How To Find A Lost Windows Phone

Microsoft’s Windows Phone has overtaken BlackBerry to become the world’s third most popular smartphone platform, according to IDC, with sales of Windows Phone more than doubling in a year. 

While still some way behind iPhone and Android, Windows Phone is well-regarded in terms of its accessibility and ease of use, and it also takes security seriously with one particular feature built in that can be extremely useful in certain situations: 'Find My Phone'.

Not to be confused with the similarly titled iPhone app, Find My Phone is a free service offered by Microsoft with users' devices in mind.

Find My Phone allows users to ring their handset, lock it, send a message to it and erase their phones remotely. The service will work as long as a data or network connection is active and the device has battery available. The benefits are clear: if you happen to leave your phone on a bus or in a bar, if you simply misplace it, or if it is stolen, you are not completely powerless.

Microsoft's Mobile OS Follows Android, iOS lead

Find My Phone is available for Windows Phone 7, 7.5 and 8 devices. The 'setting up' process is essentially non-existent. This is because when you associate your phone with a Microsoft (Hotmail, Live or other) address, your phone is signed up to Find My Phone and you gain access to the Find My Phone web portal. However, you can tweak two options to alter the service. To set up the service follow these steps:

Navigate to 'Settings' on your phone's apps list.

Scroll down until you find Find my Phone and select the option.

Here you will find 'Send apps to my phone using push notifications (not SMS)' and 'Save my phone's location periodically...’

The first of those two options may seem unrelated to being able to find your phone. It isn't; the web-based Windows Phone Store will, by default, send app commands to your phone by SMS. So will the Find My Phone portal. Checking to turn on 'Send apps to my phone using push notifications...' puts speed on your side.

This means that any command you issue from the Find My Phone web portal will be sent via data rather than SMS channels, allowing them to reach your phone faster. The consideration here is that this may impact your data use.

Constantly Tracking your Smartphone

The second option is straightforward. Without allowing your phone's location to be mapped periodically, you won't be able to track your phone if you lose it. If you are highly sensitive about services tracking your phone location, you may choose not to enable this. The result is that you will be unable to track your device when lost, and you cannot enable the option remotely.

If you do lose, misplace or have your phone stolen, visit this website; http://www.windowsphone.com. Once here, you'll need to follow the following steps to access the 'Find My Phone' web portal:

In the top right, expand the 'My Phone' menu and select 'Sign in'.

Sign in using the account details associated with your Windows Phone.

Return to the top right, and expand your <mobile phone name> menu.

Then choose 'Find My Phone'.

Once on the 'Find My Phone' page, you should see a map with your phone's last known location. You can refresh or print that location as well as zoom in and out using the map tool. If Find My Phone cannot find the location of your phone, it will keep trying and email you a link (with a map) when it is successful. On the right side, above the map, you will see the options to 'Ring', Lock' and 'Erase' your phone. If lost, the first thing you may wish to do is lock your phone.

Remote Lock your Mobile Device

A remote lock may seem useless to those who already have a lock screen, but this 'Lock' is a little different. The option allows you to write a message of 160 characters informing anyone who finds your phone that it is lost, and to provide any information about getting in touch with you. It also changes any default lock screen to a screen of white text on a plain black background.

You have the additional option to ring your phone as you lock it. This will send an alarm-type beeping to your phone – even if the sound profile is 'silent' – to draw attention to the device.

Finally, you have the option to 'Erase'. This will completely wipe your account, app and all other data on your phone. You will be asked if you are sure on selecting this option, and it should only be used as a last resort to safeguard your data.