How to track your lost Android smartphone using Google Maps

Have you ever reached into your pocket to pull out your phone and realised that your phone is missing? It’s that moment when that sinking feeling kicks in and you start thinking of the worst. What if the phone is stolen? Did you accidentally drop it somewhere? What happens to the data, images and contacts? Your mind starts racing hard to recall that one thought or the last moment, you’ve seen the phone. Now, it’s possible that you might just recall in time where you kept your phone or a good Samaritan has kept it safely and you find it instantly after calling on it. However, there’s a strong chance that you might just never find your phone.

While it’s natural to panic at such a moment, fortunately, just like Apple’s ‘Find My Phone’ feature, Android smartphones also come with ‘Find Your Phone’ function. This feature keeps track of all the places and their locations you have visited with your phone. With the help of Google Maps, you can now track the location of your device in the form of a timeline. Wondering how? Just simply follow these steps below
Pre-requisites:

– Any other smartphone or PC with internet connectivity
– Login ID and password of your Google Account

Steps to follow:

1. Open www.maps.google.co.in on any smartphone or PC

2. Login using the Google Account linked to your lost/misplaced smartphone

3. Now, click or tap on the three-horizontal bar icon on the top-right corner

4. Select ‘Your timeline’ option

5. Here, you need to enter the Year, Month and Day for which you want to see the location of your device

6. Maps will now show you the location history of your device along with the current location

Note: For this feature to work properly, your device must be switched on and must have the location services turned on.