Protect Your Nexus 5 From Theft Using Android Device Manager

theft-sign-01Losing your Google Nexus 5 or having it blatantly stolen can turn your day into a nightmare. There’s nothing more frustrating than ‘misplacing’ your smartphone. You’ll likely end up tearing through your car, couches, nightstand and anywhere else you think it could be. A smarter solution to help prevent scenarios such as this is to download and use the Android Device Manager. This week, we’re going to walk you through the steps of setting up and using the Android Device Manager on a Google Nexus 5 smartphone.

The Growing Problem of Smartphone Theft

Unless you’ve been the victim of a stolen cellphone before, you might turn your head at the possibility of this happening to you. After all, how much of a problem is cellphone theft? According to ConsumerReports.org, there were 1.6 million smartphones stolen in 2012, placing a heavy burden on under-resourced law enforcement agencies. And with smartphones such as the Google Nexus 5 continuing to push modern-day technological boundaries, thieves will continue to target them in the future.

There are a couple of things owners can do to protect their Google Nexus 5 devices from theft. For starters, you should always keep your phone within arm’s reach. I know this sounds like common sense to most people, but you would be surprised to learn how many people leave their smartphones in public locations where strangers can easily snatch them. Also, avoid using cases that snap onto the side of the belt. While these are a neat novelty item, they advertise your device to potential thieves — not to mention the fact that your device could fall off.

Android Device Manage

The Android Device Manager is a free-to-use tool designed specifically for tracking and disabling functions on Android smartphones and tablet computers, including the Google Nexus 5. You can download it from Google Play and access the settings from a remote location through the following web address: https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager.

Steps To Using The Android Device Manager on Your Nexus 5 Device

  1. Download and install the Android Device Manager App on your Nexus 5 device (see link above).
  2. Access your Nexus 5 settings.
  3. Tap on the option labeled Security.
  4. Select Device administrators.
  5. Check the box labeled “Allow Android Device Manager to lock or erase a lost device.”
  6. While logged into your Google account (the same account connected to your Nexus 5), access the Android Device Manager website.
  7. You can then perform a variety of operations on your Google Nexus 5 remotely, such as locking the device, changing the password, erasing sensitive data, or just check to see its current GPS location.

Do you use the Android Device Manager? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

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