Best app for finding/locking lost or stolen phone?

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 05:53 PM

I have never lost or had a phone stolen but I'd like to make sure if it does happen that I can find my very nice, expensive, and loved device. On top of finding it I'd like to be able to lock/wipe it as well. I see that some antivirus apps do this, but I don't want an antivirus app... just a phone finder/locker. Are there any good ones out there(preferably free)? I have Where's My Droid but I think that will only help me find it and not lock it.

**bignaz** · 01-01-2012, 05:54 PM

is what i use.

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by bignaz

is what i use.

Can you make it not do any antivirus scans? I just don't want an app scanning and taking up more memory doing things I don't want or need. I had considered Lookout and AVG, but was hoping there was a non virus scanner app for what I want.

**bignaz** · 01-01-2012, 06:11 PM

I think you can. When i used it it would only scan when you installed a new app.

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 06:16 PM

From what I'm reading online Lookout Free version doesn't do wipe or lock.

**LBTRS** · 01-01-2012, 06:19 PM

Seekdroid is very nice. Will wipe the phone and sd card.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 06:44 PM

Trying Seekdroid Lite and the only feature working is Locate. I'm on their website and it shows a nice map with a very accurate location of my phone. But anytime I try alarm or lock it says that it can't and that I need to update SeekDroid, I just downloaded it and it is version 2.0.1. So this app seems to not work as advertised.

edit: I'll stick with Where's My Droid over this, it at least gives the option of putting a pin on the app so someone can't disable it without uninstalling it.

**sanjuantech** · 01-01-2012, 06:56 PM

I use the paid version of Lookout, but you might try "Prey" it is open source and works well.

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 07:05 PM

I think I found a winner. Android Lost lets me do a whole bunch of stuff and it can be hidden. It is fast and free. I'm going to try this out for awhile and see if it has any battery drain or anything, but I don't think it will. I like that I can tell it to put a pop up message on the phone that takes a picture with the front camera when someone hits OK and it sends it to me right on the website for it. Also can lock, wipe, locate, etc.

**bignaz** · 01-01-2012, 07:14 PM

Looks good i'm just not going to trust it with my data. Website looks unprofessional. fF they can make this app they should be able to do simple web design to make a website looks like it was not made by a 5th grader.

Website is out of Koebenhavn

Be careful. They could b intercepting all your text and numbers and what not.

**JoeNM84** · 01-01-2012, 11:37 PM

noted. I'll look into it some more

edit: I uninstalled it. I think that it might be trustworthy but I don't think it is worth the risk. The app can do a lot of things with your phone remotely, which is cool... but kind of scary when it is made by a single guy making the app from home. So it seems I am back to considering AVG, knowing it is made by a trustworthy experienced company.

**JoeNM84** · 01-02-2012, 10:57 AM

Tried AVG's free Antivirus. Location feature works... lock feature not so much. It would send the lock to the phone bringing up the app with a password screen but I could just hit the home button and get to my phone without ever putting a password in. The other app would actually use the phone's lock function and pin number system. AVG uses it's app and I really don't see how it would work or help a all... maybe this is just a ICS issue?

**mysterygirl** · 01-02-2012, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by bignaz

is what i use.

+1 for Lookout. I realize you don't want the antivirus feature, but it's actually very nice to have, considering some of the issues with Market apps that have occurred over the last year. I'm not an alarmist, but I do feel more comfortable knowing I have some amount of protection. It's a great app--not intrusive and has a lot of functionality if you're willing to pay for the premium version (which I think is around $25 or $30 annually). Gladly, I've never had to use the lock/find function. This is one of the first apps to go on every new phone I get.

**Jaycemiskel** · 01-02-2012, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Seekdroid is very nice. Will wipe the phone and sd card.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

+1

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

**CynicX** · 01-02-2012, 12:21 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about the resources an antivirus uses.

Most only scan when you press scan, some will scan incoming downloads but the resources use for me are less then 1%. I think I saw 0.9% CPU used once when it was scanning. They do use ram but android can manage that pretty well, avg is using 5 meg and Norton is using 10 meg. Neither seems to be or have ever been effecting my tablets performance.

Can't comment on the find lock stuff since I don't use it (probably should) but I wouldn't worry about the antivirus being a resource hog like it is on a PC.

**edoublediz** · 01-02-2012, 12:32 PM

Best app for finding/locking lost/stolen phones by far is Sense 3.0 or higher!!!! Seriously it is freaking free and awesome and works flawlessly. i know that wont help us but man i wish Android would have something like that natively.

**nj1266** · 01-02-2012, 01:00 PM

I am surprised that there is no native function in ICS that will allow you to do that. The fruit company has that native to iOS5. You can find your phone and lock/wipe it using iCloud.com

**JoeNM84** · 01-02-2012, 01:19 PM

Maybe we should suggest Google make an interface we can use. It seems that the Android Lost app actually sends the request through Google to your phone to retrieve the information it wants and to initiate it's features. So I think it is built in for Google to do it and should be as simple as giving permission and them designing a web app/interface to use it. I don't want to spend 30 dollars a year on a service to do this when it seems so basic.

**Gekko** · 01-02-2012, 01:36 PM

i like Lookout. lightweight and professional reputable developer that regularly updates and quickly responds. the "find my phone" is a great feature. and the virus/malware/spyware detector is great. i tested it with "SMS Replicator" and it immediately detected it.

**dubge** · 01-02-2012, 02:05 PM

I have used mobile defense since I bought my og Droid when it came out

**albertsm** · 01-02-2012, 02:13 PM

I've been using Avast since they purchased Theft Aware. Has options for root users and everything can be controlled via SMS (lock, locate, wipe, etc).

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

**TeMpTeK** · 12-12-2012, 05:49 PM

The "Android Lost" app is AWESOME..... it works perfectly on my galaxy note 2.. The developer explained why the website looks cheesy... he said hes an engineer and not a web developer.. I cant imagine they would have spent so much time making such a great app just to scam.. this guy can make money with this app.. i would pay for it.. its that good

**sr2012** · 12-13-2012, 10:00 AM

Dude AndroidLost is amazing. Just helped me unlock my phone because the text password I thought I entered was something else. GPS location works, remote vibrate etc looks good so far.

Colour me impressed. Be sure to enable Admin or something like that to get full functionality.

Try it out and I hope the developer continues to work on it.

Sent from my LT26i using Android Central Forums

**davey11** · 12-13-2012, 12:51 PM

Holy chit androidlost is wicked good. Thanks guys.

**TabGuy** · 12-13-2012, 03:18 PM

I've tried Lookout. I've tried AndroidLost. I've tried Find My Droid. I eventually tried and settled on Cerberus. Very powerful, all the features including wipe, lockout, etc. I can manage up to 5 phones from one account.