how to block Google account if you lose your phone

Finding a stolen phone if it was not equipped with the appropriate functions and programs will be extremely difficult. This matter should be left to the police. The owner can remotely block his gadget and clear all information on it. Fortunately, standard tools of the Android operating system provide such functionality. This material will talk about how to block a phone if it is stolen, about Android locking tools and some other important points related to this.

How to block a phone via Google account

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. See how to create a Google account and how to link your Google account to your phone.

IMEI security code: how to find it out and what it is

Let's dwell a little on the concept of IMEI, because it is the name of the personal code of any device that supports mobile communications.

It contains 15 signs with which you can identify the gadget, determine the location of the device, and also block it even from a distance. In this case, a prerequisite is to turn on the phone and connect it to the network of the desired telecom operator.

How to block your phone if it's stolen

Login to 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.

Start your search

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 something else, but carrying the same meaning).

Click and you will be taken to the phone search. You can use the direct link to go directly to Phone Search. 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!

Select 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

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

Enter blocking information

In the form that appears you will need to enter:

Lock your device

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

Call the phone via Google

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.

How to call a phone using Google

How to find a phone on Google map

A very useful service that is simply difficult to overestimate. I hope parents will understand this right away. After all, no matter where your child is, as long as he has a phone with him, you can always find out where the child is using his mobile phone .

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.

Phone on Google map

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.

Remote control of an Android device

Remote control capabilities are provided by device technology and, accordingly, can only be used under the following conditions:

— The Android device must be turned on, not reset to factory settings, not flashed; — The Android device must be connected to our Google account; — Your Android device must have an Internet connection. All measures taken to remotely protect the device will be applied to it instantly, as long as it is connected to the Internet. If not, remote protection measures will take effect the first time the device connects to the network; — On your Android device, location access and the remote control function itself must be enabled.

Location access and remote control in Android should initially be enabled by default. If we did not intentionally disable these functions earlier, everything should work. To prevent the loss of an Android device, it would still be a good idea to check whether location access is active in the settings. And it is also advisable to check if Android remote control is disabled. In current versions of the operating system, this is the “Find My Device” in the Google account security settings. We check that it is active.

In older versions of Android, remote control may also be listed as Find My Device or Android Remote Control , but located in general security settings.

To use the capabilities of remote control of a lost gadget, we need a computer or other mobile device. Let's go to your Google account: the way to work with it, universal for all types of devices, is to open it in the web interface in a browser window at the address:

Inside your account, go to the “Security” . Here we need the “Device Management” in the “Your Devices” .

We will see all our devices – both desktop and mobile – in which we logged in using our Google account. Among them, select the lost Android device and click “Details” .

And then we can proceed directly to applying measures to protect the gadget. What are these measures, and in what order are they best applied?

AirDroid

A powerful tool for managing a smartphone remotely from a personal computer. Users will need to download the AirDroid application from the official PlayMarket store. There are several options for PC access. You can download the official client to your computer or laptop. The developers have provided versions for Windows and MAC OS. If you don’t want to clutter your hard drive, use the web version directly from your browser.

Registration takes no more than 10 minutes - you only need to enter your email. You must first log into your account on your smartphone and also give permission to access certain data in the “Security and Remote Access” section:

The desktop of the AirDroid application (web version) looks like this:

AirDroid features include:

viewing the file system, photos from the gallery with the ability to download to a computer;

full access to contacts, messages and calls, the ability to call a subscriber;

remote launch of the main and front cameras, changing image quality, broadcasting sound;

phone search function;

Screen broadcasting and remote access.

However, there are some limitations.

Firstly, the free version has a remote access quota of 200 MB, as well as volume restrictions for managing and downloading files. The maximum number of devices is two smartphones. A premium subscription increases these quotas and also provides full functionality.

Secondly, some actions will still require confirmation on the smartphone itself. For example, to make a call or screen mirroring mode (although according to the developers, the confirmation window can be disabled). For remote access, you will need to activate root rights or install the appropriate plugin on the gadget via USB.

Naturally, the smartphone must have an Internet connection so that it can be “reached” remotely.

Signing out of your Google account and changing passwords

So, if your Android smartphone or tablet is lost, what should you do first? If it is stolen or found by a third party, we do not know what actions this person has actually carried out in relation to our device. Therefore, among the primary measures to respond to the situation, it is necessary to prevent third-party access to all important web profiles, in particular to payment ones, in which we are authorized in the browser and individual applications of the lost gadget.

First, we go to the websites of payment systems, online banking and other web services related to the movement of our funds. And we change passwords there. Next, you need to remotely reset the lost device’s connection to your Google account. This will make it impossible for your device to access apps and data synced with your Google Account. Resetting the binding will not prevent us from using other protective measures. In the environment of applying protective measures to the lost device, click the “Exit” and confirm the exit.

Then you need to change the password for your Google account itself. To do this, go to the “Personal Data” . In the “Profile” , click “Password” . And change the password to a new one.

Well, then we can now pay attention to web profiles of secondary importance and change the password for them. If we used the Chrome browser on the lost device, we can change passwords to our profiles on different sites using a checklist in our Google account. In the “Security” , look for the block “Login to other sites using a Google account” and click “Password Manager” .

In the list of authorized profiles that opens, we look where else you can change the password. And, in fact, we go to the profile website and change the password.

Once we sign out of our Google account, our lost device will still appear in the Security when we click on the Manage Devices . But only now in a separate block of devices on which the exit is made. We look for our gadget in this block, click “More details” .

Launch the Find Device .

Call to device

After possible unauthorized access to our web profiles has been prevented, you need to call your lost smartphone from another mobile device. If it is found by a conscientious person, we can negotiate its return for a reward.

Among the protective measures within the Android remote control function, by the way, it is possible to call from a Google account to any type of device; this function can be used to search for a tablet.

But, of course, only to determine whether he was simply lost somewhere nearby. When ringing this way, the tablet will emit a system beep at full volume.

Search on the area map

If the Android device is turned on and location detection is active on it, we can track where it is currently located on the area map. Click the “Find” .

And on the page of the “Find device” , we look at the marker on the map of our area. The location indicated is approximate: we can track the building, but we will not recognize the specific entrance and apartment of the building.

But if such a location is familiar - someone from a close circle lives here who could have stolen the device, or this is some institution we visited where the device could potentially have been lost, then we can act according to the situation. Visit a friend with warm greetings or contact the administration of the establishment about the loss. Even if the gadget is turned off, your Google account will record its last location. And this information can be attached to the application to law enforcement agencies.

Device lock

A lost smartphone or tablet must be blocked. Remote locking sets a PIN code on an Android device and makes all its functions inaccessible, except for emergency calls and communication with the owner on smartphones. “Find device” function page, on the left panel, click “Block device” .

We enter the password, this is the PIN code with which our Android device will be locked. Be sure to remember this password, it cannot be changed, and we will need it to unlock the device if we find it. Click “Next” .

Next, enter a message, it will be seen by the person who stole or found the device. The text can be anything. And we indicate the phone number by which the person who stole or found our gadget can contact us. Finally, click “Block device” .

The person who stole or found a smartphone will see our message on the lock screen. And using the green call button he will be able to contact us at the specified phone number. It will not go beyond the lock screen without entering our PIN code.

AirMore

Simple and functional software for managing your smartphone data. This is an analogue of the AirDroid described above. The user just needs to download AirMore to his phone and use the web version via a browser on his computer. To connect you don’t need to create an account, but this is the main disadvantage. Login is done using a QR code, so the user must scan it with their phone.

For maximum convenience, a desktop with shortcuts is provided:

Despite the virtual absence of remote control, the functionality allows you to access almost all content. A small drawback is the lack of Russian language. However, the interface is as clear as possible and will not cause problems.

Source

Deleting personal data

If you decide to reset the device to factory settings, on the “Find device” select “Wipe device” .

“Clean device” again .

Enter your Google account password to confirm access. And click “Clear” .

That's all. Next, we will be asked to view what actions recorded by our Google account were performed on our device. And in this way we will get at least some idea of what the person who stole or found it did with our gadget.

We can periodically access the recording of these actions by going to this subsection of the account directly: in the “Security” , in the “Security problems detected” , click the “Protect account” .

These are the possibilities for remote control of an Android device if it is connected to a Google account. Of course, these features are not a panacea; they have a lot of conditions for use and will be useless if the lost gadget has a dead battery, is turned off, or has even been reflashed. So it’s better, of course, not to lose the device. And in case it goes missing, install an application that, among its security measures, would include the ability to remotely erase user data. Unfortunately, remote control from Google cannot do this yet.

Source

How to lock your phone if it's stolen - Android

In what cases is blocking required?

The average person stores a huge amount of information on their smartphone. Therefore, more often the phone has a password, fingerprint scanner or other security measures. This helps protect personal photos, social media accounts, and even bank accounts from intruders or unwanted individuals.

This is enough to protect yourself from possible troubles. But many neglect even such protection. Therefore, if you lose it, you need to block your smartphone as soon as possible. Not all people can deal with a found device in good faith. Because of this, a person can lose money from bank accounts and more.

How to block a smartphone if it has been lost or stolen?

Depending on the device model, the blocking method and action algorithm may be completely different. On Android, this function is only available if enabled first. Apple has implemented deep locking. When linked to iCloud, even an iPhone reset to factory settings will still remain locked. Next, we’ll take a closer look at how to block a mobile phone via Google account , restrict access to an iPhone and protect Windows Phone.

Instructions for iPhone (iCloud locking features)

To access the device's security features, you need to activate the Find My iPhone service. How to enable it was written in detail a little earlier in the paragraph “Searching for a location...”. iPhones have 2 locking modes:

Lost mode;
Activation lock.

The principle of operation is largely similar, but with some features. “Lost Mode” allows you to display a specified message on the screen. You can report it missing and provide contact information. All alerts and notifications from applications will be disabled, except for calls to your mobile phone and via FaceTime. The ApplePay payment system will also be disabled.

Recommended: How can I run an “.exe” file on Android?

To enable it, you need:

Log into the Find iPhone app via iCloud from your computer or tablet. Sign in with your Apple ID;
Select “All devices”;
Opposite the desired device, click on “Lost Mode”. To activate, you will need to enter the “Password Code”.
You will need to enter it when unlocking.

Startup lock is turned on automatically when you connect to the iPhone search service. Even if a thief resets the smartphone to factory settings, when turning it on, you will need to log in using the previously registered ID. That is why, when purchasing Apple equipment second-hand, you need to check the unlocking capability. Since the device may be stolen. The only way to sell a locked iPhone is to sell it for parts.

Blocking Android smartphones

Let's look at how easy it is to block an Android phone if it's stolen . The procedure is similar to Apple smartphones, but first you need to install a separate application on the gadget via Google Market:

Enter “Find My Device” in the store search. Click “Install”;
Open the program;
Enter your details from your Google account.

After this, a window will appear in the application with all connected devices and a map. We select the required device, after which its location will automatically be displayed on the map along with data on the latest activity.

Among other things, the IMEI code, model and date of last appearance on the network are displayed here. The following functions are available: “ringing”, blocking and deleting all data from the phone. When resetting to factory settings, the thief still has access to the functionality of the smartphone, but all information will be deleted.

Windows Phone Lock

Programmers from Microsoft have also implemented a locking feature for their smartphones. To do this, you will need to open Microsoft Accounts and log in using the account that the lost device is registered to. The page contains detailed information about the lost smartphone, as well as a map of the location of the last activity.

Like others, a person gets the opportunity to do some manipulations:

Enable voice alert to make local search easier. It will play regardless of the selected volume mode.
Block the device;
Erase all personal data on Windows Phone.

What is remote phone locking on Android

People are often inattentive to their belongings, relying on the conscientiousness of others. Cell phones are left in the most unusual places and lost. You can often encounter theft. If such an unpleasant situation happens, then you should block the gadget. This will hide confidential information and also prevent you from using any phone functions. In this regard, many are looking for how to block a stolen Android phone.

You can block Android if lost using standard Google tools

Important! Even without physical access to the device, you can deactivate it and prevent an attacker from stealing personal data and freely using the gadget.

Remote locking of a smartphone is a measure aimed at denying access to a gadget if it is lost or stolen. All actions are performed remotely and do not require a person to know where the device is currently located or have physical access to it. Remote access functions are provided by Google, which develops the operating system, and their settings are conveniently located in the “Settings” of the phone.

Phones are usually lost due to carelessness

Teamviewer

One of the most popular programs for remote computer control. However, not many people know that with the help of software you can access your PC even from a smartphone. The reverse function has also been implemented - connecting to an Android phone from a personal computer.

The principle of operation is similar - download Teamviewer Quicksupport to your phone and install the desktop version of the program on your PC. On your smartphone, open the application and look at your ID. It will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can also find it in the program settings, which are presented in a single window.

All that remains is to enter the ID in the program on your PC and click “Connect”.

If you did everything correctly, the remote access window will open, as shown in the picture below.

Users can also manage applications, Wi-Fi networks, and transfer files. There is also a web version that allows you to connect to the gadget via a browser.

However, there is one major drawback in the latest version of Teamviewer on most devices. To connect, you must manually confirm the connection on your smartphone. If no one has access to the phone, then you won’t be able to connect.

Also, on some phones the remote access function (only image broadcasting) and file transfer are not available. You may need to install one of the manufacturer-specific AddOns. They can be downloaded from PlayMarket on this page.

Conditions for remotely blocking a smartphone on Android

The main action that needs to be taken before the phone is lost is to enable remote control of Android. If it is inactive, then all actions and attempts to return the gadget will be useless, and all that remains is to contact the police or look for your device on used phone resale sites or in groups with finds in your city in the hope that an honest person found it.

Blocking occurs online through any Google service

To enable the remote lock feature, you need to set some device parameters properly. Their essence is simple: to give consent of the Android owner to the constant exchange of data with Google services. These configurations vary depending on the version of the operating system and its manufacturer.

For this purpose, follow the following step-by-step instructions:

There is another option, which is to search for settings from the Google service application:

Important! Following these instructions at a stage when the gadget has not yet been lost or stolen is mandatory. Without enabling control parameters, it will then be impossible to perform any remote blocking actions.

If all configurations are installed correctly, then now, if the owner of the gadget is unlucky and loses his smartphone, he will be able to block it, even from afar. How to do this is described in detail in the following sections.

Before loss, it is necessary to set the appropriate parameters that will allow remote access

AndroidLost: remote control of a lost smartphone

No one is immune from the loss of a mobile device, which is valuable not only for its own value, but also for the information contained on it. In this article, I will describe the functionality of the program, which I have been using for a year now on my two devices based on Android OS.

The reason for writing this article was the comment of Habrauser Kapustos in the article Symantec employees lost 50 mobile phones. Didn't find it? He asked to recommend software whose functionality is similar to that described in the article. Details under the hack.

AndroidLost is a program with a simple interface (or rather, almost without it), controlled through its own web service. The program does not require root privileges, and for its operation it requires device administrator rights:

No registration is required to use the program. After installation on a smartphone, the device’s google-key is sent to the server and then it receives commands from the server via Google Push, which is a positive aspect in matters of device energy saving and the reliability of the data exchange channel. On the AndroidLost.com website, authorization occurs through the Google API using the account of the controlled device.

How to remotely lock a lost Android phone

With the configured blocking functions, deactivating the gadget is very simple. If you discover a loss, you need to go to your Google account as quickly as possible from any device and to any of the possible services. It can be:

To do this, on any of the services you need to click on your photo to open a detailed menu. It is located in the upper right corner of the web page. Next, you need to click on the “Account” link or on your email address.

A special and common web page for all services called “Account Settings” will open. You should scroll through it to the “Recent actions” item and the “Linked devices” sub-item and go to it.

Google's online service allows you to find your smartphone or deactivate it

“Linked Devices” shows information about all the devices that this person has ever used. You need to select the one that was lost or stolen and click on the link “Find my Android device using the Remote Control service.”

For your information! To disconnect your account, you can click just one button “Close account”.

While in the remote control service itself, you need to select the lost device again, even if it was already selected in the previous settings section. The system begins to process the application and shows a map showing where the phone is located. This is very important, as it allows you to find the lost gadget yourself without involving the police.

Next, you can call up a special window with the name of the device, information about its location on the map from the satellite, which, by the way, is indicated with an accuracy of 20 meters, and the time of the last access to the network. There are also three buttons “Call”, “Block” and “Clear”. The bell function will constantly disturb the thief if the gadget has been stolen, emitting heart-rending and disgusting squeaks.

Display a message asking you to call back on the screen when locked

Auto-dialing works not only on Android smartphones, but also on tablets. In this case, the ringing does not depend on the volume of the system. Even if the sound is turned off completely, it will be activated and an annoying squeak will begin to come from the speakers. This also helps when the phone was lost in a country house or apartment.

The blocking option is exactly what you need if there is no access to the device. This will allow you to limit its use, display text and set a security access code. You can write in the text that the phone was lost and leave your contact number for communication.

Important! The gadget will be frozen instantly after pressing the button, even if someone was currently working in it. Rebooting and changing the SIM card will not help with this.

Possible problems

When trying to lock a phone, a user may encounter a number of problems. We have identified the main difficulties and also presented ways to overcome the current situation:

Can't log in to the Find My Device service. Click on the inscription “Forgot your password?” and follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Choose email as a recovery method, otherwise a confirmation code will be sent to the lost device.
My phone is not in the Find My Phone list. You're most likely signed into an account that wasn't linked to your Google Account. Try logging in with a different profile. Another cause of the problem could be the forced unlinking of the device by an attacker who found the phone.
Can't track or block your smartphone. The problem occurs because the device is either disabled or geolocation does not work on it. It makes sense to wait until the person who found it puts the gadget on charge.

To never encounter such a situation or to be able to get out of it with minimal losses, always install a secure fingerprint screen lock. Also try to password-protect all important applications.