Samsung

How to Find a Lost Samsung Phone (Find My Mobile and Find Hub)

Locate, ring, lock or wipe a lost Galaxy phone using Samsung Find My Mobile or Google Find Hub — including how to find one that is switched off.

Short answer

Go to findmymobile.samsung.com and sign in with your Samsung account to locate, ring, lock or erase the phone. Google's Find Hub at google.com/android/find works as a second option using your Google account.

Finding a lost Galaxy. Step 1: Go to findmymobile.samsung.com — Sign in with the Samsung account that is on the phone. Step 2: Select the device — Then Ring, Lock, Track location or Erase. Step 3: Use Extend battery life — At 5% charge this can turn 20 minutes of tracking into hours. Step 4: Try Google Find Hub too — google.com/android/find, using your Google account instead. Step 5: Lock before you erase — Erasing usually ends your ability to track it.
Try both services — they use different networks and one often works when the other does not.

A Galaxy phone can be found through two independent services. Try both — they use different networks and one often works when the other does not.

Samsung Find My Mobile

  1. Go to findmymobile.samsung.com on any device.
  2. Sign in with the Samsung account that is on the lost phone.
  3. Select the device from the list on the left.

Available actions:

ActionWhat it does
RingRings at full volume for a minute, even if set to silent
LockLocks the screen and shows a message and contact number
Track locationUpdates the position periodically
Erase dataFactory resets remotely — last resort
Extend battery lifeCuts everything but location to buy tracking time
Retrieve calls/messagesPulls recent logs from the device
UnlockRemoves the screen lock if you are locked out yourself

The Extend battery life option is the underused one. If the phone is at 5%, this can turn 20 minutes of tracking into several hours.

Google Find Hub

Works on any Android phone, including Galaxy.

  1. Go to google.com/android/find, or use the Find Hub app on another Android device.
  2. Sign in with the Google account on the lost phone.
  3. Choose Play sound, Secure device or Erase device.

Because it uses the Google account rather than the Samsung one, it works even if Find My Mobile was never set up.

Finding a phone that is switched off

Both services now support offline finding, using nearby devices to relay a location over Bluetooth.

Samsung: requires Offline finding to be enabled in advance — Settings › Security and privacy › Find My Mobile › Offline finding. Nearby Galaxy devices then report its position anonymously.

Google: the Find Hub network works similarly across Android devices generally.

Both need to have been turned on before the phone was lost. Neither can be enabled remotely. This is the single most valuable thing to set up today, while you still have the phone.

Set it up now (two minutes)

Settings › Security and privacy › Find My Mobile, and enable:

  • Find My Mobile itself
  • Offline finding
  • Send last location — transmits the position when the battery is nearly flat
  • Remote unlock

Then confirm Google's side: Settings › Google › All services › Find My Device / Find Hub, and make sure it is on.

Also check Settings › Location is enabled. Location services off means neither service can produce a position.

If the phone was stolen

If it was stolen, in this order. Step 1: Locate it, but do not retrieve it — Pass the location to the police rather than attending yourself. Step 2: Lock it with a message — Include a contact number on the lock screen. Step 3: Report the IMEI to your carrier — Blacklisting makes the handset useless on networks. Step 4: Change your passwords — Google and Samsung first, then email and banking. Step 5: Erase only when you accept it is gone — This is the last step, not the first.
Do not go and collect it yourself. Give the location to the police.

Order matters here.

  1. Locate it — but do not go and retrieve it yourself. Give the location to the police.
  2. Lock it immediately with a message and a contact number.
  3. Report it to your carrier to blacklist the IMEI, making it unusable on networks. Find the IMEI on the box, or in your Google account's device list.
  4. Change your passwords — Google and Samsung accounts first, then banking and email.
  5. Erase it only once you accept it is gone. Erasing usually ends your ability to track it.

Modern Galaxy phones also carry Theft Detection Lock, which locks the screen automatically when the phone detects the motion of being snatched, and Offline Device Lock, which locks it if it goes offline for a period. Enable both under Settings › Security and privacy › Device unlock › Theft protection.

Reactivation Lock

Samsung's Reactivation Lock ties the handset to your account so a thief cannot simply factory reset and resell it — the phone demands your Samsung account credentials after a wipe.

Enable it at Settings › Security and privacy › Find My Mobile › Reactivation Lock.

Remember to turn this off and remove your Samsung account before selling a phone. Otherwise the buyer receives a device they cannot activate. See how to delete or remove a Samsung account.

Common problems

ProblemCause
Device not listedNot signed in to that Samsung account, or Find My Mobile was never enabled
Location unavailablePhone is off, offline, or Location was disabled
"Offline" but you enabled offline findingIt needs another Galaxy device to pass nearby to relay a position
Ring does not workPhone is offline; the command queues until it reconnects
Cannot sign inRecover the account first — see our password reset guide

Finding Galaxy Buds and a Galaxy Watch

The same Find My Mobile console lists them. Buds can be made to chime if they are in Bluetooth range or were recently connected, and the last known location is shown where they were last connected to the phone.

In short

Use findmymobile.samsung.com with your Samsung account, and google.com/android/find with your Google account. Enable Offline finding, Send last location and Theft protection before you need them — none of these can be switched on after the phone is gone.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my lost Samsung phone?

Go to findmymobile.samsung.com and sign in with the Samsung account on the phone, then ring, lock, track or erase it. Google's Find Hub at google.com/android/find is a second option using your Google account.

Can I find a Samsung phone that is turned off?

Yes, if Offline finding was enabled beforehand under Settings › Security and privacy › Find My Mobile. Nearby Galaxy devices relay its position over Bluetooth. It cannot be enabled after the phone is lost.

What is Reactivation Lock?

It ties the handset to your Samsung account so a thief cannot factory reset and resell it — the phone demands your account credentials after a wipe. Turn it off and remove your account before selling a phone.

Should I erase my lost phone remotely?

Only as a last resort, because erasing usually ends your ability to track it. Lock it with a contact message first, report the IMEI to your carrier, and change your account passwords.

Sources & further reading

Official documentation used while writing and checking this guide. Every link was verified at the last update.

  1. Samsung Find My MobileSamsung
  2. Samsung account sign-in and managementSamsung
  3. Secure Our World guidanceUS Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
  4. Set screen lock on an Android deviceGoogle Android Help

Machine-readable version: Markdown source

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