Have you lost your smartphone or do you suspect that your device has been stolen? It has several geolocation solutions. They are free and 100% legal.
How to locate a free Apple iPhone cell phone?
With the FindMyiPhone app
Apple was the first manufacturer to integrate an application to locate your phone in case of loss or theft. The app in question, simply called FindMyiPhone or Find My iPhone, has already served thousands of iPhone (and iPad) owners.
Totally free localization
Finding a lost iPhone with this app couldn’t be easier. From another Apple device, sign in to your iCloud account with your Apple ID. Then activate the “Find my iPhone” application.
The application will show the location of your smartphone on a map. FindMyiPhone also allows you to ring the iPhone (if you are near the location indicated on the map), erase all your data (in case of confirmation of theft) or lock the device remotely. These are all features that can be very useful if your device is stolen.
In iCloud
Placing an iPhone on iCloud follows the same process as with the FindMyiPhone app. Please note that searching for an iPhone on iCloud or with FindMyiPhone is only possible if you have previously installed and activated the application on your phone. Convenient in any case if you don’t have access to an iPhone.
How to find a lost or stolen Samsung smartphone or tablet
Among the many Android smartphone manufacturers, Samsung is one of the few that has its own geolocation app. It’s called “Locate My Device.” This trick only works if you have a Samsung account and have activated the geolocation function of your smartphone before losing it.
If so, log into your Samsung account from another branded device, then choose the “Find my phone” option. The GPS position of your device will be displayed on a map. This feature also allows you to activate an audible alarm on your Samsung, transfer your messages and calls to another device, lock the phone with a new PIN code, and lock it permanently. Again, handy in case of theft.
Geolocation of other Android phones
With third-party applications
For other Android devices, you need to install a geolocation app downloaded from the Play Store. The search will only be successful if the application was activated before the loss and if the device is turned on. There are many phone geolocation apps. Some are completely free, while others are paid, but offer additional services in addition to geolocation. We often come across the classic crash, data erasure, transfer to another device, etc.
With Android Device Manager
Android Device Manager or Android Device Manager is a utility specifically designed to find lost or stolen Android devices. It is integrated in all versions of the OS as of August 2013. Locating a mobile device with this utility is easy, regardless of its brand – Samsung, Huawei, Sony, etc. -. This is one of the many tips that Android offers.
All you need to do is access the utility from an Android device that is logged into your Google account. The service will then display the exact location of all terminals using the same account. Once is not usual, if you feel that your device has been stolen, the utility allows you to erase your data remotely. Please note that this option can only be enabled for devices whose Google settings allow to revert to factory settings. A precaution that we will now take with care when buying any new Android device to prevent malicious people from having access to personal data, confidential or not. Here you can find other tips to protect your device.
Locate a mobile phone using your toll free number
There are also many services on the web that allow you to locate a smartphone by providing only one phone number. Some are paid, others are free. It is very likely that some are a simple scam, others seem to be doing it correctly (sending text messages to the device to obtain explicit consent), always be careful. But if you really have no other solution, this may be an avenue to consider.
How to locate a laptop?
Unfortunately, not only smartphones and digital tablets can be stolen. Laptops are also very popular with malicious people. Whether you bought a high-end PC or a cheap laptop, the moral damage is always the same. It must be said that we store all our family photos and videos, our important files. In short, computers contain a good part of our life. Being stolen is losing a part of yourself. So is it possible to locate a laptop?
First of all, you need to know that if you can locate it, you should not go to retrieve it on your own. Call the police and take the opportunity to file a complaint. In fact, going there yourself, you don’t know who you will meet. It can be very dangerous. Also, you are not sure if you have the exact location. So depending on how you go, people could file a complaint against you. In short, don’t do it yourself.
So let’s see how you can do to locate your PC, and thus transmit the information that you have managed to obtain, to the police. You should know that it will not act the same, depending on whether you own a Windows PC or a Mac.
If you have a Windows laptop, since 2015, it is possible to locate your device thanks to the “Find my device” function. Note that it is not enabled by default. Therefore, you will need to act upward if you want to compensate for a potential theft. You should also know that this location will only be approximate. At no point will you have a specific address with a name. To enable this feature, this is how you should do it:
- Go to your computer settings.
- Click on “Update and Security”
- Select “Find my device.”
- Click on “Activate location settings”, then on “Modify”
- Activate option
In the event of theft, you will need to go to the Microsoft site to access the location. You will need to log into your account and enter your credentials. You should know that you can take the opportunity to lock your computer. On the other hand, if you thought you could delete some files remotely, this will not be possible. Another thing, if the thief knows about it, he can go into the BIOS anyway and install the operating system again. Finally with regard to Windows, you also have the possibility of locating your PC through the IP address, shown during the last connections. This will give an additional clue.
For an Apple laptop, it will have the same function whether you have a MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. This time it will be called “Find My Mac”. Again, you will need to activate it before the prank. To do so, you will need to click on the Apple logo at the top left of your computer. Then go to “System Preferences”, then “Security and Confidentiality” and “Confidentiality”. You will then need to click on the padlock and enter your credentials. Select “Location Services”, activate the location and click “Done”.
On the other hand, Apple goes a bit further than Windows, because you can erase your data remotely, in addition to locking your computer. In either case, you will need to log into the icloud.com site from another computer or use the “Find My Mac” application. From there you can:
- locate your Mac on a map and get directions
- ring your computer, if you have proof that it is not too far from you, if the theft just happened
- lock your Mac, marking it as lost. You will then need to enter a code.
- bookmark a custom message on your Mac
- wipe your data remotely
If you are lucky enough to find your computer, know that you can unlock it by going to the iCloud site. Of course, you will need to enter the code you used to block it.
One last thing: if you cannot recover your computer, remember to change all your passwords, and also the ones that give access to your clouds.
