Google Device Manager is a service on your Android phone which runs in the background and stays in contact with Google, helping you find or lock your phone if you lose it. You can find your phone on a map, lock it with a new password or even wipe your smartphone if you're sure you won't be retrieving it!
If you've switched to Android from an iPhone, you're probably familiar with the Find My iPhone service. But you may not have known that Google provide a similar function for Android handsets!
If you lose your phone, misplace it somewhere or even end up in the unfortunate position of having it stolen, you now have a way of recovering it – as long as you have Android Device Manager running on your handset. Here's how it's done:
HOW DO YOU turn on ANDROID DEVICE MANAGER?
- For most newer smartphones, Android Device Manager is turned on by default. But in case it isn't enabled on your handset, we must first open your Apps list,then find and press Google settings.
- There are a lot of settings to choose from on this page, but the ones we're looking for are down at the bottom. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, then tap on Security.
- The most important of this next page is to make sure Allow remote lock and erase is turned on, and that the switch to the right of it is lit up. You should also make sure that Remotely lock this device is turned on too!
- There are other options on this page, relating to various other security settings like scanning for security threats. These aren't as important when it comes to recovering your lost phone, but will help make sure bad apps don't make their way on to your smartphone.
To make sure you get accurate results when viewing your phone on a map, make sure to turn on location services in the settings menu of your phone.
After setting up Device Manager on your phone, head to the Android Device Manager website and sign in with your Google Account (the same one you've signed in with on your phone).
You'll see a map with a rough location of your phone's current whereabouts. You will also spot other details about your phone, such as the model, its last location, when it was last used and the date when your device was registered.
when and how to use android device manager
The obvious use for this service would be find the location of your phone if it ever went missing.
To do this, just press the target button at the top right of the control box pictured above, and the website will request your phone’s location. Note that this will only give you a general location and not a precise one.
Ring
The next option you have through the website is to make your phone ring. This works even if your phone is on vibrate or silent mode – it bypasses all of that and makes the phone ring at full volume. This is very useful if you ever lose your phone around the house, as you can tell it to ring remotely then listen for it – ideal for those annoying times when you end up finding it down the back of the sofa! The phone will ring either for five minutes or until you find it and press the power button.
Lock
To the side of the ring option we have the lock button: pressing this will instantly lock the phone with a pin code of your choice. This is a useful precaution if you leave your phone somewhere, but don’t want anybody accessing it.
There is a second less obvious use for this feature, however: when you request that the phone be locked with a new pin code, this overwrites any lock code that was on the phone before. Basically, this means that if you forget your phone’s pin lock and cannot access it, all you need to do is log in to the device manager website then lock your phone with a new pin code. Then unlock your phone with the new pin and – voila! – you’re back into your phone.
Erase
Finally, we have the erase button. This resets your phone, wiping all of your user data from it. This is only a last resort and should only be used if your phone goes missing and there is absolutely no chance of getting it back.
We hope these tips will help you to get the most out of Android Device Manager and use your Android device to its fullest potential. If you have any comments, you can share them below.