Type "Find my phone" on Google to locate your Android Phone

From: Irshaad Abdool <irshaad_abd_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:28:40 +0400

Hi All;
I found an article online from LifeHacker [1] mentioning that typing "Find my phone" in Google search shows you the location of your phone.
For some people, they were shocked with that feature. But a little explanation of it can be useful.First, your Android phone uses you Google Account for numerous purposes ranging from Google Play store, to sync and backups. It was formerly mentioned in this mailing list itself - I do not remember when, apologies for same- that you can see places you when around with your phone from your Google account dashboard. The fact is that your mobile send location data to Google.
So, to counter this; first disable Location options on your mobile to switch off the GPS beacon on your mobile phone. Then, from Settings >> Location and Security, disable "Use Wireless Networks". The latter is because, as some of you may be aware, your phone uses wireless networks, GSM and Wifi to locate you more accurately and counter resolution problems in GPS location systems. That is why that option must be switched off too. Furthermore, upon first use of Google Maps on an Android phone, the user is asked whether he/she would like data to be sent to Google; should you trust Google, go ahead and accept same.
Hope this helps.
How far are companies intrusive in our private lives? The question stays whole and debatable.Regards;

M Irshaad Abdoolwww.irshaad.me | www.blog.irshaad.mefacebook.com/abdoolirshaad
Received on Thu Apr 16 2015 - 15:29:00 PST