Find, lock, or erase your lost Phone or Computer - Tips N Tuts

Find, lock, or erase your lost phone or computer

If your phone, tablet, or laptop is lost or stolen, follow these steps to help find and secure your device.

If you can't get the device back, taking a few steps right away can help protect your information.

Step 1: Find & secure your lost phone, tablet, or Chromebook

You can try some remote actions, like ringing, locking, or signing out on your device.

Lost a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer? Computers aren't listed under "Find your phone." Move on to changing your Google Account password.

1. Open a browser, like Chrome . If you're using someone else's device, use private browsing mode.
2. Open your Google Account.
3. In the "Security" section, select Find a lost or stolen phone.
4. Select the lost phone, tablet, or Chromebook.
5. Follow the step-by-step suggestions to help find and secure the device.
   • If you're using someone else's device, when you're done, sign out by closing private browsing mode.

Get more help

• For a lost iPhone, learn about ways to locate and secure your device with iCloud.
• Your mobile carrier might be able to help in a few ways, such as:
  • Redirecting your calls to a different number
  • Ordering a new SIM card
  • Turning off your SIM card, so someone else can't make calls or send messages

Your device isn't listed

Check that you're signed in to the right Google Account on the device you're currently using.

• Your lost device needs to be signed in to your Google Account on a Google app, like Gmail or YouTube.
• Windows, Mac, and Linux computers aren't listed under "Find your phone."

If your device still isn't listed, move on to changing your Google Account password.

Step 2: Change your Google Account password

Your Google Account password is the same password you use for Chrome and other Google products, like Gmail and YouTube. Learn how to create a strong password.

1. Open your Google Account. You might need to sign in.
2. Under "Security," select Signing in to Google.
3. Choose Password. You might need to sign in again.
4. Enter your new password, then select Change Password.
5. Change password

Step 3: Change your saved passwords

If someone else has your lost device, consider changing the passwords that were saved to your device or Google Account.

1. Open passwords.google.com.
2. Sign in to your Google Account.
3. Look at the "Saved passwords" list.
   • This list only includes passwords saved to your Account, not your lost device.
4. For each password you want to change, open the app or go to the site.
5. Change your password.

Tip: Monitor your accounts for fraud

Keep an eye on your credit card statements, and report any fraudulent purchases to your credit card company.

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Find, lock, or erase a lost Android device

If you lose an Android phone or tablet, or Wear OS watch, you can find, lock, or erase it. If you've added a Google Account to your Android device, Find My Device is automatically turned on.

To use Find My Device, your lost device must:

• Be turned on
• Be signed in to a Google Account
• Be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi
• Be visible on Google Play
• Have Location turned on
• Have Find My Device turned on

Learn how to make sure that your device can be found if it gets lost.

Tip: If you've linked your phone to Google, you can find or ring it by searching for find my phone on google.com.

Remotely find, lock, or erase

1. Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.
   • If you have more than one device, click the lost device at the top of the screen.
   • If your lost device has more than one user profile, sign in with a Google Account that's on the main profile. Learn about user profiles.
2. The lost device gets a notification.
3. On the map, see about where the device is.
   • The location is approximate and might not be accurate.
   • If your device can't be found, you'll see its last known location, if available.
4. Pick what you want to do. If needed, first click Enable lock & erase.
   • Play sound
     Rings your device at full volume for 5 minutes, even if it's set to silent or vibrate.
   • Lock
     Locks your device with your PIN, pattern, or password. If you don't have a lock, you can set one. To help someone return your device to you, you can add a message or phone number to the lock screen.
   • Erase
     Permanently deletes all data on your device (but might not delete SD cards). After you erase, Find My Device won't work on the device.
     Important: If you find your device after erasing, you'll likely need your Google Account password to use it again. Learn about device protection.

Find with an app

1. On another Android phone or tablet, open the Find My Device app . If the other device doesn't yet have the app, get it on Google Play.
2. Sign in.
   • If your own device is lost, tap Continue as [your name].
   • If you're helping a friend, tap Sign in as guest and let your friend sign in.
3. Follow the same steps as for the website.