Don't Panic, Google Will Help Find Your Lost Phone

(RTTNews) - Google is offering a new way to locate lost Android or iOS smartphones. The company has added a new "Find Your Phone" section to the "My Account" hub.

Google launched "My Account" a year ago. The hub gives a user quick access to controls for safeguarding data and protecting privacy on various Google accounts like Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube.

"My Account" puts privacy and security tools in one place, including long-standing features like Ads Settings, and newer ones like the Privacy and Security Checkups.

The "Find Your Phone" is a new feature introduced by Google on the first anniversary of the launch of "My Account." The new feature that will help a user if his phone is lost or stolen, Google said in a blog post.

In a few simple steps, a user can not only locate his phone, but also lock and call it, secure his account, and leave a callback number on the screen.

The "Find Your Phone" section can be used to access a list of handsets on which a user has signed in with his Google Account. The owner of a lost mobile device can text or ring their phone, locate it on Google Maps, or remotely disable a Google account.

The feature can be used to find lost Android and iOS smartphones. But for some of the options, iOS users are redirected to iCloud page. Soon, a user will also be able to access it by searching Google for "I lost my phone".

Google also said it will make it easier to get to "My Account" just by using a person's voice. In the latest Google app, a person can say, "Ok Google, show me my Google account," and he will be taken straight to the hub. This is available currently in English, with other languages coming soon.

In the future, just searching for a user's name while he is signed in will return a link to the "My Account" hub at the top of the page.

Guemmy Kim, product manager, Account Controls and Settings at Google said, "When you entrust your data to Google, you should expect powerful security and privacy controls. These features are just the latest in our ongoing efforts to protect you and your personal information."