As Gizmodo reports, you don’t even need to do any work to enable the functionality. As long as you are signed in with the same Google account on your phone and in your browser, all you need to do is type “find my phone” — or even say it to Google Now — to see the location of your lost device.
The phone’s current position will be displayed on a map so that you can pinpoint exactly where it is. Additionally, you can call the device directly from the search results without having to leave the page.
The feature, shared by Google on Google+, is undoubtedly a useful addition to the company’s search arsenal. Although just a simple time-saver, it is one that many people will appreciate over time.
The process is much simpler than the existing built-in way of checking an Android phone’s location via Android Device Manager. Note that before you start Googling your companion’s location you must install the latest version of the Google app from the Play Store, although most modern phones will already have this installed.
Google hasn’t said how frequently the device will update its location but it should be adequate enough to track your device down with a reasonable degree of privacy. As with everything, there is a trade-off between frequent updates and battery life duration as the phone has to retrieve its location using GPS.
You can’t use the “find my phone” search feature to lock or wipe your phone if it falls into the hands of people other than yourself. This functionality is retained within Android Device Manager, accessible via the Google Play Store once your phone is registered with Google and you have enabled Device Manager and accepted its required permissions.
