We already know that there are many services that are already dedicated to offering a solution for this matter. It not only concerns the value of the device, but also that there resides many of the personal data that in the wrong hands can make us a real fist. However, this tool will serve to protect us against a possible loss of the mobile, an application created back in 2011 by the LSDroid company, which has become one of the most used alternatives when it comes to locating lost or stolen Android devices
An app like Google’s Find My Device
Today, despite the fact that both Google and some popular smartphone manufacturers offer their own tools to users to find stolen phones, Cerberus continues to be the preferred choice for millions of users, and today the app already has more than 5,000,000 installations through Google Play.
If you have not yet started using an anti-theft application on your Android mobile, and you want to make sure that if it is lost or stolen you will be able to locate it, today we explain how to set up and start using Cerberus on your Android, in addition to offering you some alternatives to the famous app.
Cerberus for Android: what it is and how it works
The creators of the tool themselves define their product as a “Complete anti-theft application”. And the truth is that it offers practically all the functions that any user could need in the event of the unfortunate situation of losing the mobile or being the victim of a robbery. First of all, you need to review all its features:
- Possibility of locating the lost or stolen mobile on the map.
- Sound an alarm on the phone.
- Block access and erase all data on the phone.
- Take pictures to try to “hunt down” the thief.
- Save a backup copy of mobile data.
- Remote control of the mobile, by Internet or via SMS.
- Personalized automatic alerts.
But more than its number of features, what has really made Cerberus famous since its launch more than five years ago is its precision and reliability when locating lost or stolen Android smartphones or tablets. To do this, the tool It offers us two different options of operation.
First, Cerberus can work over the Internet. This option will be available as long as the stolen mobile remains connected to the network. On the other hand, if there is no established connection, Cerberus will use SMS messages – Who said they were obsolete? – to triangulate the position of the phone and locate it on the map.
Locate your Android if it is lost
Once we have seen how Cerberus works, and all the features it offers, it is time to see how to configure the application and, if necessary, how to locate the lost or stolen mobile step by step. As soon as you open the application for the first time, it will be necessary grant various permissions that the app requires in order to carry out its functionIn addition to creating an account – or logging into an existing one – that will be used to track the phone later.
When the necessary permissions have been accepted and the application is logged in, Cerberus is now ready to locate the Android phone or tablet in question in case of loss. However, before seeing how to do it, it is worth taking a look at some of the most useful functions of the app.
For example, on the home screen we find the possibility of back up files stored on your phone, either to Dropbox or Google Drive, remotely in case you have lost your phone. It is also possible to activate remote data cleaning, or the possibility of deleting the information saved on the memory card – if there is one -.
A very interesting option is the possibility of protecting the app against a possible uninstallation attempt, so that whoever steals the phone or finds it on the street, cannot remove Cerberus from the device. It is also possible to prevent the phone’s shutdown menu from working on the lock screen – although, unfortunately, it will still be possible to turn it off by holding down the terminal’s power button for a few seconds.
Now it is time to locate the mobile with Cerberus. In case of loss or theft, the first step would be enter the official website of Cerberus, either from another Android device, an iPad or iPhone, or a computer. Once inside, the option to “Log in”, where will there be enter username and password that we have chosen when creating our Cerberus account.
An anti-theft service that is not free
If it weren’t for overly insistent permissions, since it asks us for access to storage, gallery, phone, contacts, camera, microphone and much more, including the location. Some accesses that everyone is not going to like, apart from the overlays that you ask for in the notification bar or on other applications.
Leaving aside this small negative point, we have to say that the service will not be free. We are talking about a development that, despite being outside the tentacles of Google Play, continues to be carried out informally. That is why when you install the application, we will have a free license for one week. After that time, we will have to go through the box to continue protecting ourselves from losing the mobile phone.
- 1 device: 5 euros per year
- Up to 3 devices: 14 euros a year
- Up to 5 devices: 22.50 euros per year
- Up to 10 devices: 42 euros per year
In this way, it has several fees that are not exaggerated at all, since it is not a monthly payment but an annual one, also depending on the number of devices that we want to protect.
