Android can help you locate, ring, lock, or erase a missing phone, but only if the location and Find Hub settings are ready before the phone disappears. It is worth checking while the device is still in your hand.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Android phones running Android 9 or later and signed in to a Google account. Menus vary slightly between Samsung, Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus, and other Android brands.
Turn on Find Hub
This normally takes about a minute and only needs to be done once.
- Open Settings on the Android phone.
- Tap Google. On some phones, the same option may also appear under Security.
- Choose All services, then open Find Hub. Older phones may still call it Find My Device.
- Turn on the option that allows this device to be located.
- Open Settings > Location and confirm Location is on, because Find Hub needs it to show the phone on a map.
Confirm it is actually working
A setting being on is helpful; a real test is better.
- On another phone or a computer, go to google.com/android/find.
- Sign in with the same Google account used on the Android phone.
- Wait a minute or two for the phone to appear with an approximate location.
- If you only see an old Last seen time, make sure the phone has location, power, and a data connection.
- If the phone does not appear, recheck Find Hub on the phone and confirm you are signed in with the correct Google account.
Locate, lock, or erase a phone that is already lost
Use these options from google.com/android/find after signing in.
- Select the missing phone if several devices are listed.
- Use Play Sound to ring the phone at full volume for several minutes, even if it is set to silent.
- Use Secure Device to lock it remotely and place a message or phone number on the lock screen.
- Use Erase Device only when you believe the phone is gone for good. This wipes the device and protects data, but it also stops Find Hub tracking for that phone.
More control
A lock screen still matters
Find Hub can lock remotely, but a strong PIN, password, or pattern protects the phone during the time before you notice it is gone.
If the phone was stolen
Contact the carrier to suspend the SIM. If needed, ask about blacklisting the device by IMEI so it cannot be activated easily on another network.
Plan for Google account access
If the lost phone is your only way to approve Google sign-ins, recovery becomes harder. Keep recovery email, recovery phone, and backup sign-in methods current.
Sources
- Google – Find, Lock, or Erase a Lost Android Device (2025)
- Google Account Help – Set Up Find My Device (2025)
- FTC Consumer Advice – What to Do If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen (2025)