The recently announce Android Device Manager service went live in the early hours of this morning. The update requries a couple of things for it to work on your device, a Google Play Service update was rolled out recently which allows you to add Android Device Manager as a device administrator and allowing limited remote control of the device.
The settings for Android Device Manager are now present in the Google Settings app, where you will find check boxes to allow the service to ‘Remotely locate this device’ and ‘Allow remote factory reset’. If you don’t have these activated you will not be able to use the service.
To use Android Device Manager, jump onto the website – https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager – once there you can select from any of your Android Devices from a drop down menu.
Once you select your device you can choose to erase or ring the device. You can also rename or refresh the devices connection, to register any changes you make in the settings. If you don’t have the ‘Allow remote factory reset’ option ticked you can send a reminder to your device.
In the background there is a Google Map which flies down to the last location that the tablet was registered at. This was able to correctly detect my device down to within 11 metres.
I have run this on both the Nexus 4 as well as the Nexus 7 (2013). Both were found at their last known location which was correct and the devices rang when I selected that option. I’m not prepared to try the erase device option but it’s handy to know that the call and locate functions work. The new service appears to be a bit hit and miss here in the Ausdroid team, some people are able to use the service first go with no issues, while others are not getting anything.
UPDATE : One thing to try if you’re having issues getting this to work is to unchecking the factory reset in Android Device Manager settings and clearing data in Google Services, then Reboot and try again.
Of course if all that fails, the Android Device Manager support page may shed some further light on the issue.
Let us know if that helps.
Does Android Device Manager work for you? How accurate is it? Are you game to try the Erase device function?
Worked fine for my i9300 on CM10.2. The only thing missing is the option to turn on locations services remotely, which I leave off for battery reasons.
Tested it at home and work, accurate enough… i’m sure they could force on the GPS to get a better location.
Other than searching for Device manager, is there a way to get to this thorugh your Google Profile/toolbar banner?
My Nexus 4 has worked from the start, still no sign of my Nexus 10.
Yeah doesn’t work for me either. Was trying this yesterday -S3
I did not have the additional settings you showed here anywhere. But the device shows and communicates with the website OK.
I also have these functions via the Samsung location service, plus far more elaborate functions via the Avast mobile security app.
If the Android Device Manager settings aren’t present in your Google Settings app, ring the phone from the ADM website and the settings will pop up at the bottom of the Google Settings list.
Worked for me.
Thanks. Tried that on your advice but nothing has showed up.
Set it up on both my Xoom and my Nexus 4 and didn’t work on either yet. 🙁
It can’t locate my GT-i9300
Works great tried it twice picked up my devices within 10 seconds