Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

[She1don]

Last Tuesday morning my Galaxy S6 was stolen.

The upshot is tracking using Google Find My Android Device is not working properly and giving me inconsistent data.

• Google Find My Android Device timeline map is giving conflicting information.
• Google Find My Android Device timeline map is losing information.
• Google Find My Android Device timeline map is fails to give location information even though syncing occurred.
• Does Google Find My Android Device track GSP of device, given my location services are turned on OR depends solely on wifi connection to the internet?
• If the former, then why did not GFMAD give location as well as sync time? If the latter, then why not get location info from phone? If there is enough time to sync an app, there is enough time to get location.
• What exactly is the difference between "Can't reach device" and "last seen ___ hours/days ago"?

Posting details in comments.


P. S. edit: Although seems like a Google tech question, a Google search lead me to similar 'track my phone' threads at this very forum.

 

[She1don]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

Some details
Tuesday morning, after an encounter with police involvement my phone was stolen by the known suspect. Assuming the police did a sufficient search of the suspect, I am left to assume the thief ditched the phone and double-back to collect it.
Later that morning, I get onto computer to use Google Find My Device, so for some reason my phone was not registered with Samsung, or had expired without notification or warning sent to me. Since I do not have cellular service — no one ever calls me, and I rarely call anyone else, I am left with using Find My Device.
Tracking yielded the phone “last seen” 6.53AM at a location a mile and half away from home. I searched the area.
Hours later, I get a “Can’t reach” message.

 

[She1don]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

Day 2 (Wednesday)
I get online in the morning and track the phone. New data. Timeline map shows phone moved several times.
I attune the last final locations. Point A (South Station) where the phone was at least there, according to the timeline, from 5.53 to 8.46PM.
Then later a ping at Point B (a courtyard in a set apartments) with no time stamp given.
Later still, the phone ends up at Point C (a spot on Northeastern University campus, just yards away from underneath a cell phone tower) from 11PM to 4.36AM.
Final location given is the same Point B at 5.36AM.
Ver well possible the thief, being homeless, walked his way back through the courtyard while having my phone still.

Day 3 (Thursday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 1 day ago.
I visited Northeastern Uni campus and did a search. Made contact with campus police so they have shared access to Waltham police info.
Then moved onto search the courtyard of the apartment complex.

Day 4 (Friday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 2 day ago.
I visited the area and did another search of the area.

Day 5 (Saturday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 3 days ago.
Around 8PM, I toyed with installing Lost My Phone app and a few other apps, hoping that would auto-work without need phone administrative authorization.
At 9-10PM, I go to the store for groceries shopping for dinner and morning meal. When I return, the computer browser somehow auto-refreshed and showed a new location of the phone, several blocks from Point B location. Showed connection was done via xfinitywifi. I refreshed my screen, and nothing. Back to the same ole Point B as "last seen" location.

 

[She1don]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

Day 6 (Sunday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 4 days ago.
Since I had signed into my Google Account using my Kindle, to do a night time check, I received a security notification. Checking the list of security triggers, one notable occurrence is my phone registering an app sync at 8.03PM. (No location given)
8.03PM . . . uh? that fits about the time I did a install of purchased apps from Google Play store.

At the point I am using Firefox browser instead of my Safari. Now the timeline map shows the ‘last seen” a third location just outside Point B. According to the new map, the phone went from courtyard (what I am calling Point B) to the other side of the apartment complex.
I clear cache in my Safari browser and renew Find My Device. Same result Point B as “last seen” location. No mention or reference to possible new location blip.

Furthermore, after restarting Firefox and refreshing Safari, both give the same Point B location for “last seen” but now timeline may excludes Northeastern Uni spot. So now, the timeline map reads as if the thief went from Point A (South Station) to Point B (inside courtyard of apartments) to Point C’ (outside the apartment facing the street). WTF!

Still not getting any word on the blip location when the last sync happened.


Day 7 (Monday, today)
Checking Find My Device online yields a “Can’t reach device” message.
Timeline map repeats Point B to Point C’ without reference to Northeastern. No location on Saturday blip even though registers a ‘last syncing’ happened at 8.03PM Saturday.

 

[lovlyinsd]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

hey i realize you wrote this some time ago...
just wanted to share that if you're in "my timeline" map.
at the bottom right, you can click on the wheel button, and choose "show raw data"
that will show you a bunch of red locator docs, including the time stamps of each red dot.
thought that may be helpful

Day 2 (Wednesday)
I get online in the morning and track the phone. New data. Timeline map shows phone moved several times.
I attune the last final locations. Point A (South Station) where the phone was at least there, according to the timeline, from 5.53 to 8.46PM.
Then later a ping at Point B (a courtyard in a set apartments) with no time stamp given.
Later still, the phone ends up at Point C (a spot on Northeastern University campus, just yards away from underneath a cell phone tower) from 11PM to 4.36AM.
Final location given is the same Point B at 5.36AM.
Ver well possible the thief, being homeless, walked his way back through the courtyard while having my phone still.

Day 3 (Thursday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 1 day ago.
I visited Northeastern Uni campus and did a search. Made contact with campus police so they have shared access to Waltham police info.
Then moved onto search the courtyard of the apartment complex.

Day 4 (Friday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 2 day ago.
I visited the area and did another search of the area.

Day 5 (Saturday)
Checking Find My Device online yields same “last seen” Point B 3 days ago.
Around 8PM, I toyed with installing Lost My Phone app and a few other apps, hoping that would auto-work without need phone administrative authorization.
At 9-10PM, I go to the store for groceries shopping for dinner and morning meal. When I return, the computer browser somehow auto-refreshed and showed a new location of the phone, several blocks from Point B location. Showed connection was done via xfinitywifi. I refreshed my screen, and nothing. Back to the same ole Point B as "last seen" location.

 

[JonathAz]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

hey i realize you wrote this some time ago...
just wanted to share that if you're in "my timeline" map.
at the bottom right, you can click on the wheel button, and choose "show raw data"
that will show you a bunch of red locator docs, including the time stamps of each red dot.
thought that may be helpful

Question here, I lost my phone yesterday. and it shown in my Find my Phone is "last seen" in this place, and for 24 hrs the location of my phone is still there. what does it mean?
my phone is still there or my phone was turned off and nowhere to find? my phone is Huawei Mate 10.
hope you can help here.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

The phone is off (or in airplane mode), so where it was last seen is where it was turned off (or the battery ran out). Check there and see if it's still there.

 

[JonathAz]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

maybe it was turned off.

 

[anon(10546310)]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

WTF?

 

[methodman89]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

WTF?

Well Tamara, it didn't work.

 

[methodman89]

Re: Find My Device: what is the difference between "last seen" and "Can't reach"?

Well Tamara, it didn't work.

See pic