Find My Mobile

[Discover]

It's a feeling some of us have experienced but all of us dread. Whether you're leaving the bus after a stressful commute or you're strolling into your favourite café, dog-eared paperback in hand and mediocre pastry calling your name, the moment you reach into your pocket and learn your phone is gone is the moment your day is ruined. 

We feel your pain – and perhaps more importantly – we feel your panic. Losing something as personal as a smartphone is as intrusive as it is disruptive. So if there's one thing you make time for today, it should be checking your remote control settings are activated. 

What can Find My Mobile do?

• Locate your device
• Call your device
• Lock/ unlock your device
• Back up data to Samsung Cloud
• Retrieve numbers from calls and messages
• Extend battery life on your device
• Set a guardian
• Block access to Samsung Pay

If the worst should happen, you can use Find My Mobile to take remote control of your device. It's still something that not everyone knows about, and there are some essential settings that need to be activated before losing your phone, otherwise it can't work.

You may have noticed, for instance, that you can't turn your phone off if you've forgotten your PIN. This is a security feature to keep your device active in the event of loss or theft, so that Find My Mobile can do its job. Without your PIN, only a factory reset will unlock your device – again designed to protect your data from the wrong hands. With remote settings activated, you can use Find My Mobile to unlock your phone and reset your passcode.

What do I need to do?

Depending on your OS, you may need to switch on Find My Mobile first. You have to be logged in to your Samsung account (this is already done if you're signed in to Samsung Members) and you'll need to ensure you have a PIN, pattern or passcode set up and that your remote settings are activated. 

Please note: Exact steps may be affected by device model or OS

Set up or log in to your Samsung account 

1. With the device unlocked, swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Quick Settings panel 
2. Tap the Settings icon. It's the cog-like symbol on the right-hand side
3. Scroll down to find Accounts and backup and then Accounts
4. Find Add account and then Samsung account
5. Tap Create account and follow the on-screen instructions to make a new account or enter your details and hit Sign in if you're already set up

Set up a PIN, pattern or password

1. With the device unlocked, swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Quick Settings panel
2. Tap the Settings icon. It's the cog-like symbol on the right-hand side
3. Now find Lock screen and then Screen lock type
4. Tap Pattern, PIN or Password to choose your lock type
5. Enter and then re-enter your selected pattern, PIN or password
6. If redirected to the Notifications screen, tap Done

Switch on Find My Mobile and activate remote settings

1. With the device unlocked, swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Quick Settings panel
2. Tap the Settings icon. It's the cog-like symbol on the right-hand side
3. Scroll down to Biometrics and security and then tap Find My Mobile
4. Depending on your OS, either slide the toggle to activate or tap Add Samsung account if not already signed in
5. Once signed in, enable your remote settings by sliding Remote controls or Remote unlock. If you see both options, activate both
6. Slide the toggle to activate Send last location if you you'd like your device to send its whereabouts to Find My Mobile when its battery gets low

Don't forget, you can read more about setting up or logging in to your Samsung account and all the Find My Mobile features on Support. If for some reason Find My Mobile hasn't worked, you can also use Google's Find My Device service if you lose your phone.

We hope you found this post helpful. If you've got anything to add, just leave us a comment below!

The Community Team 

Discover more:

Go to Find My Mobile

Support Splash: Backing up your data

Samsung Support: What is Find My Mobile and how can I use it to locate, lock or wipe my device?