Urgent warning for all Android users over ‘lock erase’ feature you need to avoid costly bill
ANDROID users are instructed to use their phones’ lock and wipe feature if they suspect the phone has been stolen.
The lock and wipe feature on Android devices prevents burglars from gaining access to your phone and can be easily implemented if needed.
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“If you lose an Android phone, tablet, or Wear OS watch, you can find, lock, or erase it,” Google said.
If your phone is stolen, using “Lock & Erase” can ensure that your data is protected so that no one can access your money, accounts, etc.
The first step is to try to find your phone.
If you’ve added a Google account to your Android device, Find My Device will automatically turn on to encrypt and store your phone’s last location on Google.
When your phone is definitely gone, it’s time to lock and erase it.
To lock and erase your Android device, you should first make sure it has power, is connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi, is signed in to a Google account, has Find My Device enabled, and is on Google Play is visible.
Next, go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google account.
Select your lost device.
This will send a notification to your lost device.
This will also give you information about where the device is located.
You will then be prompted to enable blocking and wiping.
The prompt gives you three options.
The first option is to “play a tone” which will ring your device at full volume for five minutes and still work when it’s set to silent or vibrate.
This is to draw attention to your phone and try to locate it.
The second option is “Secure Device”, which locks your device with your PIN or password.
You can also use it to set up a lock if your device doesn’t have a lock.
You can also use this option to send a message to the phone to help someone return it.
The third option is “Erase Device” which will permanently erase all data on your device but may not erase the SD card.
If you choose to erase your device, Find My Device will no longer work.
The third option is best if you think there is no way to restore your phone and want to be sure that your data is unreachable.