Anyone had experience of using Google find my device?

[dave2010]

I seem to have lost my mobile phone. I never really liked it much anyway!

However, according to Google's Find my Device feature it is pretty much in the same place I was on Saturday - probably inside a small store - and I didn't go to many places.

I wonder if the accuracy of this, including the timing, is about as good as Apple's - which has been known to place the location of my iPad in places like Kidderminster - hundreds of miles away from where it normally lives.

If, however, the times are fairly OK - then there is an indication that it actually is where I suspected - though searches so far have drawn blanks.

I could just write it off - and then have to decide whether to try for an insurance claim, or whether that would be counter productive in putting my premiums up more than the phone is worth.

[struth]

if someone found it they would need code etc to open it and switch find me off or get any info. afaik its fairly accurat so a search of premises should find it if no one has decided to nick it. could try ringing it while in the place too

[Patrick Dixon]

I wonder if the accuracy of this, including the timing, is about as good as Apple's - which has been known to place the location of my iPad in places like Kidderminster - hundreds of miles away from where it normally lives.

That's probably because it's connected via your home network/internet connection rather than a mobile phone cell. It then guesses location based on the IP address which is allocated dynamically by your internet provider.

[dave2010]

That's probably because it's connected via your home network/internet connection rather than a mobile phone cell. It then guesses location based on the IP address which is allocated dynamically by your internet provider.

Could be, but neither my home nor the devices mentioned are ever [normally] within 100 miles of Kidderminster. I'm guessing that my phone did indeed go to ground within a fairly small radius of the place I visited on Saturday, but that is perhaps not good enough to find it. Possibly someone will find it and turn it in.

This technology stuff is a pain in the butt.

[Patrick Dixon]

Could be, but neither my home nor the devices mentioned are ever [normally] within 100 miles of Kidderminster.

No, but that's the beauty of the internet; you can appear to be anywhere you want in the world.

(Perchance are you connected to a network that maybe stretches as far as Kidderminster?)

[dave2010]

No, but that's the beauty of the internet; you can appear to be anywhere you want in the world.

(Perchance are you connected to a network that maybe stretches as far as Kidderminster?)

I still have a lingering suspicion that the wretched phone is somewhere around the house, but Google didn't notice that it came back home. It'll probably wait until I've got a new replacement, and then turn up under a cushion!

[dave2010]

I still have a lingering suspicion that the wretched phone is somewhere around the house, but Google didn't notice that it came back home. It'll probably wait until I've got a new replacement, and then turn up under a cushion!

Actually it is in the house - now! It was indeed in the store where I went for an eye test - must have fallen out of my bag while I was in the dark. Very lucky to have got this back, and fortunately the photos and other data on the phone are still OK. Now I even know how to back them up to a separate drive - so plan on doing that soon.

It makes sense to do a backup using USB maybe once a year - rather than waiting for a "disaster" to strike, and then wondering how to get photos and other notes back.

There is still the remaining issue of unblocking the phone, which seems to take a while - but hopefully will eventually be possible. There is a new SIM card supplied by the network provider - but I'm not sure if it's been activated and/or registered yet. It's a bit of a faff, but looks possible.

[CageyH]

My phone performs an automatic backup to my NAS.

[struth]

Actually it is in the house - now! It was indeed in the store where I went for an eye test - must have fallen out of my bag while I was in the dark. Very lucky to have got this back, and fortunately the photos and other data on the phone are still OK. Now I even know how to back them up to a separate drive - so plan on doing that soon.

It makes sense to do a backup using USB maybe once a year - rather than waiting for a "disaster" to strike, and then wondering how to get photos and other notes back.

There is still the remaining issue of unblocking the phone, which seems to take a while - but hopefully will eventually be possible. There is a new SIM card supplied by the network provider - but I'm not sure if it's been activated and/or registered yet. It's a bit of a faff, but looks possible.

usual is to fit sim and switch on... the sim will then register and activation will happen in next 24 hrs, although times ive done it its been pretty fast. within an hr.