How to use Android Device Manager
|
Android |
Recently, along with the release of the latest iteration of the
Android mobile platform, version 4.3, Google released a website that you
can use to track and manage your Android device. Called Android Device
Manager, it works for devices running versions 2.2 Gingerbread to 4.3
JellyBean of Android OS.
Prerequisites
To use Android Device Manager, you will require the following:
A computer with internet access
An Android device
Internet connection on your Android device
Before you can start using the Android Device Manager however you have
to make sure that you are logged in to your Google Account on your phone
and your computer. You can log in on your phone by simply opening your
Settings on your Android device and by tapping on Accounts. From there
you can log in to your existing Google Account.
If you have done the above, then you can head on over to the Android
Device Manager website and immediately (depending on your network speed)
it will prompt you to install the security credentials to your Android
device. This is to enable Android Device Manager to be able to wipe your
device remotely in case it gets lost. I recommend that you install this
too.
|
Snippet |
After the security app has been installed to your Android device, you
can refresh the webpage on your computer so it reflects the change.
You are presented with a screen with your device name and options namely Rename, Ring, Locate and Erase.
|
Snippet |
Rename
You can click on the rename icon to change the name of your device
from the manufacturer name to something more familiar like I did in my
case.
Ring
Clicking Ring will enable you to ring your device and that can be
useful in scenarios whereby you misplace your phone in your house or
cannot currently find it. This however is dependent on whether your
phone is connected to the internet.
Locate
In the case that you cannot find your phone you can click on the
locate button and with it will use Google Map like navigation to try to
locate your phone. Just like when you ring your device this also
requires that your device be connected to the internet.
Erase
If in the worse case scenario your phone is stolen, you can choose to
use the erase button to erase everything on your device so that your
personal data is safe from criminal hands. This happens whenever the
device connects to the internet and does not need a constant internet
connection.
Advantages
With the Android device manager from Google it has now become easier and
less complicated to track and ring your device. This is particularly
important because prior to this the only way to do this was via third
party solutions which were paid services most of the times. Nothing
beats free in this case.
Disadvantages
The only major issue that can pose a problem is the singular fact that
internet connection is required before you can locate or even ring your
device. This means that you have a almost always on internet service on
your device and that sometimes just isn’t possible.
Conclusion
The Android Device Manager did track where I was accurately and when I
was connected to the internet the ring feature also worked as well. I
haven’t tried the erase however as that would mean losing all my data
but that should also work. Just as I said earlier the only thing that
might stop the frequent use of the Android device manager is the fact
that it needs an internet connection. If that is not a problem for you
then this is currently the best hassle free way to track your Android
device at the moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment