Cellphones are popular items for thieves: they're high-value, easy to pinch, easy to pass on and physically small. And today's handsets are like mini-computers: touchscreen, GPS, Internet access, camera, advanced operating systems. Until they get stolen, that is. Then that very advanced cellphone is just a bulge in a rapidly retreating thief's jacket. Is there anything you can do? The cellular providers don't really want handsets blacklisted (they had to be practically forced into doing it a few years ago) and the police don't have time to chase every stolen phone. And even if a handset is blacklisted, it will work just fine elsewhere in Africa.
The person who most cares about a stolen cellphone is you. The bad news is: you have to take action before it gets taken, not after.
Protecting your phone
The fact that a smartphone has GPS, Internet access, a camera, and an advanced operating system is useful if a phone is stolen. If only there was some way of tracking your handset. Well, there are quite a few ways and they can be divided up by manufacturer.
Nokia and Symbian
Nokia users have a few choices, one of which is Guardian Mobile. This is a system level application that can be installed on just about every Nokia from the 3250 upwards. There's a free edition so you can try it right away. If the phone is stolen, track it on Google Maps and remotely disable it if you like. Check it out at http://www.guardian-mobile.com/.
Apple
iPhone users have a number of options, including MobileMe and some apps in the iStore for tracking a handset's location. MobileMe has an option called Find My iPhone. You can also try the apps iLocalis or iHound. Mobile Spy is another option: it runs in the background and sends the phone's GPS coordinates to a central server. See it at http://www.mobile-spy.com.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry users also have a few choices. BerryLocator, downloadable from http://www.mobireport.com/apps/bl/, is one of the smartest. Send the BlackBerry an SMS and it will show you where it's located. You can also make it scream and shout remotely - useful if you suspect the thief is still nearby, perhaps at the next table in the restaurant. Or send it a 'nuke' SMS and the phone will get wiped.
Share