How to Completely Wipe Your BlackBerry 10 Phone

If you are reselling your old phone, or just handing it over to a loved one, you want to make sure that all your personal data is completely deleted before you do this. We've already described the process in case you're moving on from an iPhone, Android, orWindows Phone. If you have a BlackBerry 10 phone, this is what you need to know.

microSD card

In case you're moving to another BlackBerry or an Android handset, then you can just transfer your old microSD card, but if you're moving to a phone without a microSD card, or to a newer, bigger microSD card, and plan to give the existing one away, then you want to make sure that all the data on the card is deleted first.

First you'll want to back up all files on the microSD card.

1. On your phone, go to Settings > Storage and Access. Scroll to the bottom, and turn on the switch marked USB Mass Storage. Tap Continue.

2. Connect your phone to the computer with a USB cable.

3. Open My Computer on your PC, or Finder on your Mac.

4. Navigate to the SD card and copy all the files you want to save to your computer.

5. After the copying is done, you can safely eject your phone.

Now, you can erase your memory card.

1. On your phone, go to Settings > Storage and Access. You have to turn off USB Mass Storagefor the next step.

2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Erase SD card. You'll see a warning message telling you that you'll lose all the data on the card. According to BlackBerry, this permanently deletes all the contents of the card. Tap OK to continue. You're given one last warning and have to tap OK again, and then the process may take a few minutes, depending upon the size of your card.

3. Once this is done, all the data on the card is erased but the card cannot be used right away. In case you are handing over the card along with your phone, then you need to format the card. To do this, just tap Format Media Card in the same menu. This is a much quicker process and usually takes just about a minute.

Backing up the data on your phone
Your BlackBerry can be set to use Google accounts - this will back up your contacts and calendar. If you've set up Gmail on your phone then this should already be active, and your contacts and calendar data is already backed up to Google's servers, provided you haven't changed anything in the last 30 minutes (the default sync interval). If not, this is how you can enable it:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts. Tap Add Account from the bottom of the screen and then tap Email, Calendar and Contacts.

2. On the next page, enter your Gmail address and tap Next. Then enter your password and tap Sign in. This will set up the account. Make sure that all three switches are on.

You can also back up your messages, call records and other information using theBlackBerry Link software for Windows and Mac. Once that is done, start the software, and connect the phone to your computer using a USB cable.

Once the software is running, all you need to do is sign in with your BlackBerry ID, and the first thing it does is make an automatic backup of all your data. In case the backup doesn't start automatically, in BlackBerry Link click on Back Up and Restore > Back Up Device. There is no easy way of transferring this data to a non-BlackBerry device, but you can use this in case you are switching to a new BlackBerry phone.

Delete everything
Now that you've made a backup, you can safely delete everything on your phone.According to BlackBerry the Security Wipe is meant to permanently delete all data so it can't be recovered. This operation should not be interrupted and takes around 15 minutes, so you should connect your phone to the charger before wiping it. Here's what you want to do:

1. First, fully erase the SD card as discussed above or take it out and keep it safely if you plan to use it in your new phone.

2. Next, you have to perform a Security Wipe, which removes all the data and accounts on your phone. Go to Settings > Security and Privacy > Security Wipe.

3. A warning informs you this will delete all the data on the device, all apps and synced accounts. Also, if you had used the encryption settings to encrypt the SD card, it will become completely inaccessible. To go ahead with the wipe, you have to type in blackberry in the text box, and then tapDelete Data.

4. You get one final warning, and you have to tapOK - and then the phone deletes everything. This is a slow process that took around 20 minutes, with multiple restarts. It also took more than half our battery to complete but once this is done, your phone is ready to recycle.

Restoring your files on another phone
If you followed the steps mentioned above in backing up properly, then you should be able to get all your data back without any difficulty at all. For one thing, if you're continuing to use your old microSD card in your new phone, then your movies, music and photos get transferred automatically.

Otherwise, when you get your new phones, just sign in with the same Google account to carry over your contacts and calendar data, and transfer the files from your computer using the USB cable in the same way that you copied them to the computer, as described above. The same steps should work for most Android phones too.

In case you are switching to an iOS device, you can still sync your Google account to transfer your contacts and calendar, while you can use iTunes to transfer the backed up media files.

If you're moving to a new BlackBerry, then you should ideally have used the desktop software. When you connected your new phone to the computer, just sign in with the same BlackBerry ID as before and it will automatically recognise the new device and ask if you want to restore your data from the backup. Just keep tapping OK until it's done. In case the automatic restore doesn't take place, run BlackBerry Link and go toBack Up and Restore > Restore Device. Select the latest backup file, and clickRestore.

If you found this tutorial useful, check out more in our How To section. If you have any tips that can help to securely wipe BlackBerry phones, let us know via the comments.

How to Remotely Control Your Computer From a Phone or Tablet

Your dad is having an issue with the computer at home but in spite of giving him instructions for an hour, he can't seem to fix the issue. One way to make sure he's actually following the steps you're dictating over the phone would be to use his phone as a webcam to quickly look at the screen, but an even better option would be to just take over his computer from your phone or tablet, and resolve things yourself over the Internet. How do you do that? That's where we step in. Read on:

1. The first thing that's needed is a little foresight. Download and install TeamViewer on your parents' computer now, and on your smartphone or tablet too. TeamViewer is free for personal use on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, and you can find the download links for all these platforms on the TeamViewer page.
2. Make sure both the computer and the phone are connected to the Internet.
3. Open TeamViewer on the computer.
4. Note down the ID and password that's displayed in TeamViewer - or have someone tell it to you on phone.
5. Fire up TeamViewer on the smartphone or tablet.
6. Enter the ID and password you noted down earlier in the smartphone/ tablet TeamViewer app.
7. Tap Remote Control.
8. Now you'll see the computer's screen on your phone or tablet. You can control it easily now.

TeamViewer works across the Internet, and not just when the two machines are connected to the same network, so you can now troubleshoot problems on your parents' computer right from office, or if you've installed the program on your home desktop, you can access your files and send those emails you were supposed to have saved to your laptop. You can tap on the screen to simulate a mouse-click, and if you tap on a text entry field, a virtual keyboard pops up so you can type.
There can be a little delay in what you're doing on the mobile and what's happening on the computer, depending partly on the speed of both Internet connections, so it's not the same as being there, but if you just want to troubleshoot something urgently, or if you need to get some important work finished, TeamViewer can be a lifesaver.
There are many more remote connection apps that let you control your computer via your phone or tablet, but we picked TeamViewer because it is extremely easy to use, as you can see from the steps above. TeamViewer is also free for personal use, so that's an added advantage.
Which method do you use to control your computer from your smartphone? Let us know via the comments. You can always find more tutorials in our How To section

How to Access Blocked Websites

While we do not condone piracy on blog, truth is 'blanket bans' often cause legitimate websites to get blocked as well. This is where this little guide will come in handy.
Before trying the methods we've described, make sure that the website has been blocked and is not down. Is It Down Right Now is a fairly reliable website for this. Just open it and enter the name of the website in the form and click Check. It will tell you if the website is down just for you or for everyone.
If the website you want to access is not down but you still can't open it, here are some quick ways to work around the blocks. Note, that one or more of these method(s) may not work for you, if your ISP is not using DNS blocks, for example.

Free Website Monitor

Android App : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freewebsitemonitor


A Simple URL Change
The first thing you want to try is changing the url to https instead of http. Doing this is easy, just follow these two steps.
1) Go to the address bar of your browser.
2) If you want to access "http://blockedwebsite123.com", change it to "https://blockedwebsite123.com" and reload the website. This may not always work, but some users have reported that this has worked on some websites.
Change the DNS
If the URL change doesn't work, then you might want to try changing the domain name server to Google DNS or OpenDNS. Most people have reported that this method works on BSNL for them. Here's how you can do that on any device.
For Windows Vista, 7 or 8 users, here are the instructions.
1) For Windows Vista and 7, click Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If you're using Windows 8, hit Windows key + C > click Search on the right-hand side > type Control Panel in the search bar > select Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
2) Click Change adapter settings, which is on the left sidebar.
3) Right-click the Internet connection (MTNL, Airtel, BSNL, etc.) on which you're having trouble accessing websites, and click Properties.
4) Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
5) Click the radio button next to Use the following DNS Server addresses. If you want to use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 as the Preferred DNS Server and 8.8.4.4 as the Alternate DNS Server. If you want to use OpenDNS, use 202.67.220.220 and 202.67.222.222 respectively. After entering these, click OK.

For Windows XP users, these are the steps.
1) Click Start > Control Panel > Network Connections.
2) Now select your specific Internet connection with access problems, right-click, then select Properties.
3) Left-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and select Properties.
4) Follow the instructions in Step 5 above.
If you are using an iOS device that's connected to a Wi-Fi network, try this.
1) Open Settings > tap Wi-Fi > tap the Wi-Fi network the device is connected to.
2) Tap DNS and change the two values to Google DNS or Open DNS (explained in step 5 above). These two values should be separated with a comma and one space (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4).
For Android users, these are the steps.
1) Open Settings > tap Wi-Fi.
2) Long press the Wi-Fi network you're connected to > tap Modify Network.
3) Now tap the box next to Show advanced options. Scroll down.
4) Tap DHCP > select Static IP > scroll down and modify DNS 1 and DNS 2 (as explained in step 5 above).
On BlackBerry 10 devices, try this.
1) Settings > Network and Connections > tap Wi-Fi. Now connect to a Wi-Fi network.
2) Long-press the connection you're connected to > tap Edit.
3) Scroll down and turn off Auto Obtain IP. After you do this, you'll see more options, such as the IP address, DNS and gateway. Switch to OpenDNS or Google DNS here (as explained in step 5 above).
Unfortunately, Windows Phone 8 doesn't support changing DNS manually.
Try a Proxy
If changing the DNS does not work, you should try a Web proxy to open blocked websites. These websites simply route you through servers based in other countries, which means that you can access websites that aren't blocked in those countries.
Hidemyass and NewIPNow are two such websites. Just enter the name of the blocked website in the form and click enter. On the Hidemyass website, the free proxy is at the very bottom of the page, after a lot of links to the paid version, but just scroll all the way down and you'll see the address bar. NewIPNow lets you choose your server's location (US, UK or Canada), which may be useful for some users.

Subscribe to a Virtual Private Network
For complete anonymity on the Web and to be able to access all websites blocked in your country, a virtual private network (VPN) is the best solution. The best VPNs are not free. If you really need privacy or want to avoid proxy websites, you can try Private Internet Access at $7 (Rs. 420) per month, or TorGuard at $10 (Rs. 600) per month.
If we've missed your favourite method to open blocked websites, let us know with a comment. For more tutorials, make sure you visit our 'How to' section.

Free Website Monitor

Android App : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freewebsitemonitor

How To Share Files From Android to BlackBerry and Back Using ES File Explorer

Sharing files between mobile devices can often be a pain - while there are tools like Airdrop that allow you to easily share files when you're both on the same platform, if you want to share files across different platforms, things get a little more complicated.
The easy workaround is to use cloud-based solutions - whether it's by emailing files to each other, or using a service like Dropbox - or using a computer to physically download files and transfer them. But the first method wastes data and time, as the file has to be first uploaded and then downloaded, and using a computer is often cumbersome and might not always be possible. Luckily, there are some useful apps that let you simplify this process, and transfer files wirelessly.
We've already written about how to share files between iOS and Windows Phone, iOS and Android, and Android and Windows Phone. Now, we'll walk you through sharing files between Android and BlackBerry devices.
First things first, if you have a computer handy, this is a very simple process. Just connect to both phones using USB data cables, and then go to My Computer. You can navigate through the files on both phones, copy-paste and drag and drop files between them just like you would move files on your computer.
If you don't have a computer, you'll need to use an app to transfer the files wirelessly. Our top pick is ES File Explorer, because it's available on both Google Play and the Amazon App Store - the latter is also accessible to BlackBerry 10 devices, so you can easily install it on both platforms. ES File Explorer is also our favourite file manager - and it's free - so it's worth installing even if you're not looking to transfer files right away. Here's how it works.
1. First, install ES File Explorer on both devices. Android users should click here, while BlackBerry users will need to first install the Amazon App Store, and then click here.
2. Next, connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. Open the app on both devices, and then navigate to the file you want to share.
4. Tap and hold the file until a check mark appears on the right. Now tap the More button in the bottom right of the screen and tap Send.

5. A popup will scan for other devices running ES File Explorer - tap the name of the other device, and a confirmation prompt shows up on the recipient phone. Tap confirm, and the file is sent wirelessly.
That's all that you need to share files wirelessly between Android and BlackBerry devices, and the ease of use, clean interface, and convenience of ES File Explorer makes it our top choice.
What methods have you used to share files between mobile devices? Share your tips with us via the comments.

How to Save Big on Windows Phone, BB10, Windows, and Mac Apps

Spent all your cash on a new gaming PC or a MacBook and wondering whether you should take a loan to buy expensive apps and games? Keep calm, and read this article to save a tonne of cash on digital purchases. Having already shown you how to save money on Android and iOS apps, we've got some great services for BlackBerry and Windows Phone deal-hunters.
Windows Phone
Windows Phone users can download AppDeals to get updates for deals. The free app tracks price drops and apps gone free, and while it requires you to register to get push notifications, you will be able to see deals right on your homescreen thanks to the live tile, which shows the newest deal at the time.
(Also see:How to Save Money on Google Play Store Apps)
BlackBerry 10
On BlackBerry 10, App Stalker is a good app for tracking discounts. It tracks deals and sends you a notification when a paid app gets discounted or goes free. The app tracks deals, and at the top of the screen, shows the total savings available at any given time. You can see featured deals, or check price drops and newly free apps, and App Stalker also sends notifications to your Hub, so you don't miss a deal. The only catch is that you can't mark apps in a wish list to track.
(Also see:How to Find the Best Deals on iOS Apps)
PC and Mac
We couldn't find any great way of getting PC software discounts, but most popular software has plenty of free alternatives. PC gaming at full price is painfully expensive though, but luckily, there are plenty of ways to find deals here. If you are looking for deals on PC games, IsThereAnyDeal is a great source.
It shows you deals from several online gaming stores such as Humble Bundle, Steam, GOG, among others. It lets you filter search results by the price of games and how high the discount is, apart from the usual alphabetical order or by store. The disadvantage is that it shows prices only in US dollars.

Android users should also follow Humble Bundle for great deals on games. Almost all popular indie games have been featured in this store, and the pay as you like model means that you can pay as little as $0.01, though if you pay more than the average, you get more games.
Cheap Ass Gamer doesn't get deals from bundle sites, but if you're looking for the latest deals, then the community on this site is a huge help.
(Also see:Never Pay MRP: 3 Browser Extensions That Will Help You Save Money)
Mac Bundles
Mac users should also keep an eye out for bundles, where several apps are sold for a big discount or where you can pay what you want. MacUpdate offers a good selection of app deals and sometimes offers a bunch of apps in one bundle. Another good website for Mac app bundles is Stack Social, which also keeps offering big discounts on several apps as long as you buy the whole bundle.

These apps and services are great for finding discounts on your favourite apps, but these aren't the only ones. If we've missed your favourite service or if you wish to share your experience hunting app deals, let us know via the comments. For more useful articles, visit our How to section.

How to Block or Mute Someone on Twitter

As good as Twitter is to share your opinion and to follow news stories, it can be an unforgiving place sometimes. We've all encountered Internet trolls, but some of them get abusive and it can be very hard to deal with this on a daily basis. And then there are the contests that can completely take over your timeline. Luckily, Twitter has a couple of tools that let you get hide tweets from certain accounts. Whether someone is trolling too or spamming on Twitter, these tools will help you deal with the situation. Here's how.
(Also see:Twitter Power Search: How to Find Old Tweets From Your Timeline)
Mute
Twitter recently introduced the mute feature to its apps and the Web interface. This works if you want to hide tweets from someone without unfollowing them. We've found this feature useful when some people we follow had been posting several tweets for contests. We muted them for a day and this hid all the annoying contest tweets from our feed.
Muting is not the same as blocking. Muted users can follow you and send you direct messages. They can reply to your tweets and mention you in tweets. These will still show up in the notifications tab on Twitter. Another thing to remember is that tweets posted before you muted a person will show up on your timeline. The tweets posted after you muted him or her will not.
Here is how you can use this feature.
1. On the Web, click More below any tweet by the person you want to mute. Now click Mute. Alternatively, you can go to their profile page and click the gear icon > Mute. After you mute a person, the option to unmute will appear in the same place. Just open the profile, click the gear icon > Unmute.
2. On Twitter's Android and iOS apps, open any person's profile, tap the gear icon > Mute > Yes, I'm sure. The mute feature isn't yet available on Twitter's apps for other platforms yet.
3. To check if you've muted someone, just go to their profile page. If you see a red mute icon next to the gear icon, then you've muted them. A quick way to unmute is to simply tap or click this icon.

Certain third party services also allow you to mute keywords or hashtags. This is very useful if your timeline is being spammed by a Twitter contest, for example. Our favourite service is a paid app called Tweetbot (Rs. 300 on iPhone, Rs. 190 on iPad). Here's how to use it:
1. Sign in to Tweetbot for iPad > tap Mute filters on the left side of the page > tap Edit on the top right. Tap the '+' button > tap Mute Keyword. Then type in the "football", or whatever you'd like to mute.
2. On Tweetbot 3 for iPhone, sign in and long-press the profile picture next to any tweet. Tap Mute to mute tweets from that profile. The mute filters icon is located on the bar at the bottom.
3. To mute hashtags (for contests etc.) you simply long press a hashtag on your timeline and then tap the duration you want it blocked for. You can also mute users like this by long pressing their profile pictures.
Block
This is an extreme option that's useful if you encounter spammers or if people are harassing you on Twitter. Blocked users cannot follow you or add your account to their lists on Twitter. You will not see tweets from these people, even if they mention your Twitter handle. People you block will also not be able to see your profile picture.
If you're sure you don't want to interact with a person on Twitter, try this.
1. Go to the person's Twitter profile, tap the gear icon > Block or Report. The Block option will be checked by default and you can select File a report if you want to tell Twitter about the problem. The Twitter mobile website doesn't allow you to mute people, but you can report tweets and block people on it.
2. You can select reasons such as "This is a spam account" or "This user is abusive". If you choose any of the options except "This user is abusive", you can click Report to let Twitter know about the problem. If you choose "This user is abusive", Twitter will ask you to fill a form specifying what kind of abuse you are facing and will ask for some contact details. The page advises you to contact local authorities if you feel like you're in danger.
3. To unblock a user, go to their profile, tap the gear icon > Unblock.

That should have helped you mute or block people on Twitter. For more tutorials, visit our How to section.

How to Backup Your WhatsApp Messages

Every one who uses any messaging app has accidentally deleted messages at some point. Like photos, these conversations hold some valuable memories and it is indeed a tragedy when a person deletes them by mistake. The most popular messaging app in the world, WhatsApp, allows people to take a backup of their conversation history (including media). In order to avert the disaster that is losing your precious WhatsApp conversations, here's how you can create backups.
Android
By default, WhatsApp for Android automatically creates a daily backup of your conversations and stores them in the WhatsApp folder on your phone's internal memory or microSD card. But if you wish, you can also create a backup manually. Here's how.

1. Open WhatsApp and hit the menu button (three vertical dots on the top-right) > Settings > Chat Settings > Backup conversations.
2. This file will be stored as "msgstore.db.crypt7" in your phone's /WhatsApp/Databases folder. WhatsApp recommends that you rename this file to "msgstore.db.crypt7.current", without the quotes, to make it easy to find when you want to restore the backup.
3. To restore conversations from a backup, uninstall WhatsApp and find the correct backup file from the WhatsApp folder. Slightly older backups are named "msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt7". In order to restore any of these, rename the file to "msgstore.db.crypt7".
4. Now reinstall WhatsApp. Once you verify your phone number, WhatsApp will show a prompt saying that it has found backed up messages. Tap Restore, choose the correct backup file and wait for the conversations to appear in the app.

iPhone
WhatsApp for iPhone uses Apple'siCloud service to back up your conversations. This backs up everything except videos. Here's how to use it.

1. In your iPhone, go to Settings > iCloud > Documents & Data > On. You need to turn this on to save WhatsApp conversations.
2. Now open WhatsApp, tap the Settings button at the bottom-right. Select Chat Settings > Chat Backup > Back Up Now.
3. In the same place, you'll see an option called Auto Backup. Tap it. By default, this is set to Weekly. We suggest that you change this to Daily to avoid data loss.
4. To restore backups, uninstall the app and reinstall it. Select Restore after verifying your phone number.

BlackBerry
Your WhatsApp conversations are backed up every day on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Here's how to create a backup and restore it.

1. Open WhatsApp. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the application menu. Select Settings > Media Settings > Backup conversations.
2. This file will be saved as "messageStore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt" in the /device/misc/whatsapp/backup folder on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone. WhatsApp recommends that you save this file as "messageStore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt.current" so that you don't have trouble finding it.
3. Now uninstall WhatsApp. Make sure that you know the name of the correct backup file.
4. Reinstall WhatsApp. After verifying your phone number, select Restore and pick the correct backup file.
5. If you are using a BlackBerry 7 smartphone, you need a microSD card to backup chat history. This is because message history is removed from the internal storage after restarting BB7 phones. If you have a microSD card in your phone, here's how to back up conversations.
6. Open WhatsApp and select the Settings tab at the top.
7. Select Media Settings > Message History > Media Card. This ensures that all your messages are saved on the memory card.
8. If your chats have stopped showing up in the app, uninstall WhatsApp.
9. Switch off the phone, remove and replace the battery. Restart the phone.
10. Open your BlackBerry Media folder, press the BlackBerry button > Explore.
11. Open Media Card > databases > WhatsApp and look for the "messagestore.db" file.
12. Rename it to "123messagestore.db". This will ensure that WhatsApp restores the next most recent chat history that was saved.

Windows Phone
Here's how to create a chat history backup on WhatsApp for Windows Phone.

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots at the bottom-right.
2. Select settings > chat settings > backup. This will create a backup of your WhatsApp conversations.
3. If you accidentally deleted your chats, we suggest that you don't create a new backup. Instead, check the time of the previous backup, which can be found under the backup button mentioned in the previous step.
4. If this time is after you received the chats you deleted, uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
5. After verifying your phone number, WhatsApp will ask you if you want to restore a chat backup. Select yes.

Nokia feature phones
If you use WhatsApp on a Nokia S60 phone, here's how to create a backup.

1. Open WhatsApp and select Options > Chat History > Backup chat history.
2. Now tap Yes to create a backup.
3. To restore backups, uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
4. Select Restore after verifying your phone number.
5. If you are trying to restore chat history on another Nokia S60 phone, remember to use the same microSD card that you used in the previous phone.
6. Sadly, there is no way to create a chat history backup on Nokia S40 phones. The best you can do is email conversations to your personal email account to keep a record. Even this is possible only in phones that have a memory card. Here's how to email chat backups.
7. Open WhatsApp and open the conversation you want to back up.
8. Choose Options > Chat History > Email. Your chat history will be attached as a .txt file.

That's how to backup messages on WhatsApp. If you found this article useful, we have many more tutorials in our How to section.

How to Find Your Lost Phone

Ever felt that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realise that you can't find your phone?

You got yourself a brand new smartphone and took it with you on your daily commute. Somewhere along the way, the phone goes missing. Everyone knows someone who has been in this situation. It can be very tough to deal with that because we rely on our phones for so many things. It could happen to anyone, at anytime, but if it does, you're just stuck worrying: "how can I find my phone?"

But if you've been following our guides, you would have already made a backup of your contacts so you're prepared for the worst case scenario - that the phone is gone for good.

But before you start shopping for your next handset, there are a few things you can still try. All major smartphone platforms offer an easy, built-in method to track your device when it's not with you, and they are extremely effective too.

iPhone

Apple's Find My iPhone service can track a phone's physical location, and more. But it needs to be switched on - hopefully, if you've already lost your phone, then Find My iPhone was already on, but if you still have the phone with you, the first thing you want to do is turn this setting on.

1. On your iOS device, go to Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone.
2. Make sure that the switch next to Find My iPhone is in the green on position.

You can now track your iOS device using an app on another iPhone or iPad, or using the browser. This is how the app works:

1. Download the Find My iPhone app on your iOS device.
2. Sign in with your iCloud account - the same one you're using on the iPhone you're trying to find.
3. Now all the devices that are signed in to that iCloud account will be listed in the app.
4. Tap any device to see its location.

In case you've misplaced the iPhone, then this should help you track it down, but you will see some more options at the bottom of the screen which you can use.

You will see three buttons at the bottom - Play Sound, Lost Mode and Erase iPhone - or iPad, as the case may be.

1. Play Sound will play a loud alarm tone that will help you find your iOS device if it is nearby.
2. Tapping Lost Mode opens up a page where you need to set a 4-digit passcode to lock your iOS device if it doesn't have one already. If it already has a passcode, then you can use this button to lock the phone remotely, so other people can't use it.
3. In Lost Mode, you can also enter a phone number and a message that will be displayed on the lockscreen. You can enter messages like, "Hello, please return my iPhone. Contact me now". You can also track your device this way.
4. The Erase iPhone (or Erase iPad) button deletes all the data on the the iOS device, in case you're worried about sensitive data falling into the wrong hands. However, you won't be able to use Find my iPhone to physically track the phone after you erase it.

The features mentioned above are accessible via the Web too. Just head to iCloud and sign in with your Apple ID. The steps and buttons are the same otherwise.

Android

The Android Device Manager works similarly to Find My iPhone. You can either use the device manager on the Internet, or download the app, to use from another Android device. The tracking is on by default. This is how you use it:

1. Head to Android Device Manager.
2. Sign in with your Google Account - the same one as the missing phone.
3. Now you'll see your Android device on the top left.
4. If it isn't the one you're looking for, click the tiny down arrow next to the device name and select the correct device from the list.

This shows you the location of your missing device, but again, there are three options you can chose from: Ring, Lock and Erase.

1. Clicking Ring will make your device ring - useful for finding the phone if it is nearby - just missing in your home or office, for example.
2. Click Lock if you've lost your phone.
3. In the pop-up, enter a new password, and click on Confirm. You can also enter a recovery message and your phone number. These will be displayed on the lost device.
4. Click Lock when you're done to lock the device remotely.
5. To locate the device, click the GPS icon on the top-right of the box, next to the pencil icon. You need to have location access enabled on your Android device for this feature to work. The device can now only be unlocked using the password you just set.
6. The Erase button performs a factory reset on your device, which is important if you believe you can't recover the phone. But once you do this, then much like Find My iPhone, the Android Device Manager will also not work.

If you have an Android device, you can also track your lost device using the Android Device Manager app - after you log in with the same Google account as the missing device, the steps are the same.

BlackBerry 10

The BlackBerry Protect service also has these same features, but you'll need to turn BlackBerry Protect and its tracking service on first. If you haven't lost your phone yet, make sure these settings are on.

1. Go to Settings > BlackBerry Protect.
2. Flip the BlackBerry Protect switch to On.
3. Tap Location Services.
4. Flip the Location Services switch to On.
5. Tap Back to save changes.

To find your missing phone, just follow these steps:

1. Log in to the BlackBerry Protect website.
2. Click View Location.
3. If the service can find your phone, its location will appear on a map.

As with the other

1. You can click the Play Sound button to make your phone ring loudly. This will help you find it when you've forgotten the phone behind the couch cushions.
2. Display a Message lets you show a custom message on your homescreen even if the device is locked
3. Lock Device lets you set a new password, and locks the phone.
4. Wipe Device performs a factory reset, but once you do this, you can't track the phone again.

Windows Phone

Windows Phone users also need to make sure that the Find My Phone setting is enabled on their devices, so the first thing to do is turn that on now, when you still have your phone.

1. On your phone go to Settings > Find My Phone.
2. Check Use push notifications... and Save my phone's location periodically and before the battery runs out to make it easier to find.
3. Go to Settings > Location and flip the switch to On.

Now, you can use the browser on your computer or another device to find your phone if you misplace it or lose it in any other way. This is what you need to do:

1. Head to the Windows Phone website and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Your Windows Phone device will show up at the top.
3. Click Find My Phone to locate your device.
4. If you haven't checked Use push notifications... mentioned in step 2, Microsoft will ask you to set up SMS based alerts. If you are in India, you need to scroll down all the way and select "Bharat" written in Devnagri script.
5. If you are setting up SMS alerts, enter your phone number, click the check box below and click Done.
6. Clicking Find My Phone (above the map) will locate the device on the map.

After you've found your phone on the map, you can carry out certain functions, as with the other platforms.

1. Ring makes the phone ring, so you can locate it if it is nearby.
2. Lock asks you for a new password, and locks the phone, so other people can't use it.
3. Erase deletes all data on the phone, but you can't track it after this.
   

   

Were you able to find your lost phone? Do you think these phone features are useful? Let us know via the comments. For more tutorials, head to our How To section.