Phone tracker app

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hungrybeaver

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A couple of friends had their cellphones stolen last night at a house we were all staying at and I'm fortunate that they didn't get mine. Luckily no one was hurt. This got me thinking that if my phone were to get stolen I should definitely have some sort of GPS tracker software installed so that I can at least have a chance of finding it. Do any of you guys use one, or know of a good one?
 
Lookout is a common one. Comes with anti-virus and contacts backup features.

Today I came across another one with some cool features:
Android Lost
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.androidlost&feature=order_history

I'd recommend you install both. Lookout is nicer for tracking location as it's done through a web browser and displays it on the map.
Android Lost is nice for the other features it has and as a backup, since Lookout is visible and easy to remove.

If you have a Samsung Android phone, look under Samsung Apps for a free version of Tektrak. It can automatically log your phone's position every hour or so and you can see the trail on a map.
 
Theft Aware 2 is generally considered the best anti-theft application for Android. It has various stealth measures, remote control via sms rather than the data connection, and lots of advanced options for rooted users. It costs a lot, though: R150 for a persistent license. Also, if you have it installed as a system app (required for the most advanced features), you have to reinstall completely every time you flash a new rom.

I'm currently using WaveSecure, for which ink lucky enough to have a free lifetime license after getting in on their launch special. Otherwise, Lookout is a free option.
To be honest though, I'm sceptical of all of these apps. Do you notice how they never seem to tout success stories? Have you ever heard of someone actually recovering their stolen phones with one of these? Can you imagine walking in to a police station and telling them your phone had been stolen, but you have its GPS coordinates? What to do you think they'll actually do?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
 
Vulk said:
I'm currently using WaveSecure, for which ink lucky enough to have a free lifetime license after getting in on their launch special. Otherwise, Lookout is a free option.
To be honest though, I'm sceptical of all of these apps. Do you notice how they never seem to tout success stories? Have you ever heard of someone actually recovering their stolen phones with one of these? Can you imagine walking in to a police station and telling them your phone had been stolen, but you have its GPS coordinates? What to do you think they'll actually do?
Click to expand...

There have been a few, there was a recent one on News24 or IOL about a South African recovering his iPhone. The police came with him as he tracked it and caught the thief.

Your mileage may vary. At least with Android Lost you can make your phone display messages and use the SMS reading, picture taking features to 'stalk' them.
Telling them where they live, who their friends are and describing what they look like, with a threat that you will go to the police, may just get them to return it.
 
I used both Lookout and AVG for some time and find that AVG's Finder service to be the best

See http://www.avgmobilation.com/ for more information and it can be found here

What I like about it is that it informs me of SIM card changes as well as having the normal wipe, lock and locate services, can also be done to via SMS even after the perp swapped the SIM with one that does not have data.

Lookout is in your face and will stop to function when you change the SIM, I also think that thieves will be less likely to remove something that says anti-virus than lookout.

PS: you have to subscribe activate the findr service(free) manually after the install else it is just a normal Anti-Virus application.
 
Well, they should have a custom version for SA that works with Please Call Me's as the simcards inserted wont have any airtime to send an sms :D
 
I installed [-]Lookout[/-] AndroidLost last night and am pretty impressed with its SMS functions. Information on the phone gets sent to my email right away which I like. The only problem is it can be uninstalled easily. I'm going to try the AVG one tonight and see how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestions! :)
 
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hungrybeaver said:
The only problem is it can be uninstalled easily.
Click to expand...

No it can't. It gets administrator permissions. And there's an option on the website so it wont show up in the app drawer.

I'm wondering if it will work ok if I change my Google password after the phone is stolen, so the thief can't access my Gmail.
 
hungrybeaver said:
The only problem is it can be uninstalled easily.
Click to expand...

No it can't. It gets administrator permissions. And there's an option on the website so it wont show up in the app drawer. That should make it difficult to get rid of.

I'm wondering if it will work ok if I change my Google password after the phone is stolen, so the thief can't access my Gmail.

Lookout on the other hand, I think is very easy to get rid of.

And as a desperate last ditch effort if your phone is taken and you have no tracking app, you can push Plan B to it:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb&feature=search_result

Edit:
Another potentially good one:
Phone Locator - MobiUcare
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mobiucare.client&feature=search_result

Haven't tried it but the features sound good.
 
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Blackberry comes with free Blackberry Protect.

As long as your phone is switched on and the GPS is not disabled you can pinpoint the exact spot where your phone is when it get's stolen. Depending on the GPS signal strenght though. You can also send a message to your phone or let the phone play a very loud ringtone.

If you want you can also lock your device or even Wipe it so no-one can use your phone and get any info on it.
 
Piesang said:
Blackberry comes with free Blackberry Protect.

As long as your phone is switched on and the GPS is not disabled you can pinpoint the exact spot where your phone is when it get's stolen. Depending on the GPS signal strenght though. You can also send a message to your phone or let the phone play a very loud ringtone.

If you want you can also lock your device or even Wipe it so no-one can use your phone and get any info on it.
Click to expand...

You still have to manually activate that. I have many friends who had lost their phones and could not trace it.
 
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