ThummerHow to Lock a Stolen Android Phone From Another Device
If your Android phone was just stolen, you can lock it from any browser or from someone else's phone. Here are your options, in order, plus what to do if it's offline and when to erase it.
Option 1: android.com/lock (start here)
Remote Lock works from any browser using the stolen phone's number. Go to android.com/lock:
- Enter the stolen phone's number.
- If you set up a security question, answer it. Google says a wrong answer makes the lock fail.
- Complete the reCAPTCHA if asked, then request the lock.
The catch: Google says the phone will only lock if Remote Lock is on. Google's help page (checked November 2026) says it also needs a screen lock, an active SIM, a verified phone number, Find Hub turned on and an internet connection, and that it works twice in a 24-hour period. Remote Lock locks the screen; to erase the phone, Google says you must sign in to Find Hub. If you get the phone back, you unlock it the way you usually would, with your PIN or password.
Not sure it was on? Try it anyway, then move on to Find Hub. Our Android theft protection explainer covers setup for next time.
Option 2: Find Hub on a computer or another phone
Find Hub is Google's service for finding Android devices, previously known as Find My Device. You'll need your Google Account sign-in. Open Find Hub in a browser at android.com/find, or in the Find Hub app on another Android device, and select your phone.
Choose Secure device or Mark as lost. Google's lost-or-stolen guide (December 2025) says Secure device locks your phone with your PIN, pattern, or password, and logs you out of your Google Account. Mark as lost also lets you show a contact number and a message on the lock screen.
Google lists what the phone needs for you to secure or erase it: power, a mobile data or Wi-Fi connection, a signed-in Google Account, Find Hub turned on, and visibility on Google Play.
Option 3: From a friend's phone (guest mode)
Google says you can use Find Hub on a friend's Android device: open the Find Hub app, tap Sign in as guest, then sign in with your own account. You may be asked for the lock screen PIN of the phone you're looking for (Android 9 or higher), or your Google password on Android 8 or lower.
Two-step verification can get in the way if the stolen phone was your second step. Google says that without backup codes or a physical security key, you may need to order a new SIM from your carrier before you can lock or erase the phone remotely. Its Find Hub setup list (August 2026) includes creating a 2-Step Verification backup code; keep one somewhere you can reach without your phone.
Option 4: Samsung SmartThings Find
On a Galaxy, Samsung's guide (December 2025) says to go to smartthingsfind.samsung.com in any browser and sign in with your Samsung account. You can also use another Galaxy device. From there, Samsung lists options to track the phone's location, ring it, extend its battery life, lock it, or erase it.
Lock asks you to create a four-digit PIN, and Samsung says the phone will remain locked until the correct PIN is entered.
Samsung's requirements: the phone must be on and connected to a stable network, a Samsung account must have been added to it, and remote controls must be enabled. Samsung says they're on by default when you sign in to a Samsung account.
If the map shows where your phone is, don't go there yourself. Samsung's advice is to contact local authorities instead.
What if the phone is offline?
Thieves often switch phones off. Here's what each tool does then:
- Remote Lock waits. Google says that if the phone is offline, its screen will lock automatically once it's online.
- Find Hub can still show where it was. Google says Find Hub can show the last known location if the phone is offline or out of battery. Its help page lists a connection among the requirements for securing or erasing, and we didn't find a Google page saying whether a Find Hub command waits for the phone to reconnect.
- SmartThings Find erase waits. Samsung's India support page (November 2025) says that if the device is offline, the data will be erased when the device next goes online. If the phone is powered off, Samsung says only the last known location will be shown.
Lock or erase?
Lock first: a locked phone can still be found and unlocked normally.
Erasing is final. Google calls it a step that should be used only as a last resort, and says that after you erase the device, Find Hub will no longer be able to track it. Its help page adds that erasing permanently deletes all data on the device but may not delete SD cards. Samsung says its erase also wipes the SD card, and that after a factory reset you will no longer be able to use the SmartThings Find service for that device.
Erase when you've accepted the phone isn't coming back, or when what's on it worries you more than losing the ability to find it.
After an erase: Factory Reset Protection
Google says that if you find your device after erasing it, you need your Google Account password to use it again. Samsung calls this Google device protection: it activates if a Google account was registered on the phone. For unauthorized resets, Samsung says the phone will require the username and password of the last Google account used before the reset. So don't remove the phone from your Google Account after erasing it.
Next steps: carrier, bank, police, accounts
From Google's own lost-or-stolen checklist:
- Call your carrier. Ask it to suspend service. Google says carriers can also block the phone's IMEI, which stops it from being used on their network.
- Call your bank. Report any cards linked to Google Wallet; your bank or card company can freeze or cancel them. Our piece on how thieves drain bank apps explains why speed matters.
- File a police report. Google notes one is often necessary for an insurance claim. Have your IMEI or serial number ready (see how to find your IMEI).
- Check your accounts. Look at your Google Account from another device for recent activity. If you can't erase the phone, Samsung suggests changing the passwords for accounts that were signed in on it.
Our first-10-minutes checklist puts all of this in order.
Set it up before you need it
Every option above depends on something you turned on earlier: Remote Lock, Find Hub, a Samsung account, a screen lock, a backup code. Check them today. Some people also add a layer for the moment of the grab. One option is Thummer, which locks an unlocked Android phone within five seconds if the owner's thumb lifts off an on-screen bubble; it doesn't track or recover phones.
The bottom line
Try android.com/lock first, then Find Hub or SmartThings Find. Erase only when you've given up on getting it back. Then call your carrier and your bank.