How to make the most of Google’s Find Hub (Find My Device) network

Losing your phone is one of the most stressful predicaments of modern-day life. We’ve all been there: You pat your pocket, swiftly scan every surface in sight — then suddenly feel your heart drop at the realization that your Android device and all of its contents (including, potentially, all sorts of sensitive company-connected materials) are no longer in your control.

There’s certainly no scenario in which losing your phone is a good thing. (Understatement of the century, I realize.) But with the advanced and just recently upgraded phone-finding system now built into Android at the operating system level, seeking out and then managing a missing device is more manageable than ever. And despite what some security suite services may try to convince you, you don’t need any third-party software to do it.

Android’s native Find Hub system (formerly known as Find My Device) can precisely pinpoint any Android device — phone, tablet, watch, you name it. It also works with an expanding series of special AirTag-like trackers that can be attached to keys, briefcases, and other important items. It’ll show you any compatible device’s exact location on an interactive map and — when relevant — give you tools to remotely ring it, lock it, or wipe it entirely and send all of its data to the digital beyond.

Best of all? You have to do shockingly little to get it up and running. It’s mostly just a matter of confirming that the system is active and then remembering how to tap into it if and when the need ever arises.

So take a few minutes now to learn the ins and outs of the Google Find Hub network and what it takes for your devices to be discoverable. Then, if you ever have that heart-dropping moment, your phone will be 100% ready — and so will you.

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Google Find Hub, part I: Preparation

Most reasonably recent Android phones should be actively enrolled in Google’s Find Hub network by default, but there are a few critical settings that are worth double-checking to confirm everything’s connected.

First, head into the Location section of your Android device’s system settings and make sure the toggle at the top of the screen is turned on. If it isn’t, Android won’t be able to access your phone’s GPS and thus won’t be able to perform any Find-Hub-related location functions.

The Android “Use location” toggle is a critical foundation for Google’s Find Hub network to function.JR Raphael, IDG

Next, search your system settings for find and tap on the section labeled “Find Hub.” Tap that, then make sure the “Allow device to be located” toggle on the screen that comes up next is activated. And last but not least, tap “Find your offline devices” and consider which of the available options seems most suitable for you and your future finding purposes.

You’ve got all sorts of options for how your Android device can connect to Google’s Find Hub network.JR Raphael, Foundry

Got it? Good. Now, let’s break down what your options are when that dreaded “lost phone” nightmare becomes a reality.

Google Find Hub, part II: Action

The best part about Google’s Find Hub system alongside Android is that, with both being Google products, everything’s easily accessible from almost anywhere. If you ever can’t find your phone, choose the most convenient option and go, go, go:

1. Use the Find Hub Android app on another phone or tablet

If you have an Android tablet — or even a secondary phone, for either business or personal purposes — you can install the Find Hub Android app on it and allow it to see and manage any other devices associated with your sign-in. In fact, go ahead and do that on all your active Android devices this minute so the app will be there and ready in case you ever need it. As long as you’re signed into the same Google account on the secondary device as you are on your primary phone, finding your phone will be as simple as opening the app, confirming your Google password, and then selecting your phone from the list on the app’s main screen.

The official Find Hub app is an incredibly easy way to track down any device associated with your Google account.JR Raphael, Foundry

From there, you’ll see your phone’s last known location on a zoomable map. And you’ll be able to ring it — for a full five minutes at a time, even if it’s set to silent — and optionally lock it or erase it as needed.

No secondary Android device? No problem: If you have a colleague, friend, or family member with an Android phone or tablet nearby, kindly ask them to install the Find Hub app onto their device. Open it and find the option to sign in as a guest. Type in your Google account credentials, and then take a deep breath: Everything you need to find your phone will be right at your fingertips.

(Side note: The Find Hub Android app is strictly about finding a device — nothing more. It doesn’t actually have to be on your device in order for the device itself to be discoverable.)

2. Pull up Android’s Find Hub website in a browser

If you don’t have another Android device handy, you can still get to Android’s Find Hub function from any web browser — on a laptop or desktop computer or even an iPhone or iPad.

The main Android Find Hub site is at google.com/android/find. It’s basically identical to what you’ll get in the Find Hub Android app:

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 1902w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=300%2C141&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=768%2C361&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1024%2C481&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1536%2C721&quality=50&strip=all 1536w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1240%2C582&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=150%2C70&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=854%2C401&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=640%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=444%2C208&quality=50&strip=all 444w' width='1024' height='481' sizes='(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px'>Google’s Find Hub website puts all your device tracking data at your fingertips in any browser, on any type of device.JR Raphael, Foundry

You can also find an alternate version of the Android Find Hub function within Google’s My Account site. That site provides the same basic info but seems to go back further in your device history — so if you’re looking for a device you haven’t used in a while and that device doesn’t come up on the main Google Find Hub site, you might give it a whirl to see if it shows up there.

And that, my friend, is all there is to it. Consider yourself protected — and you know what? Go get yourself a cookie. You’ve earned it.

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