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3 Ways to Locate a Lost Phone Using Alexa

Use your virtual assistant to make that phone ring

By Jordan Baranowski Jordan Baranowski Writer University of Kansas Avila University Jordan Baranowski is a former Lifewire writer and educator with experience writing for SVG, The Nerd Stash, and Feast Magazine. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 7, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart Home Amazon Smart Home: Alexa & Amazon Echo Your Best Year Ever: College Tech Tips Appliances & Lighting Google Nobody likes losing their phone. With Alexa and Amazon Echo, you may never have to worry about this inconvenience again. There are several different apps and IFTTT setups you can use to help locate your phone when it's gone missing. Here are a few of our favorites and how to get them set up. There are numerous ways you can have Alexa locate your phone. Alexa is always adding new skills, so keep an eye out for other ways to find lost or missing devices.

Make an Alexa Tracker Using the TrackR App

One of the official Find My Phone apps supported by Alexa-enabled devices is TrackR. It's fairly easy to set up, but doesn't work for every situation. Here's how to check if it will work with your device: This method requires you to download and enable a service prior to losing your device. Download and enable TrackR on your Alexa device. You can do this through your connected mobile device (the phone or tablet you've linked to your device), or simply say "Alexa, ask TrackR to find my phone." Download the TrackRapp on the device you want to be able to locate. You can find it in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Download TrackR Download TrackR Launch the app on your mobile device, then select Add A New Device. Tap Alexa Integration, then follow the onscreen prompts to connect the mobile device to your Echo device. There will be a few more steps to follow where you will need to link a PIN from your Alexa-enabled device to your mobile device. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish linking your accounts together. You will now have two new commands enabled. If you say "Alexa, ask TrackR to find my phone," your Alexa device will tell you the address of your phone's last known location. If you say "Alexa, ask TrackR to ring my phone," it will do exactly that.

Use Cell Phone Finder to Have Alexa Call a Lost Phone

Cell Phone Finder can be a bit harder to set up, but not every phone is compatible with TrackR. Most reviews suggest that if one of these two doesn't work with your device, the other will. Here's how to set up Cell Phone Finder . This method requires you to download and enable a service prior to losing your device. Download the Cell Phone Finder app onto your Alexa-enabled device. You can download it manually through the app store, or say "Alexa, enable Cell Phone Finder." Link your phone to the skill by calling the number (415) 212-4525 from the phone you want registered with the app. Once you've called the number, say "Alexa, ask Cell Phone Finder what my PIN code is." Input the PIN into your phone and the two devices should now be connected. To use the skill, say "Alexa, start Cell Phone Finder and call me." Your linked device should start ringing. You can only have one mobile device connected through this skill. If you want to connect a different mobile device, you'll need to uninstall the skill and have Alexa relearn it by going through the registration process again.

Use IFTTT to Set up Your Own Custom Alexa Skill

This one is a bit more complex, but it will also teach you how to use a system that helps you connect all sorts of devices. It involves use of the service IFTTT ("If This Then That"). IFTTT is a website that allows you to create connections between different internet-connected devices, setting up connections that would otherwise be impossible. Here's how to connect your two devices so you can set up the connection between the two: This method requires you to download and enable a service prior to losing your device. Go to ifttt.com and either sign up for a free account or log in to an existing account. Select Create at the top of the screen. Click Add next to If This. An alphabetical list of services will appear. locate Amazon Alexa and click it. The next screen contains triggers that will activate the applet. Choose Say a specific phrase. If you haven't already connected your Echo device to IFTTT, click Connect on the next screen. Follow the prompts in the new window to sign in to your Amazon account and grant permission to IFTTT. On the next screen, enter the phrase you want to use to locate your phone and select Create Trigger. To activate the applet, you'll say, "Alexa trigger" and then whatever phrase you type into this box. You'll return to the applet creation page, where your trigger will appear in the If box. Now, select Add next to Then That. You'll go back to the list of services. Search or scroll to find the Phone Call button, and then select it. The Phone Call service is only currently available in the U.S. Click Call my phone. If you haven't added your phone number to IFTTT, follow the onscreen prompts to do so. Write a message for IFTTT to deliver when it calls your phone. Select Add Ingredient to include a tag like the time the applet activated. Select Create Action to finish the applet. Review the elements of your applet and select Continue. On the next screen, you can make final adjustments, including changing the title and receiving a notification when the applet runs. To finalize the applet, click Finish. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use IFTTT With Alexa How to Use IFTTT With Google Home Can I Call Alexa From My Phone? How to Connect Alexa to Your Computer How to Play Podcasts on Alexa How to Make Calls Through Your Echo Using Amazon's Alexa How to Find a Lost Phone With Google Home How to Use Alexa and Cortana Together The 60 Most Useful Alexa Skills of 2022 How to Make Alexa Say What You Want How to Skype With Alexa How to Make Alexa the Center of Your Smart Home The 13 Best Alexa Hacks of 2022 How to Fix 8 Common Alexa and Amazon Echo Issues How to Connect Your Android Phone to Alexa How to Make Alexa Call 911 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies