Find, secure or erase a lost Android device

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 offline devices as part of a crowdsourced network of Android devices. To get help from the network with finding your items on your Android device, set a PIN, pattern or password. Your device’s most recent location is available to the first account activated on the device.

Tip: To find, secure or erase your Wear OS device, connect it to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Be prepared to find a lost Android device.

To secure or erase an Android device, make sure that 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 two-step verification, go to two-step verification backups.

Find, secure or erase a device remotely

Important: If you find your device after you erase it, to use your device again, you'll need your Google Account password. Learn about device protection.

Use the Find My Device app

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 that you want to locate. The lost device receives a notification.
   • When you manage a Google Account with Family Link, your child's supervised devices automatically appear in the Family devices tab in Find My Device.
4. You may be prompted to provide the lock screen PIN for the Android device that you want to locate. This applies to Android 9 or higher. If the device that 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 can see 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 metres. 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.
       • Mobile towers: Your connection to mobile data can be accurate up to a few thousand metres.
     • Learn how to improve your location’s accuracy.
   • If the device is within 10 metres, you can see 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 that you can't find: Follow the steps to erase, reset or remove your device.

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. Once 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 that 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.

Find your device with your Wear OS watch

If you lose your Android phone or tablet that’s connected to a Wear OS smartwatch, you can find it with your watch. Learn how to find your phone with your watch.

Find your Android device's IMEI number

To disable the device, your mobile service provider can utilise 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 the 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 that 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.

Mark an accessory as lost

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 that they can return your device to you.

Your accessory will automatically be marked as found once it’s near the Android device that 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.

Identify a lost accessory or tracker tag and return it to its owner

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 that 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. Understand the location settings available on your phone.
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.

Get more help

If you can't find your lost or stolen device, learn more about how to secure your Google Account.

Related resources

• Be prepared to find a lost Android device
• Set screen lock
• Find My Device Acceptable Use Policy
• How Find My Device protects your data
• Share and manage devices with Find My Device