Google can now locate your lost iOS devices

So you forgot to activate Find My iPhone when setting up your new iOS device, and now you’ve lost it. Fear not, because thanks to Google, you have a backup service.

Simply type “I lost my phone” into Google Search and you’ll be able to locate all the devices connected to your account.

Millions of smartphones are lost and stolen every year in the U.S. alone, Google says, and all of them contain personal data — like contact details for our friends, photos of our loved ones, all your emails and messages, and more.

Thanks to Find My iPhone, we’ve been able to locate lost and stolen iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Macs for years — but not everyone activates this feature during setup. Even when you do, there are times when it’s unavailable.

Now Google can help. With a big update to its My Account hub, the company is adding the ability to locate all Android and iOS devices that are connected to your Google account. You’ll be able to find them on a map, call them, and even lock them remotely.

What’s more, you’ll soon be able to access this feature by typing “I lost my phone” into Google Search.

What’s great about Google’s location service is that you don’t need to do anything to activate it manually. When you sign into your Google account on a new device using an app like Gmail, it will automatically be available in the “Find your phone” feature.

Source: Google

Killian Bell

Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.