Stolen or lost Android phone? Here’s how to recover it fast

Is there a worse feeling than losing your Android phone? It may sound dramatic, but the realization that your phone is missing can induce an internal panic. Your phone is likely the most personal device you own, containing a massive amount of personal information. Not to mention, replacing a phone is a costly nuisance.

In the event your phone goes missing, don’t panic! There are tools built into every Android phone that make it possible to lock and track down a lost phone with ease. But first you’ll need to take some steps now to set yourself up for success if and when your phone does go missing — even if you only left it in the house. 

Below I’ll walk you through the free tools available to you to help you find your lost phone. 

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How to find your lost Android phone

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Be prepared

You can take a few steps now to be ready if you lose your phone.

Create a secure lock screen

Do yourself a favor and turn on passcode and fingerprint authentication. Do yourself another favor and don’t use facial recognition on your Android device. 

On most Android devices, the technology used for facial recognition can be easily tricked with something as simple as a photo of your face. Google’s Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are the…