If your Android phone is stolen, you will need a way to get it back. Here are the best Android anti-theft apps.No one wants to think about their phone being stolen, but the truth is, it can happen to anyone. As such, it’s always a good idea to have an anti-theft app on your device. Google offers built-in Android security, including an option called Find My Device which may be missing a phone, but there are some great third-party options available as well. Let’s take a look at the best anti-theft apps for Android.
Google Find my device
Price: Free
Find My Device is Google’s anti-theft app and one of Android’s best built-in security options. It allows you to remotely lock your phone, log out of your device and erase its content. You can also see your phone’s location on a map and call it through the accompanying app.If you lock your phone remotely, you can write a lock screen message that your device will display continuously until you turn it off.Find My Device is turned on by default, but it’s wise to verify that you haven’t accidentally turned it off. To check the status of Find my device, go to Settings> Google> Security and tap Find my device . Slide the toggle at the top of the window to the On position if the function is not active.There are two ways to access Find My Device features, through the Find My Device web app or the smartphone app.
Cerberus
Cerberus is well established as the leading third party anti-theft app for Android. It has a rich set of features that its competitors find it hard to live with.Cerberus protects your device in three main ways: remote control via the web portal, remote control via SMS, and automatic alerts.
The app can locate and track your phone, lock your device, trigger an alarm on your phone, download call logs, and clear internal and external memory.Cerberus will also help ensure that anyone who steals your phone ends up in conflict with the law. It can secretly take photos and record videos of anyone who owns your device and then upload them to the cloud for you to view. You can even record audio from your phone’s microphone.The app also supports automatic actions.
For example, you can have the phone lock itself if the SIM card is changed, or instantly receive a photo if someone enters the wrong PIN. Due to the way the app works under the hood, Google doesn’t allow it in the Play Store. But don’t worry, the app is legitimate. Here’s how Cerberus explained Google’s decision:(Google removed Cerberus Anti-theft from the Play Store with this explanation “Apps that trick users into downloading or installing apps from unknown sources outside of Google Play are prohibited.” To give users the option of full protection, the Play Store app is displayed. a message advising that the full app could be installed as an update from our official website.
Apparently even this is not allowed by Google, so they removed Anti-theft from the Play Store… At this point we won’t bother to appeal the decision, as there is no way to publish a satisfactory application in terms of functionality on the Play Store.)Therefore, to use Cerberus, you will need to download the APK directly from the official website and then download the app to your Android device.You can take advantage of a seven-day free trial. Plans start at $ 5 / month.Download: Cerberus (free trial, subscription required).
Anti-theft alarm
Price: Free
At the other end of the complexity scale is the burglar alarm. It is a deterrent against theft; it does not have post-theft functions like phone locate and remote wipe.As the name suggests, the app will sound an alarm under certain circumstances.
For example, you can sound the alarm when someone removes or steals your phone while it is charging if someone moves your phone from where you left it, if you drop your phone or if someone changes the SIM card. You can also activate the alarm remotely if you realize someone has stolen it.The alarm may sound even if your device is in silent mode.
Once activated, the noise will not stop without a password; changing the battery or SIM card will have no effect.
McAfee Mobile Security
Price: Free
McAfee is best known for its anti-virus apps, but the company’s Android app also includes anti-theft features, which means it’s a one-stop-shop for all of your security needs.Specific anti-theft features include device lock security, a thief camera, and app uninstall protection.
If someone enters the wrong PIN three times, the phone will lock until you enter the master password and take a snapshot of the perpetrator.McAfee Mobile Security also offers a Find My Phone feature. You can see your phone on a map, set off an alarm remotely, and get step-by-step location tracking.The application is available for free. An annual plan with additional features is available for $ 30 / year.
CrookCatcher
Price: Free
CrookCatcher is designed to help you recover your phone, but also give you the satisfaction of catching a thief in action in real time.When someone tries to unlock your phone with the wrong code, they take a photo of the person and email it to you immediately.
The email will contain the image, GPS coordinates and accuracy, an estimated mailing address and a map. You can change the number of incorrect entries allowed before the photo is taken and the email sent.One of the biggest differences between CrookCatcher and the other apps on our list is the lack of battery drain.
The application is only triggered when the wrong code is entered; it doesn’t need to run in the background all the time.CrookCatcher is available for free but is ad supported.
Prey Anti Theft
Prey is another anti-theft mobile tracker, but it also serves as a cross-platform solution that can track phones, laptops, tablets, and all kinds of other devices.There is a free version and a premium version. The free version allows you to track up to three devices, but limits you to a single safe zone.The premium version, which costs $ 5 / month, adds geo-fencing, control zone actions, remote screen lock, message alerts, location history, and tracking support via GPS, Wi-Fi triangulation and GeoIP.If you have the premium plan, you can also wipe data and recover files remotely.
Where’s My Droid
Where’s My Droid has a free version and a paid plan. In the free version, you can locate the device via GPS, ring it, set a password, erase the SD card, perform a factory reset, and receive an alert when someone changes their SIM card.The premium plan (called Elite) adds more features like remote photo taking, photo taking when someone tries and fails to unlock the phone, geofencing, passive location tracking, uninstall prevention and support for multiple devices.The Elite plan costs $ 1 / month or $ 9 / year.Download: Where’s My Droid (Free version, subscription available)
