How to erase data online on a phone with no battery

[Theo Prendergast]

I recently lost my phone and I have decided to erase all data as there's some sensitive stuff on there. I've been trying to erase it online but every time it takes me to the Find My Device page and then fails to find my device. I assume this is because my phone is out of battery. Can I still erase my data if the phone is out of battery?

On the find my device page it then has an option that says 'SET UP SECURE AND ERASE'. If you click on it it says 'notification sent'. Does anybody know what this does?

Cheers

 

[Hadron]

If the phone is not connected to the internet then you cannot erase it remotely, because it cannot receive the instruction to do so.

If the battery is flat and the phone is powered down then it definitely cannot connect to the internet. If you have sent the instruction then presumably Google will queue it up and try to resend for some period of time, and if the phone were recharged and turned on again during that period it would receive it. How long it will retry for before it times out I don't know - probably a lot less than the 2 weeks that networks will attempt to deliver SMS though, possibly less than the couple of days most email servers will try for, I don't know.

 

[Theo Prendergast]

Cheers that's good to know.

Do you know if the 'SET UP SECURE AND ERASE' option is an instruction to erase if the phone does get recharged or if it there are further steps involved?

 

[KBU2]

If you have access to a PC , you can sign into your account then Security Check then device activity and there you can send a deleted/ erase data request even if the device is not active. Once it becomes active from wherever or from whomever its activated it will automatically begin to erase the data from that particular device.
Note: In some cases this may work or may not work depending on the type of information you use with Google Apps. Like Android Pay or if any Debit or credit card information that's been logged into your account and on that particular device through Google Play Store.

 

[Theo Prendergast]

If you have access to a PC , you can sign into your account then Security Check then device activity and there you can send a deleted/ erase data request even if the device is not active. Once it becomes active from wherever or from whomever its activated it will automatically begin to erase the data from that particular device.
Note: In some cases this may work or may not work depending on the type of information you use with Google Apps. Like Android Pay or if any Debit or credit card information that's been logged into your account and on that particular device through Google Play Store.

Cheers!