How To Track and Recover Your Stolen Phone and Laptop: ANDROID

The Android OS has more apps: Free and Paid, than the Blackberry OS . The ones listed below are the best free apps you can use for recovery of stolen Android phones.

PREY

To use Prey Anti-Theft you have to get it installed before the phone goes missing. You control the anti-theft features of Prey primarily through the Prey Project website, at which you can track your phone's location, capture its IP address, activate its camera, sound an alarm, message the device, and lock the device.Prey also takes pictures silently using both the front and rear camera (Handy to see the thief"s face!!). Just go to Google Play and download it .The app is hidden and can only be uninstalled with a password.

Where’s My Droid

Where’s My Droid is a pure Find my Phone app to help you locate your phone. When your smartphone goes missing, sending a code via text will make the phone ring (even when set in silent mode) while another text code sends you the GPS coordinates of the phone.

Alternatively, you can remotely control your phone by connecting it to the Commander option, a web-based interface. Where’s My Droid also offers a Pro version which lets you take pictures with the camera (you might be able to take a snapshot of the perpetrator), remote lock the phone rendering it impenetrable or remote wipe the app to save your data from misuse.

Plan B

If you had not install any tracking app before your Android device was stolen or misplaced, Plan B will be a lifesaver. Plan B is an Android app from Lookout Labs which locates your smartphone using cell towers and GPS, then sends the location of your smartphone to your Gmail Inbox.

In some smartphones, Plan B can enable the GPS on the phone then update you with its location every 10 minutes. For phones with no such support, you can text ‘location’ from another phone, and details of the missing phone’s location will be sent to your email. In the absence of a data connection, the software will send its location via SMS instead.

Android Lost Free

This app is not only perfect for finding your lost phone, it will also torment the thief (something which we’re sure they fully deserve). You can activate (via SMS or the Web) the alarm to ring with a flashing screen, enable and disable the GPS, data and Wi-Fi connection, remote wipe the SD card, and get their latest call list.

Although it’s a free app, the app lets you take pictures from the smartphone camera (front and rear) and make your phone speak using text-to-speech. Once the SIM card is changed, you will be informed via email. This app can be used even after you have lost your smartphone due to its remote install feature and is hidden from the launcher to prevent uninstallation