibility of constant monitoring of your location is available. However, do not forget that Google is an officially registered legal entity. This suggests that the company declares the functions it performs to the relevant control organizations. In this regard, she officially announces how she collects and uses location information.
Important from Google! Android Device Manager does not collect history or provide location reference reports. The approximate location of your device is determined when you first signed in. This data is deleted when you exit Device Manager. If the device is turned off or is offline, Google does not report its location.
When you need to find a lost or stolen phone, the last thing you need to worry about is the data that will be used to locate it. Simply exit the application and the information will be deleted.
On a note
Very often, the user thinks that he has nothing to hide on his phone and does not lock, not thinking that he can easily lose the phone. Thus, he endangers all the people who are in his contact list and makes it easier for attackers to steal their data. will help you avoid unnecessary problems associated with hacking your gadget, or calls to your friends from intruders asking them to deposit money into their account.
Web interface and installation on a computer
It is necessary to clarify for owners of personal computers that Android device manager cannot be downloaded to a computer. The program has a web interface that runs through your browser. In order to find your device using this application, you need to go to “android remote control”. If there are several, you should select the lost gadget from the drop-down list and click on the “Target” button. After the GPS determines the position of your device, it will be displayed on the map.
Conclusion
Summing up all of the above, it is worth noting the changes for the better in the application from Google due to the simplicity and ease of use of Android Device Manager.
It should be noted that most people in our world have been using phones, tablets and other devices for a long time and know that it is impossible to determine the location of the device if it is turned off. This fact significantly reduces the ability to detect a stolen gadget. You should not hope that an inexperienced user will have the device and he will not turn it off. To date, there are other applications for Android devices. In some of them, there are much more opportunities than in ADM. Basically, these are Internet security features. As far as being discoverable, Android Device Manager does a pretty good job of it.