Find My Samsung: How to Track Your Lost Phone
Have you ever misplaced or lost your phone? Do you remember how you felt when it dawned on you that you canāt live without it because it basically contains your life? If you own a Samsung device you may be pleased to know that if you lose it, you can use the Samsung āFind My Mobileā service and locate it again so you no longer have to wonder "How do I find my Samsung?". In this guide, weāll explain how to enable the service, how to find you phone, and how it compares to Googleās āFind My Deviceā.
What is the Samsung Find My Mobile Service?
The Samsung Find My Mobile is a free service allowing you to remotely locate, back up, or wipe data from your smart phone or device.
It can be accessed via signing in to your Samsung account at findmymobile.samsung.com.
The service uses data passing through wireless networks or collected by Google to identify where you may have left your mobile phone or tablet - or locate it if you are unfortunate enough to have it stolen. When your phone has a data connection or is using a WIFI connection, it uses Assisted GPS. This system uses the location of nearby cell phone towers and known WIFI networks to locate your phone.
What features does Samsung Find My Mobile include? As well as being able to locate your lost device, if you use Find My Mobile, you can retrieve calls and messages, make your phone ring even if it is muted, lock and unlock it, back up or wipe data, and adjust power saving settings to prolong battery life.
Use Find My Mobile to Locate Your Samsung Phone
If you have lost your phone and are thinking to yourself "How do I find my Samsung?", you should be aware there are two main ways to locate your phone using the Find My Mobile Samsung service:
- Via a web browser and visiting the Find My Mobile homepage
- Via Galaxy SmartTag or SmartTag plus
Both options will work regardless of whether you have a no contract plan or a prepaid plan. It also does not matter which phone provider you are with - Find My Mobile will work with any mobile provider, including Telstra, Optus, Vodafone.
Important to Note:Before you can use the Find My Mobile feature you must configure your Samsung device to allow the app access to your location. If not, you may be a while thinking "How do I find my Samsung?". See how to configure the Find My Mobile Samsung app here.
Let's have a closer look at how to locate your Samsung phone using browser or a smart tag:
1: How to Find My Samsung Phone Using a Browser
You can find your phone easily via any web browser on a desktop or mobile device - just make sure you have a good internet connection.
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- Go to findmymobile.samsung.com
- Sign in using your Samsung account credentials.
- If you are on a desktop you will see the enabled devices on the left side of the screen. If you are using a mobile device, you need to click on the three stacked lines to choose your device.
- Once you have selected the device you want to locate, it should appear on the map.
2: Find My Samsung Phone Using a Galaxy SmartTag
A Galaxy SmartTag is a small battery-powered device that can be attached to your keys or wallet and used to find your phone if it is within range.
Before using it, you will need to ensure you have set it up correctly and connected it with your phone. This can be done via these simple steps:
- Open the SmartThings app on your phone and tap the tag you want to use to find your Samsung device.
- Make sure the Let tag find your device toggle is activated.
- If you misplace your phone, tap the SmartTag device twice in quick succession.
- Your phone or tablet will ring on full volume for one minute if it is within range, giving you time to find it under the sofa or car seat or wherever you have misplaced it.
Can I Find My Samsung Device if it is Offline?
You will not be able to find the current location of your phone if it is offline or the battery has died. Donāt worry - if you have activated the send last location feature, your phone should have automatically sent its location to the Find My Mobile server when the battery life fell to 20 percent. This is useful for finding a lost device as long as it is not on the move!
Samsungās Find My Mobile vs. Googleās Find My Device
The Find My Mobile Samsung service and Find My Device on Google handsets and devices are both very similar features.
If you have a Samsung phone, both services are pre-installed on your phone and ready to go. To use Googleās Find My Device service you will need to sign in to your Google account just as you do with Samsung.
Which one is better?
If you had to choose between the two services, you may opt for Samsungās Find My Mobile because it works with more devices. For example, if you own a Samsung smartwatch, Googleās Find My Device will not locate it. Both services are also similar to the way iPhone users can locate their lost or stolen phones via the iCloud.
How Do I Configure the Find My Mobile Samsung Tool?
To configure and activate the Find My Mobile service on your Samsung device, follow these simple steps:
- Open the Settings menu and go to the Biometrics and security option
- Tap the Find My Mobile option and ensure the toggle is turned on
- Make sure you are signed in to your Samsung account. If you do not have an account, you can create one by going to Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts.
- Choose the other safety and security features you would like to enable such as Remote unlock, Offline finding, and Send last location.
Find My Samsung Device: Other Safety Features
Samsung offers other security and safety features as part of the Find My Mobile service. You can read about all these extra safety features in the table below.
| Feature | What Does it Do? |
|---|---|
| 1: Access Calls and Messages | Shows your call log and SMS messages from the device |
| 2: Activate Power-Saving Mode to Help Me Find My Samsung | Turns on the most extreme battery saver mode. |
| 3: Back Up Your Device | You can back up your data remotely to Samsung Cloud |
| 4: Allow Guardian Access | Give people permission to remotely access your device through Find My Mobile |
| 5: Erase Your Data | Erase all the data and remove any sensitive information on your device |
| 6: Lock Your Device | Prevent unauthorised use of your device in case it is lost or stolen |
Take a look at each of the features in the menu below to find out more information about each one and how to enable it:
1: Access Calls and Messages
You can access and retrieve call logs and messages remotely using Find My Mobile.
Here's how it works:
- Visit the Find My Mobile website and go to Menu > Retrieve calls/messages to access the list of text messages and calls.
- Select Retrieve on the confirmation screen. You can access up to 50 latest calls and messages.
2: Activate Power-Saving Mode
You can activate power-saving mode remotely which prevents apps from unnecessarily draining your battery allowing you more time to answer that question you've been asking yourself: Where can I find my Samsung?
This is how you activate it:
- Go to the Find My Mobile website, and select Extend Battery Life > Extend to turn on the maximum power-saving mode.
- Once the power-saving mode is activated, your data will not be backed up to the Samsung Cloud application.
3: Back Up Your Device
If your phone has been misplaced, you can back up your data remotely to Samsung Cloud.
Follow the steps listed below:
- Go to the Find My Mobile website and select Back up from the menu.
- Select the data that you wish to back up to the Samsung Cloud application. Once done, select Back up.
- When the pop-up box appears, tap I agree to grant the required permissions. Click on the Back up button and the process will start.
4: Allow Guardian Access
You can give access to a specific person to manage your device remotely.
This can be useful in the event of an emergency as your guardian will be able to access information such as your device's location and battery levels.
Here's how you can activate Guardian mode:
- Go to Find My Mobile > Menu > Set Guardians.
- On the confirmation page, check the terms and tap Agree.
- Choose the Add new guardian option and enter their Samsung account ID. Then you will need to click Verify to confirm the account information.
- You can set guardian access frequency to Always or Custom. If you choose a custom period, make sure you enter the start and end dates.
5: Erase Your Data
It's highly recommended that you erase all the data and remove any sensitive information on your device if you have lost your phone.
Here is how to do that:
- Go to the Find My Mobile website and select Menu > Erase data.
- A security code verification will be prompted to proceed with the deletion process. Enter the security code, and tap Verify.
- A confirmation screen will appear upon agreeing to erase all data. Select Erase.
- Once done, your data will be permanently deleted.
6: Lock Your Device
If your phone is lost or stolen, locking it remotely is a good way to prevent unauthorised use and access to your personal information.
Follow these steps to lock your phone:
- Go to the Find My Mobile website and select Menu > Lock.
- Select Next once the confirmation screen shows up.
- Enter a temporary 4-digit PIN and tap Lock. You can also enter emergency contact details and a custom message.
- The service will display a message containing emergency contact information or a message on your deviceās lock screen.