Lost/Stolen or Locked out of Device. Read Here!

[DonB]

Lost or Phone Stolen Read Here !!

Ok I will post stuff here as we go, if anyone has anything to add, simply prepare your addition and PM it to me and I will add it to this Guide and resource center for all, I will also make sure you get recognition for bringing it to our attention. I will only post Android Lost and Plan B for now and others can offer tutorials on other apps, options and procedures, and I will add them as you give them to me. For now I will keep this thread closed as I don't want it to get loss with confusion with the many other post we will have. I prefer if someone has lost a phone or had it stolen, that you open a specific thread and we will help you there.



Android Lost

Android Lost - Android Apps on Google Play

Here is the Guide and some great features, GUIDE

If not already installed on your device you can install remotely

Remote installation

If you have already lost your phone and have not yet installed androidlost you still have a chance of using it. First push the app to the phone as described above. Then send an SMS with the text "androidlost register". This will startup the app, get a google push key and send it to the web server. You should now be able to sign in on Android Lost and start the alarm.

Here are a few Videos for your viewing..



​

 

[DonB]

Another option

Plan B By lookout
Plan B - Android Apps on Google Play


How does Plan B work?





Lookout Support

Is your phone lost or stolen?

Brian January 18, 2012 • Lookout FAQs / Locate, Scream, Lock & Wipe

Will I get charged after the trial?

David February 29, 2012 • Lookout FAQs / Premium & Free Trial info

Does Lookout (locate/scream/lock/wipe) work when the phone is off?

Brian January 25, 2012 • Lookout FAQs / Locate, Scream, Lock & Wipe

How do I add a 2nd device to my account?

Jonathan Richardson February 07, 2012 • Lookout FAQs / Managing Your Lookout Account

How do I restore data from my prior phone?

Brian January 18, 2012 • Lookout FAQs / How to Restore, Access and Download Data


​

 

[Digital Controller]

This FAQ will be ever expanding as we gain more information about certain devices, since all behave differently, and all have different methods to unlock them if you have forgotten your password or PIN.

Again this thread basically is going to give some useful Tips for when you lose your phone or it gets stolen and help prevent you from getting locked out of your device because you have forgotten your password/PIN and potentially your Gmail/Google account information.

Importance of a Google Account:

When you boot up your device for the first time you may be thinking to yourself, "OMG I CANT WAIT TO START FIDDLING AROUND WITH MY NEW DEVICE!!!". While this may be true, you might want to slow down a bit when filling in this starting information. The most important being, your Google/Gmail account. While this account may seem unimportant to you at the time because you have an email affiliated with Yahoo, Outlook, or some other provider, you need to understand the importance of this account.

This account saves all the applications you download. It also, if you want it to, controls your music, online documents, contacts, and emails. However, it also can control whether you might be able to get your device unlocked or not. Typically one may not think, "How could I possibly forget my PIN password into my phone", well it happens, unfortunately.

I am here to warn you to please...STOP...write down this password and log in information because you probably will need it at some point, regardless of whether you use the account or not. Understand that this account holds a lot of information for you.

So please again, when making your Google/Gmail account on your first time set-up, be careful, be wary, and remember to write down or save the account details somewhere if you plan on never using it again or even just write them down just in case.

If you have forgotten your Gmail/Google account information go here: Google Account Recovery

Forgotten PIN/Password to Lockscreen:

If you have forgotten your information to get past your lockscreen some devices, by default, allow you to enter your Gmail/Google account information to get past it, this is why you need that information even if you never use the account for anything.

Another option I can give has been provided by the folks at XDA. This one requires you to have Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed on your computer. ADB is part of the Android SDK, which you can download here. You'll also need to have USB debugging enabled on your device, which can be found under Settings >> Applications >> Development.

Here is a video better explaining it:


If you do not know your Gmail/Google account information, even when using the Recovery link I posted above then your only real option left, if the ADB option doesn't work, is to Factory Reset the device. This is unfortunate and means you will lose all your data, but it is your only real option left.

To do this you will need to boot into Recovery, for each device it is a little different, but works around the premise of holding down the Volume Up/Down then holding the power button. On this screen, which you may/may not have seen before, if you go into your boot screen you did it wrong and need to try again, there should be an option to factory reset, you can move up and down with the Volume Up/Down and click on the reset with the power button.

Lost or Stolen Devices:

If your device has been lost or stolen and you have not installed a Find your Device application there could be a slim chance that your device is still on and has Data enabled. Therefore you can access your Gmail/Google account via your computer and go to the Play Store and install an application, possibly from the list below onto your device. If this works you can have a chance at locating your device.

If you feel you are out of options, before buying a new phone, please make sure to tell your carrier that your last phone was lost/stolen so they can properly deactivate it.

Otherwise, if you have installed one of those applications then you can use that to find your device, simple as that.

Here are some recommended Find your Device applications:

Where's My Droid - FREE

Lookout Security & AntiVirus - $2.99/m

SeekDroid - $2.99

Prey Anti-Theft - FREE

Avast! Mobile Security - FREE

Trend Micro

Cerberus $2.99

These are just a couple I have heard really good things about.

Hopefully this FAQ will prove to be useful to you and give you good information to remember when it comes to owning an Android device!

-DC