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So I found out just now that someone nabbed my son’s Android phone this afternoon after it fell out of his pocket in a local park. I've been elsewhere all day. Location tracker shows it is 50 odd miles away. I’m planning to go round there tomorrow morning and basically ask for it back. Obv the carrier can put a block on it but I’m guessing that will disable location tracking? I didn’t install Google Find My Device but do have access to it via MS Family Link, so it looks like I can do a reset/delete device/data if necessary.
I guess if they do a hard factory reset then there’s nothing I can do?
Anything else I should be thinking of? Will notify the Police in the morning FWIW.
Ta
I don't think you need to install Google Find My Device.... It's just there.
I'd lock it now if you can.
Eldest daughter had her phone stolen 2 weeks ago... Within 4 days it reappeared in Hungary!
(Have you put the sausages in the freezer?)
Will notify the Police in the morning
Who won’t give a toss. Good luck with getting it back, personally I think it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get anywhere with confrontation, whoever has it will deny it and you can’t force them to allow you access to their property. I’d try to delete everything remotely, if you can, and also brick it if at all possible.
While I have Find My installed, if someone were to get their hands on my phone, I’d consider it highly unlikely I’d ever get it back, a remote wipe and lock to make it unusable would be my preferred option.
I did lose my backup iPhone 5 a few years ago, it was in a small bag with some items like an expensive Gerber multitool, which I was very upset about losing, as it was a Christmas present from my late mum - I could track it to somewhere around London, but despite putting a contact notice on the screen, I never got any of the stuff back. I bricked the phone after a day or so.
It’s all backed up onto the Cloud anyway, which should be a priority for anyone, just in case.
I’d lock it now if you can
Unfortunately Google won’t give me the option to even locate the phone let alone lock it or erase it. It’s linked to junior’s Google account but doesn’t show in his or on mine. It says ‘Accounts managed by Family Link are not allowed to sign in here.’ meaning I can only use the latter to access it.
Who won’t give a toss.
Aye, that’s why I said FWIW, but I can at least get a ref number and see if they can give any insight on the area.
If the carrier blocks the SIM and IMEI, can the phone still be tracked via Google location sharing? I assume blocking the latter makes the phone unusable and it will not send location?
Have you put the sausages in the freezer?)
Yes, furnished into a nice pair of nunchucks 😉
Is the person you are going to politely go and ask for the phone back from a reasonable chap, or a druggy waiting for their next fix ?
You might not get the the pleasant response you are expecting. I’d take a stab vest, and leave your own mobile phone at home.
Is the person you are going to politely go and ask for the phone back from a reasonable chap, or a druggy waiting for their next fix ?
What park, and who else was in the park. Where is it now, in a slum murder central or a house in the nice part of Guildford? Google maps and get an idea.
50 miles is a long way for a homeless druggy, equally if it was kids around who saw a chance maybe you'll get someone's Dad. Maybe even a kid found it and is going to take it into the police this morning (yeh, maybe... but not having turned it off and de-simmed it doesn't sound like a master crim)
Unfortunately Google won’t give me the option to even locate the phone let alone lock it or erase it
whats the brand of phone?
Motorola and Samsung atleast have their own tracking and bricking systems. atleast they used to when I have done it, definitely wasn't google related
Yep, the fact that they turned the phone off after an hour or so makes me think they're not keen on the owner getting in touch. The area it's now is in rather rough.
When my daughter had her phone stolen the police were fantastic. I rang them, gave them the address it was locating at. They went around within minutes, rang me as they got there to confirm they were in the right location. Sadly as soon as they were approaching the house the inevitable happened, the signal phone went offline probably destroyed. The police called into my work later that day for a statement. They couldn’t have done anymore.
I can imagine it going something like this
Insurance claim?
It is locked, right?
It is PAYG, right?
So earlier this morning I visited the local rozzers because their online reporting platform and 101 were getting me nowhere. They didn't want to know because the phone was now in a different county. So I did some digging on the location and decided, without the option of packing a stab vest, that it's not the place to rock up and start asking questions. Called 101 one more time and finally got to speak to an officer, but he made it clear they wouldn't be sending any resource and that was the end of it. By that time, I'd already blocked the SIM and IMEI, and finally got Google to allow me to erase and reset the device. All in all, the most realistic outcome I could have expected. Lessons learned and monkey jnr will have to earn the right to a replacement.
When my daughter had her phone stolen the police were fantastic.
You got lucky there, shame they didn't retrieve it though.
Insurance claim?
It is locked, right?
It is PAYG, right?
Yes, probably.
it was.
£10/m contract but blocked now.
monkey jnr will have to earn the right to a replacement
A good lesson in life.
Sucks for all concerned.
£10/m contract but blocked now.
Good. Point being, a n'er do well could pull the SIM and stick it in an unlocked phone, then call premium rate numbers in Nigeria.