Find, secure, or erase a lost Android device (2024)

If you lose an Android device or Wear OS watch, you can find, secure, or erase it remotely. You can also help a friend find, secure, or erase their lost device with the Find My Device app.

If you've added a Google Account to your device, Find My Device is automatically turned on. By default, your device is set to the "With network in high-traffic areas only" setting so that it stores encrypted recent locations with Google and helps find both your and others’ offline devices as part of a crowdsourced network of Android devices. Your device’s most recent location is available to the first account activated on the device.

To secure or erase an Android device, make sure the device:

• Has power
• Is connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi
• Is signed in to a Google Account
• Has Find My Device turned on
• Is visible on Google Play

If you use 2-step Verification, go to 2-step Verification backups.

1. On another Android phone or tablet, open the Find My Device app .
   • If you don’t have the app: Get it on Google Play.
   • If you don’t have your Android device: On a browser, go to Find My Device.
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. From the listed devices, select the device you want to locate. The lost device gets a notification.
4. You may be prompted to provide the lock screen PIN for the Android device you want to locate. This applies to Android 9 or higher. If the device you want to find doesn’t use a PIN, or runs Android 8 or lower, you may be prompted for your Google password.
5. On the map, you get information about the device’s location.
   • To navigate to a lost device, tap Get directions.
     • Your location is estimated from sources like:
       • GPS: We use satellites to know your location up to around 20 meters. When you're inside buildings or underground, the GPS is sometimes inaccurate.
       • Wi-Fi: The location of nearby Wi-Fi networks helps us know where you are.
       • Cell towers: Your connection to mobile data can be accurate up to a few thousand meters.
     • Learn how to improve your location’s accuracy.
   • If the device is within 10 meters, you can get a shape that fills in as you get closer to your device: Tap Find nearby. This may take a few seconds to update.
     • The radius displayed around your location pin is an indication of our confidence in location accuracy.
   • If your device’s current location can't be found, you may still find its last known location, if available.
6. Select what you want to do:
   • Play sound: Rings your device at full volume for 5 minutes, even if it's set to silent or vibrate.
     • To play a sound, wireless headphones need to be turned on and earbuds need to be outside the case.
   • Secure device: Locks your device with your PIN 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.
   • To delete a device you can’t find: Follow the steps to erase, reset, or remove your device.

You can delete your device if you can’t find it.

Important: These steps permanently delete all data on your device, but may not delete SD cards. After the device is erased, its location won’t be available in Find My Device.

You can use Find My Device on the web, an Android device, or a friend’s Android device in guest mode:

1. On the device, open the Find My Device app .
2. Select the device or accessory you want to reset or remove.
3. Select Settings.
   • To erase an Android device: Tap Factory reset device.
   • To delete an accessory: Tap Remove device.

Tip: If you want to use an accessory again with Find My Device, to set it up again on Find My Device, you can go to Bluetooth settings.

To disable the device, your mobile service provider can utilize your device's IMEI number. You can find your device's IMEI number in your phone's settings or with Find My Device.

Important: Some devices, like Google Pixel Tablet, don’t have IMEI numbers.

To locate your device's IMEI with the Find My Device app:

1. Open the Find My Device App .
2. Select the device you want to locate.
3. Tap the gear icon .

To locate your device's IMEI on a web browser:

1. Go to android.com/find.
2. Next to the device, tap the icon.

When you mark your accessory as lost, you can leave a phone number, email address, and a message on the lock screen. Your contact information can also be accessed by someone else who identifies your accessory as lost so they can return your device to you.

Your accessory will automatically be marked as found once it’s near the Android device you use to connect your accessory to.

Tip: We’ll also send you a notification once the location has been detected on the Find My Device network.

You can help return someone’s accessory that they’ve marked as lost in the Find My Device app.

1. Unlock the screen of your Android device.
2. For Android 12 or earlier, make sure Location is turned on. Learn how to turn on location.
   • You may also make your device’s location available to other apps and services when you turn on Location.
3. Hold the item to the back of your phone or tablet.
4. If the device owner left contact information or a message, you can find it on your screen.