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How to Set Up Find My Device on Android Before You Lose Your Phone

Tap each step to follow along in order.

  1. Turn on Find My Device

    In the Settings app, go to "Security & privacy" or "Google" and turn on "Find My Device."

  2. Allow location permission

    Find My Device only works properly if location services are turned on, so make sure location access is allowed in settings.

  3. Confirm everything is ready in advance

    Your Google account needs to stay signed in, with location and an internet connection turned on as a matter of course, since these all need to already be active before you actually lose the phone.

  4. Check its location from another device if it's lost

    If your phone goes missing, sign into the same Google account on another phone or a computer at android.com/find, or in the Find My Device app, to see its location on a map.

  5. Play a sound to locate it nearby

    If you think it's nearby, the "Play Sound" option rings the device at full volume for a set time, even if it's set to silent.

  6. Lock or erase the device remotely

    If you don't expect to get it back, "Secure device" lets you lock it and show a message with a contact number, and "Erase device" wipes your personal data remotely.

This only works if you turn it on before you need it

Find My Device is useless if you try to turn it on after the phone is already lost -- it has to already be active, with location and an internet connection on, for any of the location, ring, lock, or erase features to work when you actually need them.

Pair it with a strong screen lock

Find My Device helps you recover a lost phone or protect your data remotely, but a strong screen lock is still your first line of defense -- it buys you the time to reach another device and act before anyone else can get into your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does keeping Find My Device turned on drain the battery?

It uses only a small, ongoing amount of power to keep location available, which most people don't notice in day-to-day battery life.

If I remotely erase the device, can I still track it afterward?

No -- once you erase a device remotely, your personal data is wiped for safety, but Find My Device can no longer report its location after that.