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4 Ways to Find Your Lost Cell Phone—Even If It's on Silent

Jul 20, 2012 08:51 PM

There's nothing worse than losing your phone—except losing your phone when the ringer is silent. If you're alone, it can be excruciatingly hard to find your lost device even if the ringer is on, considering most of us don't have landlines anymore. So, the next time you find yourself hunting for your phone, don't tear your house apart until you've tried some of these quick tips.

I Can't Find My Phone

Don't have a phone to call your missing phone from? You can use a site like I Can't Find My Phone to ring it for you. All you have to do is type in your number and hit "Hello?".

Google Voice

Don't trust sites like the one above? You can also use the Google Voice call feature. If you have an account, enter any phone number and Google Voice will call your phone first before calling the number you entered. As Lifehacker pointed out, it will still call the other number if you don't find your phone and answer before voicemail takes over, so be sure to choose wisely.

Play Really Loud Music

This sounds a little counterintuitive until you learn how it works.

All you need is a set of speakers. Call your phone, then walk around with music blaring from the speakers. That annoying white noise you sometimes hear when you make a phone call works to your benefit here. If you can get close to where the phone is hiding, the speakers can pick up the interference. If you hear a crackling sound, you know you're close. The closer you get, the louder it will sound. You can be a real-life Hansel or Gretel—just follow the breadcrumbs.

Want to know more? Here's a more detailed guide by Apartment Therapy.

Smartphone Apps

If you have a smartphone, there are a number of apps you can use to find it. McAfee's WaveSecure app lets you to track your device online via GPS or text message, and allows you to remote lock or wipe your phone, even if the SIM card is changed. But it's not free, costing $19.99 annually. It works with Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Phone, and Symbian and Java Platforms.

Image Credit wonderhowto.com

If you don't want to spend the money, there are plenty of other apps for Android devices, and PCWorld tested and reviewed three tracking apps specifically for iPhones, including Apple's own Find My iPhone app.