Use Google Find My Mobile to locate your phone right now

If your Android phone is lost, Google Find My Mobile (formerly Find My Device) can show you its location on a map, make it ring at full volume, lock it remotely, or erase it. You access this tool at findmymobile.google.com from any web browser on any device — you do not need your phone to use it.

To use Find My Mobile, your phone must have been signed into a Google account before it went missing, and location services must be turned on (which you learned about in the previous guide). If both are true, you can sign into that same Google account on the website right now and see your phone's last known location within minutes.

The location shown is usually accurate to within a few hundred feet in cities and a few thousand feet in rural areas, depending on whether the phone can see GPS satellites or is relying on cell towers and Wi-Fi networks instead. A phone that has been off for hours will show you where it was when it last connected to the internet.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to findmymobile.google.com and sign in with the Google account on your lost phone to see its location on a map when ready.
  • You can make your phone ring at maximum volume, lock it with a new PIN, or erase all data from the website without touching your phone.
  • Your phone must have location services turned on and be signed into a Google account for Find My Mobile to work.
  • If you cannot find your phone using Google's tool, contact your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or your regional provider) to report it lost or stolen.
  • If you find your phone, change your Google password and any banking passwords from a find device, since someone may have accessed it while it was missing.

Step-by-step: locating your phone on a map

Open a web browser on any computer or another phone and go to findmymobile.google.com. Click "Sign in" and enter the email address and password for the Google account that is set up on your lost Android phone. If you use two-factor authentication (a code sent to your phone or generated by an app), you will need to use a backup code or a different verification method, since you cannot receive codes on the lost phone.

Once you are signed in, you will see a map with your phone's location marked by a blue dot. The map shows the address or neighborhood where your phone last connected to the internet. Zoom in to see street-level detail. If your phone is at home or at a friend's house, the map will pinpoint it. If it is in a moving vehicle or a building with many units, the location may be less precise.

The location updates every time your phone connects to the internet. If your phone is off or in airplane mode, the map shows where it was when it last had a connection. Check back every few minutes if you think the phone may have moved.

Make your phone ring, lock it, or erase it from the website

Below the map on findmymobile.google.com, you will see three buttons: "Play sound," "find device," and "Erase device." Each does something different and cannot be undone in the same way.

Play sound makes your phone ring at full volume for five minutes, even if it is set to silent or vibrate. Use this first if you think your phone is nearby — in a couch cushion, under a car seat, or in a building you can search. The sound is loud enough to hear from another room.

find device locks your phone with a new PIN that you create on the website. Anyone holding your phone will not be able to unlock it or access your photos, messages, or apps without this PIN. They can still see your lock screen and any information you have set to display there. If you later find your phone, you can unlock it with this new PIN, and then change it back to your original one in your phone's settings.

Erase device deletes all data on your phone — photos, messages, contacts, apps, everything — and returns it to factory settings. Use this only if you are certain you will not find the phone, or if you believe someone has accessed your accounts and you need to prevent further damage. Once you erase a device, you cannot undo it from the website. You can restore some data from a Google backup if you set up backups before the phone was lost.

What to do if Find My Mobile shows no location

If the map is blank or shows "Location unavailable," your phone either does not have location services turned on, is not signed into a Google account, or has been off for so long that it has not reconnected to the internet since going missing. There is no way to turn on location services remotely — you would have needed to set that up before the phone was lost.

In this situation, contact your mobile carrier directly. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and regional carriers like US Cellular and Boost Mobile all have lost phone reporting processes. Give them your phone number and account information. They can flag your phone as lost or stolen in their system, which prevents anyone from using it on their network and may help law enforcement locate it if it is used. They can also help you get a replacement phone and transfer your service to a new device.

You should also contact local police and file a report, especially if you believe the phone was stolen rather than lost. Provide them with your phone's IMEI number, which you can find on your Google account page under "Device details" or on your carrier's website. This number uniquely identifies your phone and helps police track it if it is recovered.

Protect your accounts while your phone is missing

While your phone is lost, assume that someone may have access to it. Change your passwords for email, banking, social media, and any other accounts that matter to you. Use a computer or a different phone that you trust to make these changes.

Pay special attention to your Google account password, since that account controls access to Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, and potentially your Android phone's backup. Change it to something long and unique that you have not used anywhere else. If you use Google Authenticator or another authentication app on your lost phone, you may not be able to log into accounts that require it until you set up a new phone or use backup codes.

Check your Google account's "Security" page at myaccount.google.com/security to see what devices are signed in and what apps have permission to access your account. Remove any devices or apps you do not recognize. Look at your account's login history to see if anyone else has signed in from an unusual location.

If your phone had access to banking apps, contact your bank and let them know your phone is missing. They may temporarily freeze your account or issue a new debit card. If you use your phone for two-factor authentication on any accounts, contact those services and ask how to regain access once you have a new phone.

Set up Find My Mobile on your new phone to prevent this in the future

When you get a replacement Android phone, sign into your Google account during setup. This automatically turns on Find My Mobile. You can verify it is working by going to findmymobile.google.com and confirming that your new phone appears on the map.

Make sure location services are turned on in your phone's settings. Go to Settings, then Location, and toggle it on. You can also set which apps are allowed to use your location — you do not need to give every app permission. Google services need location access for Find My Mobile to work, but you can restrict location access for other apps.

Consider setting up a PIN or password lock on your phone's home screen, and enable "Find My Mobile" notifications so you get an alert if someone tries to lock or erase your phone remotely. These steps take a few minutes and can save you hours of stress if your phone goes missing again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find my Android phone if it is turned off?

Find My Mobile will show you the last location where your phone was connected to the internet, even if it is now off. If your phone has been off for days, that location may be old and not helpful. Some newer Android phones have a feature called "Find My Device" that works even when the phone is off, but this depends on your phone model and whether you set it up beforehand.

What if someone else has my Google password?

Change your Google password when ready from a computer or trusted device. Once you change it, the person with your lost phone will be signed out of your Google account and will not be able to use Find My Mobile or access your email and photos. They can still use your phone itself unless you lock it with a PIN using the "find device" button on findmymobile.google.com.

Can I find my phone if it is in another country?

Yes, Find My Mobile works anywhere in the world as long as your phone has internet access. The location will show up on the map with the same accuracy as it would in your home country. However, if your phone is in a country with poor cellular coverage or no internet, the map may not update.

Will Find My Mobile work if my phone is on Wi-Fi but not connected to cellular service?

Yes. Find My Mobile uses any internet connection — Wi-Fi, cellular data, or both — to locate your phone. If your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, it will show up on the map even if you have no cell service in that area.

What happens if I erase my phone and then find it later?

Your phone will be reset to factory settings with no apps, photos, messages, or personal data on it. If you set up Google backups before your phone was lost, you can sign back into your Google account on the erased phone and restore your photos, contacts, and some app data. However, messages and some app-specific information may not restore. This is why erasing should be your last resort.