Smartphones have become indispensable companions in our daily lives. They double as cameras, wallets, and personal assistants. Yet, misplacing a phone is a universal experience, whether you own the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 or an affordable Samsung handset. Samsung offers several handy features to help you track down your misplaced or lost device.
If you ever need to search for your lost phone, there are multiple ways to find it. From Android utility apps like Find My Device to Samsung's SmartThings Find and even using a Samsung smartwatch, this guide walks you through the steps to locate your lost Samsung phone.
What is SmartThings Find?
Samsung's SmartThings Find is a service you can access on any web browser or via a dedicated Android or Windows app. It's similar to services such as Apple's Find Devices and Google's Find My Phone.
SmartThings Find remotely tracks your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet. Every 15 minutes, SmartThings Find sends you an update on your device's location. In addition, you can back up or delete sensitive data or leave contact details for anyone who comes across your phone.
Activate SmartThings Find (AKA Find My Mobile)
You must activate SmartThings Find before you can use it. If it isn't activated, you can't turn it on remotely and use it to locate a lost device.
Follow these steps on your phone to activate SmartThings Find:
- Open your Galaxy device's Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Security and privacy.
- Tap the Find My Mobile option.
- Tap Allow this phone to be found.
- From this menu, turn on Allow this phone to be found.
-
For added safety, activate Remote unlock, Send last location, and Offline finding.
Save SmartThings Find backup codes
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is a great way to secure your device, but you may run into issues if you only own one Samsung device. If the need arises, SmartThings Find sends a 2FA code to the missing phone.
SmartThings Find backup codes are one-time 2FA codes. Keep these in a safe spot, and check your Samsung account details periodically to make sure everything is up-to-date. If you only own one Samsung product, these backup codes may be the only way to authenticate your account.
You don't receive the code if you lose your phone. To avoid this, turn off 2FA or set up backup codes. Write down these codes or save them as a text file to keep them safe. To set up backup codes, open the settings app on your phone and follow these steps:
- Open the Samsung account options by tapping the button with your name and profile picture.
-
On the Samsung account settings page, tap Security and privacy.
- Tap Two-step verification to adjust the 2FA settings.
-
Tap Backup codes to generate and view the backup codes for your device.
- Write down the codes or tap Save codes to export them to a TXT file that you can save to Google Drive or export to your computer, laptop, or tablet.
Backup codes are single-use. Open this settings page and generate new codes if you need to use them.
Alternatives to using backup codes, like an authenticator app, involve signing up for another service or downloading a separate app. Backup codes are the simplest way to use the SmartThings Find app to its full extent without deactivating 2FA.
Use SmartThings Find to locate your phone or tablet
If you lose your phone and need to locate or erase it, go to the Smart Things Find web page and log in with your Samsung account. From there, you'll see a list of Samsung devices that can be located using the service.
A located device is shown with an active indicator on the map. You'll see its status, battery level, and network connectivity type (mobile or Wi-Fi).
SmartThings Find only works if the lost device is turned on and connected to a network. Samsung offers a feature that remotely adjusts power settings to extend the life of lost devices and give you more time to locate them. It can also access a device in case of a lost password or PIN. To do so, turn on Remote Unlock during the setup process.
What can I do after I locate my device using SmartThings Find?
If you lost your phone and subsequently located it using SmartThings Find, it's worth picking it up. First, ensure it isn't with someone else. Samsung only lets you check your phone's location once every 15 minutes, so determining whether it's sitting on a park bench or in someone's pocket will take at least 16 minutes.
If the location changes, you'll know it isn't where you left it, and you might have a chance to have a conversation to get it back.
How to make your phone ring on SmartThings Find
When you use a tablet to track your device to a shopping center, park, parking lot, or someplace else, you can't run around and tell everyone to empty their pockets. What's a phoneless vigilante like yourself to do? Samsung has you covered. SmartThings Find can pinpoint your device with the Ring feature, regardless of the sound mode or volume it is set to. To make your device ring:
-
Select Ring on the SmartThings Find page.
-
Select Start in the pop-up that follows.
- The device rings for one minute, alerting you to its presence.
This ringing can be stopped from the device. It might take a few tries with you awkwardly scanning the crowd for people with confused or concerned expressions.
Back up your data to Samsung Cloud
If there's a chance that your device might come into the wrong hands, back up and erase sensitive data. SmartThings Find lets you back up your device remotely. To run a backup, sign in to SmartThings on a desktop or mobile browser and follow these steps:
-
On the SmartThings Find page, select Back up in the menu panel on the right side of the screen to open the backup options.
-
Select the options you want to back up. If your phone has a low battery, or you're unsure how long it will be in mobile range or powered on, start with the essentials and return to the ancillary stuff later.
-
After selecting what you want to back up, select Back up to start the backup. You may see a pop-up confirming the use of mobile data. Select I agree, then select Back up to proceed with the backup.
Your phone backs up the requested information when connected to a mobile network. This triggers a notification on your phone, so anyone who has your phone is alerted that you're backing it up. As each backup completes, the SmartThings Find page reflects when the backup was completed in the pop-up window.
Erase the data on a lost or stolen phone with SmartThings Find
Storing confidential or sensitive information on a phone is risky. If your phone is stolen, you want a way to make sure that the information you stored on it isn't used maliciously. A good way to lock down that information is by erasing it from the device.
To erase a missing phone with SmartThings Find, log in to the service and follow these steps:
-
Select Erase data on the SmartThings Find page to start wiping your device.
-
If you turned on 2FA, a pop-up asks for the code sent to your device. If one of your other devices is signed in to your Samsung account, you might get the 2FA code on that device. Otherwise, use a backup code to authenticate your actions. To use a backup code, select Verify with backup code and enter the code in the field that follows.
- Select Erase data. A pop-up confirms you want to do a complete factory reset, including the information and files on your SD card if one is installed.
-
To proceed with the factory reset, select Erase.
Erasing your phone should be a last resort since you can't track or control it after resetting it. If your phone is stolen, the thief is locked out because the phone makes them enter your Google account password before they can re-initialize the device.
Locate your phone using your Samsung Galaxy Watch
If you use a Galaxy Watch that's paired with your lost phone, use it to find your phone. It doesn't have as many advanced features as SmartThings Find, but it's easier to use and doesn't require access to a computer. Here's how to do it:
- On your paired Galaxy Watch, swipe up from the bottom to open the apps drawer.
- Tap the SmartThings Find icon (the white rectangle with a blue magnifying glass on a blue background).
- Tap Start to make your phone ring.
Securing your data and privacy
SmartThings Find helps you find a lost phone and backs up and erases your data if it's lost. Your data is safe behind a double layer of Samsung security. A good habit is to back up your phone regularly. You never know if it will have network access or sufficient battery levels for remote access to your data. SmartThings Find isn't only about finding your phone. It's about peace of mind. The kind that lets you sleep soundly, even when your phone's on a mystery adventure.