How to block a phone if it is stolen? Step-by-step instructions, methods. How to find a lost device, block it or delete data from it How to block a Google phone on Android

Smartphones and tablets are used everywhere in the modern world, and many owners do not part with them even for a minute. In a car, public transport, a bar, a queue at a store and almost everywhere you can see people with smartphones. Most modern smart phones run the Android operating system released by Google.

Every day, tens of thousands of phones and tablets are lost or stolen around the world. Due to the constant connection of most of these devices to the Internet, mobile network and GPS, the creators of the operating system have developed additional security features. With their help, you can track the location of your smartphone, block it remotely and perform other actions. On the iOS operating system, the “ ” function is responsible for this, and on Android, “Remote control”.

How to set up remote control on Android

In order for a lost smartphone to be found or blocked, you must first make security settings on the device itself. The Android user is required to consent to the constant transfer of data about him. The following settings need to be changed:


Note: On some Android phones and tablets, remote control is enabled by default.

How to find an Android smartphone

If remote control is enabled on the device you are looking for, it can be found from any other computer, smartphone or tablet connected to the Internet. This is done by synchronizing your Google account, to which the device transmits information about its location. To find out where a lost Android smartphone is located, you need to do the following:


Note: In the upper left corner of the map, you can switch between devices if there are several of them linked to one Google account.

Android Remote Control

Using the Android device remote control function, you can not only determine its location, but also send a number of other signals to your smartphone or tablet. A little more about each of the options:


In order to be able to find it if you lose your device, it is better to make the necessary settings for remote access immediately after purchasing a smartphone and activating your Google account on it.

Articles and Lifehacks

What should we do if we lost our mobile device or it was stolen? Our article will tell you how to block a phone via the internet using the example of well-known iOS and Android platforms.

How to lock an Android phone over the Internet?

If your mobile device is linked to a Google account, you can find and block it using the remote control function. We add that this will only help to protect personal information. If we want to return the smartphone, we need to submit an application to law enforcement agencies.

To enable the remote control function, go to the list of applications and select “Google Settings”. Click “Android Remote Control”. Next, we proceed to setting up the function at our own discretion. We can enable options such as remote search on Google Maps (we enable access through “My Location”), as well as remote reset and blocking from a distance.

To search for a device remotely, go to the following address: android.com/devicemanager, and then log into your Google account. If we have several devices linked to it, select the desired phone.

If we were able to see the approximate location of our smartphone on the map, it is recommended that we try to delete all information from it or block it. Locking will help you change the password on your device. The very first time you log into your Google account, the remote control page will ask for its location. Unfortunately, after logging out of your account, this data will be lost.

We found out how to block your phone via the Internet. But what to do if there is no Internet access or the smartphone is turned off? Unfortunately, you can delete all information from a distance only in the case of active Wi-Fi or mobile Internet.

How to block an iOS phone via the Internet?

Today, owners of Apple devices are offered an interesting feature called “Find iPhone,” which will help find the device’s geoposition on the map, as well as protect and restore the user’s personal data. We log in to the following address: icloud.com/find, or launch the search program on another Apple gadget. We perform a search.

If we have lost our iOS smartphone or it has been stolen from us, we should definitely activate the lost mode. This will help us remotely lock the device. The one in whose hands it fell will see a lock screen and a line for entering a password. A message with a phone number will also be displayed in order to contact us (in case someone just found the smartphone). Well, to prevent strangers from gaining access to our personal data, we try to delete it remotely. However, it should be borne in mind that after this we will no longer be able to determine the location of the smartphone on the map.

If your Apple smartphone is turned off or not connected to the Internet, we can still put it into lost mode, delete information from it, and block it. As soon as the device is online, all the changes we have made will take effect. This will not happen without access to the Internet.

What if Find My iPhone is disabled? Unfortunately, we won’t be able to find a smartphone in this situation, but we can still try to protect our personal information. First, it is recommended to change your Apple ID password (so that attackers cannot use your iCloud, iTunes, etc. data). In addition, it is highly advisable to change passwords for social networks, mail, electronic wallet, Internet banking, etc. After this, you can apply to law enforcement agencies, not forgetting to take with you your passport, the original packaging of the device (where the serial number will be visible) and the receipt. If we cannot find the packaging, the serial number can be found at supportprofile.apple.com (this can be done if you register an Apple ID).

Location of lost or stolen phone on Google map

Imagine that your smartphone has disappeared. Perhaps it was stolen, or maybe you lost it or left it in the wrong place. Be that as it may, there is a threat to information, your data, which may be accessible to an unwanted person. And the value of information is often much higher than the value of the phone itself. After all, we literally store everything in it.

The most reasonable solution in this situation is to block your phone through your Google account.

In this short article we will tell you how to lock your phone. At a minimum, it is assumed that you have a Google account and it is connected to the phone. If it doesn’t exist, then creating it is as easy as shelling pears. It takes only a few minutes. Look how to create a google account And how to link google account to phone.

How to block your phone if it's stolen

1. Log into your Google account

Log into your account from a desktop computer or laptop. To do this, open a new tab in the Chrome browser and click on the nine small squares icon in the upper right corner of the window. Then, in the drop-down list of available applications, select “My Account”, as in the screenshot below, or immediately follow this link to the “Security” page of your account.

Then, scroll down the page to the “Your Devices” section.

2. Start searching

The account page will open. You need to scroll down. At the very bottom, on the left, you will see the inscription "Find a lost or stolen phone"(or another one, but carrying the same semantic load).

Click and you will be taken to the phone search. You can directly go to the direct link. There is a high probability that Google will check you for knowledge of your account password. Which is logical and pleasant, because this is our safety!

3. Select your device

In the list of devices, select the one you want to block. The list in the screenshot is short, I only have one device.


Choose which phone to block

4. Go to blocking

A menu of all the actions you can perform with the device will open in front of you. Tap "Lock your phone."

Phone lock

5. Enter blocking information

In the form that appears you will need to enter:

  • screen lock password, you can use it to unlock your device
  • text of the message that will be displayed on a locked phone
  • another phone number where you can be contacted

6. Lock your device

After clicking the “Block” button, the phone will be blocked through your Google account.

How to block your phone if it's lost

The locking mechanism is exactly the same as in case of theft. There is no difference. There is only one nuance here. If you are really sure that the phone is not stolen, but lost, then you can try first:

  • call the phone via Google, if the phone is nearby, it will simply be found
  • find the phone on Google map, this will help you understand what to do next

Follow the instructions “How to block your phone if it was stolen” until the fourth step. Now, at this stage, click on the “Call” icon.

You can ring a phone through a Google account even if the phone is in silent mode or the ring tone level is set to a very low level. This is possible due to the fact that the ringer volume is controlled independently of user settings.

Now you know how to find a phone on silent mode. After all, it also happens that there is simply no one asked to dial a number in order to find their phone by sound or to call someone, but the phone is on silent.

A very useful service that is simply difficult to overestimate. I hope parents will understand this right away. After all, wherever your child is, as long as he has a phone with him, you can always find out where the child is by mobile.

Follow the instructions “How to block your phone if it was stolen” until the fourth step. Now, at this stage, click on the “Find” icon.


Find phone on Google map

The screenshot shows that the location of the phone is determined quite accurately. At least, if it is within a house, cottage, apartment or parking lot, then you will immediately understand where to look.


The screenshot shows that Google also knows the remaining battery charge on the device. (69% in this case). What happens if the battery is completely discharged? Google will show the last location of your device when the battery is on. Also valuable information. After all, it may well be that the phone is actually at home, it was not lost or stolen anywhere. It's just that the battery is completely discharged and you can't call it. By the way, this is the same case when calling the phone through Google will also not work.

So don’t rush to block your phone if it’s stolen or lost. To begin with, you can simply try to call it, find it on a Google map, and if these measures do not help, then apply blocking.

Google still has some valuable features up its sleeve. Remotely you can:

  • log out of your phone account
  • delete all data from the device

What does logging out of your phone account mean?

Everything you use through it becomes inaccessible. For example, in the “Contacts” list, all contacts created in your Google account will immediately disappear. If you use as a photo album Google Photos, then no one will get your photos. The same goes for cloud services. Google Drive And mail to Gmail.

Don't worry, the data will only be lost on the phone and on it. You can log into your Google account from any other device and make sure that they are safe and sound.

By the way, if you still can’t find your phone, or it just broke on its own, or you accidentally went fishing (in the washing machine), then here too you still benefit from using the account. When you buy a new phone, all you have to do is “link” it to your account, and voila! All contacts are restored in an instant!

Delete data from a lost or stolen smartphone

Often, information is more valuable than the device on which it is stored. Few of us securely delete data from your devices, from flash drives, from laptops, this is a topic for a separate discussion. But such a “gift” as all the information from a smartphone should not go to anyone. So there is always the last, most radical option. Delete all data. Just remember a few important points:

  1. The data on the flash card may remain intact. It depends on the device itself, its settings and your luck. Do not store anything on the inserted cards, or better yet, do not insert them at all. They are unpredictable.

Locking Android may be required if your smartphone is lost or stolen. This tool allows you to erase all user data from a mobile device, as well as limit its functionality for a while, making further management of the device impossible. You can activate remote control of your phone using both the capabilities built into the operating system and through special programs. Let's look at how to block Android if it is stolen or lost.

Locking a smartphone through the standard Android menu

Starting from version Android 5.0, you can block a mobile device via the Internet using the integrated “Android Remote Control” function. For earlier builds, you will need to download the application of the same name from the Play Market.

Remote phone locking is carried out through the Google service. To successfully complete this procedure, three conditions must be met:

  1. The stolen or lost gadget must be connected to the Internet. It does not matter what type of connection is used - mobile or Wi-Fi.
  2. The smartphone must be linked to a Google account.
  3. The corresponding function must be running on the device.

If everything is clear with the first point, then certain difficulties may arise with the rest. Therefore, they should be discussed in more detail.

In order for the owner of a smartphone to be able to block it remotely, you first need to pair the device with the Google virtual service. This is done as follows:

After linking is completed, you need to log into the Google Settings application and open the Security tab. Then click on the “Device Administrators” item, check the appropriate boxes and launch remote control by clicking “Activate”.

By setting up the remote control function on your phone, if your device is stolen or lost, you can perform a number of actions with it: change the password, reset the settings to factory settings, or lock it. To do this you need:


This service also provides the opportunity to write a message and set a phone number. Now, if someone finds your gadget, the relevant information will be displayed on its screen, which can be used to find the owner of the mobile device.

Blocking a smartphone using additional software

If your device does not have a built-in remote control function, you can block your Android mobile device using special software. You can easily find it on the Play Market. One such program is Android Lost, which can be downloaded from Google Play absolutely free.

To unlock all the features of this application, you will need Root rights. To get them, use the Framaroot utility:

After obtaining Superuser rights, you will need to activate the remote blocking feature. To do this you need:

Now, if you lose your smartphone, you will need to do the following:


Now a locked device will require a PIN code when turned on.

Content

A large number of modern portable devices (smartphones, tablets) use Android OS for control. It is free and user-friendly software that supports many useful applications. One of them helps you find your phone through your Google account if you have lost your mobile phone or it has been stolen from you.

How to find a phone via Google

If you have already linked your device to your Google account, then you have the opportunity to search through your Google account from your computer. It is important that you log into your account from your gadget in advance. This is done in the settings menu through the “Profiles” item. There is a special section for Google where you simply enter your username/password. This is a very simple and reliable way to track the location of an Android phone via Google. For this, the well-known GPS geolocation system is used.

Google remote access

To perform searches or other actions on your smartphone, you must first gain remote access to it. To do this, you will need a special program - Android Device Manager. The application is available for free download in the official Play Market. This tool will help you link your account to your gadget and add Google devices to it. You can install the utility on any mobile model running Android OS. To find a smartphone, it must have a GPS tracker turned on.

Google remote control

After installing the Android Device Manager application, you will be able to perform Google remote control. A smartphone will be linked to your account and the menu will have several items with which you can perform certain actions on the device directly from your computer. You can:

  • make the device emit a loud signal for searching if you lost it somewhere in the apartment;
  • find your phone using your Google account if the GPS tracker is activated on it;
  • block access to data, write a message that will appear when you try to unlock the device;
  • completely delete all information from the device using a computer without the possibility of recovery.

Google search for Android phone

When performing the above steps, you can find your smartphone via Google. This can be done using a computer via the Internet in the same control menu from the account. The search function only works when the GPS tracker on the smartphone is turned on. If the device is outside the operator’s coverage area or is turned off, then it is not possible to search for the phone through a Google account from a computer. In order to see where your mobile is located you need:

  1. Sign in to your Google account.
  2. Go to the “My Devices” section.
  3. Click on the desired device.
  4. You will be able to see on the map where the system finds the device.
  5. If it is clear that the smartphone is somewhere nearby, but you cannot see it, launch the signal function so that the mobile makes a loud sound.

Block your phone via Google account

In some cases, the gadget cannot be detected through a search from a computer. To prevent your number from being used and your personal data from getting to strangers, you should know how to block your phone through your Google account. This action is performed in the same menu where the signal is turned on or the location of the device is determined. You need to go to your Google account and select the blocking option.