Help in finding misplaced phone
August 22, 2023 2:18 PM Subscribe
I'm 77 year old male who had to be convinced I needed a smart phone. Now I rather enjoy it. My problem is I often just leave it
laying around the house somewhere. On top of washing machine...in the spare bedroom, etc. I have nobody to ask to borrow their phone so I could call my number. Do you know of an app that would ring my phone? I have the Find My Phone app, but that doesn't ring my phone. Might it be worth to buy a cheap burner phone to keep in one place, so I could use that to ring my smartphone. Would I need to purchase a sims card for that? Trying to keep cost to minimum. Thanks so much.
laying around the house somewhere. On top of washing machine...in the spare bedroom, etc. I have nobody to ask to borrow their phone so I could call my number. Do you know of an app that would ring my phone? I have the Find My Phone app, but that doesn't ring my phone. Might it be worth to buy a cheap burner phone to keep in one place, so I could use that to ring my smartphone. Would I need to purchase a sims card for that? Trying to keep cost to minimum. Thanks so much.
Does your phone have a voice assistant? For example, on an iphone, you could say "Hey Siri, play 'Let it Be'" and it might respond. You'd have to walk around the house and say it in each room so that the phone could hear you, but it's a free solution.
posted by rachelpapers at 2:20 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rachelpapers at 2:20 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Do you have an iPhone or Android?
posted by praemunire at 2:21 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 2:21 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I hate to suggest another device and I had withheld getting one for ages but if you have an iPhone (Apple), the Apple Watch is invaluable. You can set up the watch to ding your phone when you are far away from it.
posted by ichimunki at 2:24 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by ichimunki at 2:24 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I will check if it has voice assist...thanks.
posted by Czjewel at 2:24 PM on August 22, 2023
posted by Czjewel at 2:24 PM on August 22, 2023
Do you have any other internet-connected devices at all, like a laptop or tablet? Since you mention Find My Phone I assume you have an iPhone - if you have another device you can:
- go to https://www.icloud.com/find/
- login with your Apple ID
- select the phone from the dropdown at the top
- click "Play Sound"
(And seconding ichimunki, I use my Apple Watch to find my phone multiple times a day... I probably use it for finding my phone more often than I use it for checking the time.)
posted by mskyle at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2023
- go to https://www.icloud.com/find/
- login with your Apple ID
- select the phone from the dropdown at the top
- click "Play Sound"
(And seconding ichimunki, I use my Apple Watch to find my phone multiple times a day... I probably use it for finding my phone more often than I use it for checking the time.)
posted by mskyle at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2023
Response by poster: I have a Moto phone. Was issued in 2022. I really like it.
posted by Czjewel at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Do you happen to have an Echo or similar type of device? When I lose my phone, I say "where is my phone" and it calls me on it. Of course half the time I have the damn ringer off and have to creep around listening for its vibration.
posted by HotToddy at 2:27 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 2:27 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh, it's not an IPhone...Sorry for the confusion about the find my phone app. I thought that's what it was called . I will check.
posted by Czjewel at 2:28 PM on August 22, 2023
posted by Czjewel at 2:28 PM on August 22, 2023
https://www.google.com/android/find/
If you go to that site and log into Google you can ring your phone. (Obviously that only works if you have another device at home like a PC).
posted by quacks like a duck at 2:28 PM on August 22, 2023 [15 favorites]
If you go to that site and log into Google you can ring your phone. (Obviously that only works if you have another device at home like a PC).
posted by quacks like a duck at 2:28 PM on August 22, 2023 [15 favorites]
If you're online, I'm assuming you can access websites. Why not try a free phone call one? Something like this? (First random one that popped up when I searched.) More suggestions here. Then call your phone.
posted by sardonyx at 2:29 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by sardonyx at 2:29 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks quacks like a duck... I shall try this.
posted by Czjewel at 2:30 PM on August 22, 2023
posted by Czjewel at 2:30 PM on August 22, 2023
Options on the Motorola site. Going forward: "with Tile you can actually ring your phone. Even if your phone is on silent, you are able to use the Tile tracker to signal your phone." Sale page on company site, & available elsewhere, & current lawsuit.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:30 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:30 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
If you happen to also want to find other things, you can purchase a Tile device. Then you can press a button on a keychain to find the phone, and also find keys from the phone. I think they also have a web finder but I'm not certain.
posted by lookoutbelow at 2:35 PM on August 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by lookoutbelow at 2:35 PM on August 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
I've used the Android find my device thingy a fair number of times and it's great. Even if your volume is off it'll make noise.
posted by phunniemee at 2:37 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 2:37 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
If you have (or want to get) a Google nest speaker, and are okay with setting up voice assist & so on, you can tell your Google speaker to call your phone & it'll ring full volume.
I ask my Google home to call my phone more days than not honestly!
posted by Baethan at 2:39 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I ask my Google home to call my phone more days than not honestly!
posted by Baethan at 2:39 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Change your wardrobe a bit, so you've got hefty pockets for the phone. If need be,
get one of those waiter/apron pockets, or a fanny pack, if you want to wear a pocket
at any time.
posted by winesong at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
get one of those waiter/apron pockets, or a fanny pack, if you want to wear a pocket
at any time.
posted by winesong at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seems like I use the find my phone feature of my Mi Band 5 smart watch every week.
posted by Mitheral at 2:48 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 2:48 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
PS: The Mi Band is only C$45, way cheaper than Apple or wearos watches and doesn't use a cellular plan.
posted by Mitheral at 2:51 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 2:51 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yeah, seconding the Mi Band suggestion. I have one (technically I have an Amazfit, but it's the same hardware), and I use the Find My Phone option on it all the time. And it'll track your steps, too!
posted by jackbishop at 2:58 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by jackbishop at 2:58 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I strongly second lookoutbelow on the Tile. I have a Tile, around $25, on my keys. If I can't find my phone, the Tile rings my phone AND if I can't find my keys the phone can ring my keys! Genius! I use this frequently and as recently as today when I knew my keys were in the house but couldn't find them. Sometimes I use the phone to find my keys when they are in the car but I can't see them. And for your example, yes, I use the keys to find my phone when I've left it here and there in the house.
posted by RoadScholar at 3:01 PM on August 22, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by RoadScholar at 3:01 PM on August 22, 2023 [7 favorites]
Assuming you have a Gmail account and are logged into it on both your computer and your phone (which you would be unless you make a point of logging out), you can just type Find My Phone into Google and it will give you an interface to ring your phone.
When I had Android, I'd just say, "Okay Google, what time is it?" and or "Okay google, what's the weather for the week?" and the assistant would just start talking until I found the phone. You have to enable the Assistant though. It's built into the phone.
posted by dobbs at 5:23 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
When I had Android, I'd just say, "Okay Google, what time is it?" and or "Okay google, what's the weather for the week?" and the assistant would just start talking until I found the phone. You have to enable the Assistant though. It's built into the phone.
posted by dobbs at 5:23 PM on August 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
For the future, you might consider a lanyard or cross-body touchscreen phone holder thingy so you can use your phone while it is attached to you. Like this: Link
posted by janell at 5:51 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by janell at 5:51 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have a Tile Bluetooth tracker on my keyring. If I lose my keys, I can ring the tile from my phone. If I lose my phone, I can press a button on my Tile to make my Android phone ring, as long as it's in Bluetooth range.
posted by muddgirl at 5:53 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 5:53 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Appropriate tech partial solution. My all black smart phone fell out of my shirt pocket on the side of a heathery hill between that rock and this gully - maybe 20m x 3m area. Since then I glued a holder-ring on the back and attached a bright yellow conference lanyard to that. It still falls out of my shirt pocket but not in the dung-heap; and the tail usually draggles out between the sofa cushions.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:22 AM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:22 AM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Nothing Tile, I have in my wallet and on my keys, the app is on my iPad. If I can find one of them I can find them all. Use it about twice a week.
posted by Iteki at 1:33 AM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 1:33 AM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
I always choose a neon-colored phone case and make a habit of setting my phone down face-down for maximum visibility.
posted by vitabellosi at 3:01 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by vitabellosi at 3:01 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I always choose a neon-colored phone case and make a habit of setting my phone down face-down for maximum visibility.
I use an uncommon dbrand skin color, usually pink, and also keep my phone face down.
posted by dobbs at 3:52 PM on August 23, 2023
I use an uncommon dbrand skin color, usually pink, and also keep my phone face down.
posted by dobbs at 3:52 PM on August 23, 2023
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posted by Czjewel at 2:20 PM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]