In this Christmas season, smartphones and tablets undoubtedly have been a hit gift. In fact, it’s interesting to note that 17.4 million iOS and Android devices were activated on December 25th. And, of course, the last thing that anyone who received one as a gift wants is for their brand new device to get stolen. If users lose their device, or it gets stolen, there are different anti-theft programs such as Prey, a simple and efficient application.
Prey is an open-source program that helps you recover your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, whether it was stolen or lost. One of its most exciting features, in addition to being free, is that it is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems.
Actually, Apple mobile devices already have a feature called Find My iPhone and Find My iPad, which help you locate the device via GPS. However, Android doesn’t come with this feature by default, which is why Prey is a particularly useful program for those who own this kind of device. In addition to having to install the application, you also have to register on Prey’s website, and download the program to your computer if you want to access your lost device.
The way it works is very simple: once you notify Prey that you have lost your device, it will remotely communicate via the Internet or SMS with the device. It will show you its location via GPS, and let you interact with, block access to, or send information to the device.
The program has many extra features, including the ability to activate an annoyingly loud alarm on the device. Also, it allows you to send a personalized message to the screen, which can be to try to dissuade or intimidate whoever has it. Although personally I don’t see the point to this feature because a thief with little computer knowledge would just destroy the device when this happens, and someone with even some tech savvy would easily deactivate the anti-theft system. However, the alarm, and the ability to locate your device, can be helpful if you don’t remember where you left the device, even when you’re inside your own home.
The ability to locate your device via GPS is undoubtedly the most helpful feature, and can be activated either by SMS or from your computer by going to Prey’s website and marking the device on the Control Panel as disappeared. Also, Prey can be configured to work in Camouflage Mode, so whoever stole the smartphone or tablet won’t be able to see that it is equipped with an anti-theft program, and your chances of locating it will be greater.
Antivirus programs such as Avast Mobile, and Lookout Mobile Security also offer this remotely-activated anti-theft and geolocation feature. The advantage of using Prey is that it is a simpler program, completely free, light, and specifically designed for locating mobile devices.
If you just received an Android smartphone as a gift for Christmas, or if you already had one, you have to remember that in addition to the money invested in purchasing the device, there is personal information stored on it that you should protect. Therefore, we recommend that you install this free app to protect your devices. Although the program is very helpful for finding a lost device, it obviously isn’t guaranteed that you’ll always recover it. Simply put, installing Prey increases your chances of finding the device if it is lost or stolen.
Download on Uptodown |
Prey for Windows | http://prey.en.uptodown.com/
Prey for Mac | http://prey.en.uptodown.com/mac
Download Prey for Android from GooglePlay |
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.prey
