Personal security

Lost or stolen Android phone? Here's how to get it back

It can happen in a matter of seconds: You leave your phone on a counter in the store and walk away, or someone bumps into you on the street and takes your phone right out of a pocket or bag.
Losing a phone, be it from theft or an honest mistake, is a stressful experience. Not only does it cut off your access to the rest of the world, but your phone holds some of your most personal information.
In the event your phone goes missing, don't panic! There are tools built into every Android phone that makes it possible to lock and track down a lost phone with ease. But first, you'll need to take some steps to set yourself up for success.

Be prepared

Create a secure lock screen
Do yourself a favor and turn on passcode and fingerprint authentication. Do yourself another favor and don't use facial recognition on your Android device.
The technology used for facial recognition on most Android devices can be easily tricked with something as simple as a photo of your face. Facial authentication could get more secure if Android Q does indeed add official support for secure Face ID-like authentication to Android as reports have suggested...