Have you misplaced, lost or had your mobile device stolen? If so, you can now locate your device and even lock or remotely wipe the device using a native app or by installing and using a third-party app.

Google has introduced a new way for Android users to find their device by leveraging the company’s roots: Search. Google, first and foremost, is a search engine that has expanded into many directions, from providing an email client, cloud service, mobile platform and other services for both consumers and the enterprise. Now it went back to its Search roots so Android users can easily locate their phones.

What you need

Google Search on your computer.

Latest version of the Google app on your Android phone.

Internet connection.

How to use it

You need to be logged into your Google account on your computer, as well as on the Google app for this trick to work. Go to Google Search on your computer and type in “Find my phone,” and it will automatically locate where you last used your phone. It shows you the general vicinity of your phone on Google Maps, as well as three action buttons: Ring, Lock and Erase.

If your phone is nearby, you can Ring the device so you can easily search for it. If it’s further away and you fear it has been stolen and you don’t want them snooping through your data, then you can remotely Lock the device if you think there’s still a chance to get your device back or remotely Erase all your data from the device if you think there’s no hope of ever getting it back.

This seems familiar …

Yes, you are right. This feature does seem familiar because Google introduced it in 2013 as Android Device Manager. It was made available for devices running Android 2.2 or later and allows users to locate their phones and remotely lock and wipe the device. Android Device Manager was also recently introduced to Android Wear devices, which allowed users to find their Android phone using their wearable Android device.

Though the new feature is very similar in function to Android Device Manager, you can’t disregard the fact that using Google Search is much easier since you use the service almost every day or even multiple times a day. Also, if ever you hear someone say, “I lost my Android phone,” you can calmly say to them, “Google it,” and coolly walk away, leaving them dumbfounded, unless they ask you to explain what you have just said and ruin your grand exit.

Image source: Google