Some devices, such as Google's Nexus and Pixel phones, also have a range of Smart Lock options, which let you set specific circ*mstances under which your phone will remain unlocked for convenience.
This includes when it's on your body (detected via the accelerometer), while it's in your home and when it's connected to a trusted Bluetooth device, as well as facial and voice recognition settings. All of these reduce your phone's security, although the extra convenience may be worth it for you, depending on your circ*mstances.
Find my phone
While you're still in the Security & location settings, scroll down to device admin apps and tap into it to make sure that Google's Find My Device service has permission to erase your phone. If your employer uses G-Suite device management, Google Apps Device Policy will also have permission to wipe your phone.
Find my phone is one of Android's most useful features, not least of all because you can type "find my phone" into Google and press an icon to have it ring until you've worked out where you left it.
Find my phone also provides a small but effective range of other device management tools. It can remotely lock your lost phone with a secure password and a message asking anyone who finds it to call a specific number, sign out of the device to prevent anyone accessing your data or, if you've granted the appropriate permissions and are sure your phone has been stolen, remotely wipe all your data from the phone.
Do the two-step
Note that, if you have two-step verification enabled on your Google account, logging in to the Find my phone service may require a second verification step if you're not connecting from a trusted computer.
As this usually prompts you to use a Google Prompt or Authenticator on your phone – the one you've presumably just lost – to verify, you should set up some backup options in advance.
These include backup phone numbers that codes can be sent to via voice or text messaging and a set of printable or downloadable backup codes that you can keep safe in case you lose access to all other authentication devices.
Two-factor verification is incredibly useful for securing your online activities, so we don't recommend turning it off. If you're not currently using it to secure your Google accounts on the web, this would be a good time to enable it, in fact.
Get a quick check-up
Google prompts its users to run through its web-based Security Checkup tool at least once a year, but you can use it at any time.
Security Checkup presents you with a summary of devices that have access to your account, warning if any of them haven't been used lately, gives you a list of any recent security alerts such as sign-ins from unexpected places, ensures your verification methods are up-to-date, and lists all the apps with access to your Google services, along with any potential security risks associated with them.
Privacy and advertising
Google's business is its users, and specifically getting their eyes onto its advertising customers' content. To this end, it retains a lot of information about your browsing habits, interests and activities.
To see what advertising information Google has collected about you, use a web browser to check your Ads Settings. You can also disable personalised ads presented to you via Google services.
