So, this is a tidbit of information that comes to folks like +Amanda Blain a bit too late as she had recently lost her phone while travelling. My own niece lost hers while at a pool.Losing your phone sucks. I really don't know what I'd do if mine went missing. We had talked about security of your device in the past, and most of you were using something.
Well it looks with the summer well in swing Google wanted to remind you about some security options you have, as well as some future new options.
I figured it was just another reminder email to talk about some of the security features, but the last bit was most informative - taken from: http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dude-wheres-my-phone-simple-steps-to.html
1. Lock your device screen. Whether you’re on a phone or a tablet, it’s easy to set up a screen lock. This is important to do in case your device gets left in the back of a car, or you’re worried about someone picking up your phone and scrolling through your stuff. You can lock your device with a pin, password, pattern (or even your face!) by going to Settings > Personal > Security > Screen Lock.
2. Protect your phone from suspicious apps. We automatically scan Google Play to block and remove harmful apps. That makes Google Play the safest place to get Android apps. But Google Play can also help protect you even for apps you get elsewhere, like the web or a third-party app store. The first time you start to install an app from an unknown source, a message will pop up asking if you’d like Google to scan the file to make sure it’s not harmful. Tap “OK” to let Google help protect you from harmful apps.
3. Locate, ring and wipe a misplaced device. Have you ever lost your phone in between the couch cushions or left it in a restaurant? Later this month, you will be able to use a new service called Android Device Manager, which can quickly ring your phone at maximum volume so you can find it (even if it’s been silenced), or locate it on a map, in real time, using Android Device Manager. If your phone can’t be recovered, or has been stolen, you can quickly and securely erase all of the data on your device to keep your data from ending up in the wrong hands. The Android Device Manager will be available for devices running Android 2.2 and above, as part of Google Play. You can read the full announcement on the Android blog.
For more advice on how to protect yourself and your family online, visit our Good to Know site, and stay tuned for more posts in our security series.
The first 2 are pretty well standard options. That third? That got my attention. It's referencing this blog article: http://officialandroid.blogspot.ca/2013/08/find-your-lost-phone-with-android.html
This is pretty big news - you'll be able to track your phone and have some control over your data if it does disappear. Sure, iOS has had something similar before. But it's common sense.
The only thing I don't like is that it's on devices that's
Source: http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dude-wheres-my-phone-simple-steps-to.html
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