One Step Ahead: Reuniting with your Missing Mobile Device |
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April 5, 2016, Volume 62, No. 29 |
Another tip in a series provided by the
Offices of Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy
It’s easy to be inadvertently separated from your mobile device. Fortunately, there are features built into the most recent versions of several mobile operating systems that can help you determine the whereabouts of your missing device.
Before your device goes missing, it’s important to make sure you have associated the device with an account that can aid with subsequent retrieval (this occurs on first login with Android and Windows Phone devices, or after activating iCloud with iOS devices).
Later, if you believe you have simply misplaced your mobile device, you can go online, log in to the account service associated with your device and then prompt your device to emit an audible signal to assist you in locating it. As long as your device is turned on and connected to the Internet it will emit a sound, even when its audio settings have been muted or its screen is asleep.
If your missing device is signaling its location, you may also be able to view the approximate location of your device on a street map.
If these features lead you to believe someone else has taken possession of your mobile device, you should never attempt to retrieve your device from an unknown party by yourself. Instead, immediately contact both your Local Support Provider and Penn Public Safety to request skilled assistance in safeguarding or retrieving your missing device and the information it contains, particularly if any Penn data is involved.
To learn more about options to remotely locate, lock or erase your device on Android, iOS or Windows Phone devices, look up Android Device Manager, Find My iPhone or Find My Phone, respectively.
For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: www.upenn.edu/computing/security/
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