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How to Find a Lost or Stolen Galaxy S8

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This guide will explain how to find a lost or stolen Galaxy S8 with Samsung’s own Find My Mobile app or Google’s Android Device Manager. Smartphones are an essential part of our lives, not to mention usually hold tons of sensitive data. Using these apps will help if your phone is lost or stolen.

When it comes to recovering your smartphone from loss or theft there are a few different options available for Android users. There are also steps you’ll want to take now that will make finding your Galaxy S8 easier if it does get lost.

Read: How to Find a Lost Smartphone or Tablet

April and May are the two highest months of the year in terms of smartphone theft, followed by the summertime. Meaning knowing what to do now will be very helpful. Below we explain how each service works, their differences, and what to do if you lose your Galaxy S8.

Android Device Manager

Similar to Apple’s Find My iPhone, Google has its own option known as the Android Device Manager that all users should know about. This app is now called Find My Device, and our first step is recommending you download it today, not after a phone gets stolen. You can use this to find a lost device at home, or on the other side of the city.

Google’s Find My Device can locate a phone, tablet or a watch. You can make this service play a sound to find a lost Galaxy S8 nearby, or add a “call if found” message to your Galaxy S8 lock-screen. Additionally, Find My Device will allow you to remotely add a lock-screen password and pin, or completely erase your phone if it gets stolen.

  • Download Google’s Find My Device
  • Sign-in and select the Galaxy S8 from the list of devices at the top
  • Choose play sound, lock, erase or other options
  • Follow instructions to retrieve your Galaxy S8

Use Google’s Find My Device to locate a lost Galaxy S8

Find My Device can locate your Galaxy S8 down to a few feet, and even displays the battery level and connection status. So if it’s at home you’ll see your WiFi network, and know it is nearby. Our screenshot above shows some of the options.

Tap play a sound and the Galaxy S8 plays your ringtone at full volume. Or enable erase & lock for more security should you need it.

One great aspect of this service is the “last known location” feature. Even if the battery is dead, Find My Device will remember the last available location to help you try to retrieve the Galaxy S8. This app works for any and all Android devices. Google recommends contacting police in theft situations, as an officer can go with you to retrieve a stolen phone.

Samsung Find My Mobile

Another option is Samsung’s official Find My Mobile service. This works just like Apple’s Find My iPhone and Google’s app mentioned above. We recommend heading to findmymobile.samsung.com and clicking “prepare” and setting it up today.

Like the others, Samsung’s Find My Mobile will let you find, lock, or wipe your Galaxy S8 at any moment. Additionally, the company has controls specifically for Samsung Pay to prevent fraudulent purchases. You can instantly erase Samsung Pay, lock the Galaxy S8, then use the map to locate it.

On the top left is a drop-down arrow for those with multiple devices. Select the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+, wait for Find My Mobile to locate your phone, then proceed. Again, you can make it ring at full volume to find it at home, lock Samsung Pay or the entire device, or wipe out all data.

However, the best feature of Samsung’s Find My Mobile is “Back Up My Device” as shown above. If you know you are never getting it back, one click will enable a full device backup. This will save all content, apps, photos, contacts and more to your Samsung account. Then, use Samsung’s SmartSwitch app that comes pre-installed on the Galaxy S8 to restore everything to your new phone.

You can also hit the blue “more” button for more options. These include turning on battery saver mode to make your phone last longer to find it. Then, retrieve logs will show all activity and may help you get a phone number to call to get it back. There’s even an option to disable your fingerprint or password lock-screen security method.

While we don’t recommend unlocking a lost device, this could be helpful as the person who found it can call a relative or get more information to return it.

Other Options

Those are the two best services when it comes to finding a lost or stolen Galaxy S8, but they aren’t your only options. Lookout Mobile is pre-installed on most Samsung smartphones, which has similar features. Galaxy S8 owners can also head to the Google Play Store and download tracker apps, although most are duplicates to the options available in Samsung and Google’s services.

At the end of the day, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready before disaster strikes. Setup Google’s Find My Device by hitting “setup erase & lock”, or go through the “prepare” steps on Samsung’s Find My Mobile. Then, should anything happen you’re already one step ahead and can safely get your Galaxy S8 back. While you’re here, take a look at these 25 Best Galaxy S8 Cases to protect it from daily abuse too.

5 Comments

5 Comments

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