The panic of moments when your phone is out of sight and out of your pocket has struck the best of us.
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Luckily, both Apple and Google offer GPS software for iPhone and Android to help you find your device easily. Here’s how to set up and use the platform’s respective location tracking service to follow your steps and hopefully find your lost phone. Also read about third-party apps.
How to track an iPhone with GPS
If you have an iPhone, here’s how to use Apple’s built-in “Find My” GPS tool to find and track your device.
Apple’s Find My GPS tracker makes it easy to find all your Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads and even Apple Watches. Make sure the feature is enabled before searching.
To do this, go to your iPhone’s settings, tap your name, then tap[探す]turn on location sharing, tap[iPhone を探す]to turn on.
Go to a location, select Find My, then enable iPhone tracking. Screenshot by Christina Darby/ZDNET
In the unfortunate event that your iPhone goes missing, you can dial into the Find My app from another Apple device (such as an iPad or MacBook) to track the phone’s location. Just open the Find My app and tap the Devices tab.
From there, the app not only shows your iPhone’s exact location (along with other Apple devices you’ve enrolled in the Find My network) on a map, but also provides an address and directions to it.
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If you want to find someone else’s phone, hopefully don’t bother. That person should share their location with you in the settings. If they’ve given you permission to track her iPhone, you’ll also see it in the Find My network app under the People tab.
If you don’t have another Apple device to access the Find My app, you can also track your phone by signing into your iCloud account on any other internet-enabled device.
After signing in[すべてのデバイス]Choose. If your phone is found, its location will be displayed on the map.
Note that this method only shows the devices associated with your Apple ID, not your friends’ and family’s devices.
How to track an Android phone with GPS
Similar to Apple’s Find My, Google’s Find My Device is the key to finding your Android smartphone. Below are two methods, one that can be used on all Android devices and one that is specific to Samsung bonus services.
Google’s Find my Device software requires you to turn on location tracking in the settings first. To do this, swipe down the quick panel to toggle the location icons, or[設定]>[場所]> and turn it on from there.
Next, make sure you’re signed into your Google Account on both your mobile phone and the device you’re using to search.
Go to the Google Find My Device website and allow access to your device’s location. As long as you’re signed in and using the service (Wi-Fi or data) on both devices, you can see where your phone is on the map and let it ring for 5 minutes to locate it. increase.
Also: How to share your location on Android
If you’re worried that your phone has been stolen, you can also use Google Find My Device to erase the data and make sure no one steals your information.
If you have a Samsung device, you can also choose Samsung’s Find My Mobile GPS tracking service. Samsung smartphone[生体認証とセキュリティ]in the setting menu[モバイルを探す]Make sure the option is checked.
If you need to find your Samsung phone, log into the Find My Mobile service using your Samsung account credentials. If the device is found, it will appear on the map.
Alternative tracking apps for iOS and Android
In addition to Apple and Google’s GPS tracking services, here are some apps that let you track your phone or a loved one’s phone.
Google Family Link is a free parental control app for Android and Apple devices with tools for setting and regulating electronic habits across your family’s devices. Most importantly, once you download the app from Google Play or Apple App Store, you can easily share your location using the ‘tap to share’ feature.
iSharing is another free GPS app that can track both Apple and Android phones despite its Apple-ish branding. If you want to track your family’s phones in real-time and receive alerts when devices arrive and depart from their destinations, this app is the one for you.
Life360 is probably the most popular third party tracking app. The free version lets you manage both iOS and Android users within your “circle” with both live tracking and his 2-day location history data. The app also displays the speed at which someone in the circle is driving and employs collision detection where appropriate. If you’re a concerned parent and want more than location data, Life360 is a great option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track my phone for free?
Yes, both Apple and Android phones have a built-in “Find My” service that allows you to track phones linked to your cloud account. There are also free apps that allow you to track other people’s devices.
How can I track my Android phone?
Find My Devices by Google is the best option to find your Android phone. Make sure your location sharing settings are turned on and you’re signed in to your Google Account on both devices. If you’re looking for someone else’s Android phone, that person must have shared your location via her Google Maps or a third-party app.
What are the best GPS trackers for phones?
The “Find My” service built into Apple and Android is a great basic option. For features other than location tracking, we recommend Life360 or Google Family Link.