DEV Community: Tutomod

How to Enable 'God Mode' in Windows 11: One Folder With Every Setting

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:11:52 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Its dramatic name comes from old forums, but God Mode is simply an official hidden shortcut: one folder containing every Windows control panel setting, over 200 of them, in a single searchable list.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

It takes ten seconds to create and it turns hunting through Settings menus into Ctrl+F style searching. Here's how.

Photo by Nao Triponez on Pexels

The fast version

Create a new folder on the desktop. Right click the desktop, New, Folder. Nothing special yet: the name is the whole trick.
Rename it with the magic string. Name it exactly this: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and press Enter. The icon changes to a control panel symbol instantly.

The thorough version

Open it and search everything. Double click the new icon: a window lists every administrative setting on the system, grouped by category. Use the search box in the top right to jump straight to things the modern Settings app buries three pages deep.
- Drag any item to the desktop to make a permanent shortcut
- Works with over 200 settings
- Same trick works on Windows 10, 8 and 7
Use it for the classics. Mouse settings, old style uninstall, device manager, power plans, font settings: the dialogs everyone's muscle memory still expects are all one search away.

Common mistakes, and how to dodge them

It's a view of existing settings, not a backdoor: nothing here is more dangerous than the regular control panel.
Screwed up a setting? Same place fixes it. God Mode only adds convenience, no new risk.

Photo by Jo McNamara on Pexels

Small tweaks, big difference

Rename the folder anything you like after creation (right click, Rename): the powers stay, the name is just flair.
Pin it to Start or the taskbar for permanent access.
Combine with the Windows + R classics (appwiz.cpl, devmgmt.msc, ncpa.cpl) for a full power user toolkit.

Before you ask

Is it an official Microsoft feature?
It's an undocumented but official shell shortcut, present since Windows Vista.

Can I delete it?
Sure, it's just a folder. Delete and nothing on the system changes.

Keep reading

That covers it

Ten seconds of renaming for a permanent master index of every setting Windows owns: the rare trick with zero downside.

How to Replace Windshield Wiper Blades in 3 Minutes

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:11:43 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Streaky, chattering wipers creep up on you until one rainy night you realize you're driving by faith.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

New blades cost about ten to twenty dollars a pair and snap on in minutes with zero tools. Here's the entire job.

Photo by Lucas Pezeta on Pexels

Pitfalls worth skipping

Don't force a fitting that isn't clicking: wrong adapter in the pack exchanged free at the store.
Ignoring the rear wiper: it matters exactly when reversing in rain, which is when you notice.

The steps, start to finish

Get the right sizes first. Most cars use two DIFFERENT lengths, driver side longer. The old blade's length or any parts store fitment lookup gets you right. Buy the pair, not one.
Lift the wiper arm. Pull the arm gently away from the glass until it stays up on its hinge. Caution: a naked arm snapped back onto glass can crack a windshield. Some people lay a towel on the glass as insurance, smart habit.
Find the release tab. Where blade meets arm there's a small clip: press it with your thumb and slide the blade down toward the hood, it pops off the J-hook. That's the most common fitting; side pin and bayonet types exist, the pack shows both directions usually.
- J-hook covers the vast majority of cars
- Rear blades swap the same way
Click the new blade on. Slide the new blade up onto the hook until you hear or feel the click. Give it a gentle tug: attached means attached, don't discover otherwise at 70 mph in rain.
Lower the arm gently, test with washer fluid. Ease the arm back onto the glass (never let it snap), squirt washer fluid and run a wipe. Clean even arcs with no streaks means done, and visibility just improved absurdly.

Photo by Sergey Isaev on Pexels

A few things worth knowing

Replace both blades together, they age as a pair even when only one streaks.
Cleaning the rubber edge with vinegar water sometimes revives blades for a month while you buy new ones.
Snow country: winter specific blades with rubber boots shrug off ice that shreds normal ones.

Quick answers

How often should blades be replaced?
Every 6 to 12 months in practice. Sun cooks them even in dry climates.

Are expensive blades worth it?
Beam style premium blades do last and wipe better in snow, but fresh budget blades beat old premium every time.

Keep reading

One last thing

Press, slide, click, test: the cheapest three minutes in car maintenance, and somehow the one nobody does until a storm arrives.

How to Remove a Background From Any Photo for Free (No Photoshop)

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:05:27 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Product photos on clean backgrounds, profile pictures without the messy room: it used to be a professional's job, now it's a ten second one.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

Here are the free tools that do it properly, plus the tricks for the edge cases where hair and glass confuse the robots.

Get this ready first

Any photo
A browser (all tools below are free and online)

Photo by George Milton on Pexels

The how to part

1. The fastest: remove.bg

Go to remove.bg, upload, wait five seconds, download. The free tier gives preview size which is plenty for avatars, listings and thumbnails. It handles hair edges better than anything else free.

2. The designer's way: Canva's one click

In Canva, put your image on a design, click Edit image, BG Remover (Pro feature) or use the free background remover website from Canva separately. Great when the photo continues straight into a design anyway.

3. The offline friendly way: PhotoRoom or GIMP

PhotoRoom's free tier on phone does one tap removal and instant product backgrounds. GIMP, the free Photoshop alternative, has fuzzy select plus refine edge for full manual control when you're old school.

E-commerce shots: PhotoRoom adds shadows automatically
GIMP path: select by color, grow by 1, feather by 1

4. Tricky subjects: hair, fur, glass

Shoot on any busy background, then run remove.bg and inspect at 100%. If edges look eaten, try PhotoRoom's cutout mode, whose hair handling differs, sometimes dramatically better on pets.

5. Put something better behind it

Transparent PNG is step one. White keeps listings clean, soft gradients look professional for socials, and Canva drops you straight into both with one click after the cutout.

Photo by Alexey Demidov on Pexels

Tips that actually help

Sharp, well lit originals cut out 100 times better than dim ones: light before software.
Export as PNG, not JPG: JPG has no transparency and will fill your background white anyway.
Batch product photos? PhotoRoom and remove.bg both sell bulk tiers that pay off above twenty items a month.

Keep reading

Upload, five seconds, transparent PNG: the 'graphics person' task that quietly stopped being one.

What Are Passkeys and How to Start Using Them Today

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:04:48 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Google, Apple, Microsoft and your bank all want you to replace passwords with something called passkeys. For once, the tech industry is offering something that's both safer AND easier.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

Here's what a passkey actually is, why it beats passwords, and how to set one up in the next three minutes.

Photo by I'm Zion on Pexels

Get this ready first

A phone with fingerprint or face unlock
An account that supports passkeys (Google, Apple, Microsoft, PayPal and more)

Doing it properly

Understand the idea in one minute. A passkey is a cryptographic key that lives on your phone. Logging in becomes: the site asks for your passkey, your phone asks for your face or fingerprint, done. No password to type, steal, reuse or leak.
Why it beats passwords on every front. Nothing secret ever leaves your device, so there's nothing for a data breach to leak. Phishing fails too: the passkey only works on the real site, not on a lookalike domain.
Create your first passkey on your Google account. Go to myaccount.google.com, Security, Passkeys, Create a passkey. Your phone asks for your fingerprint or face, and that's the whole ceremony.
- The passkey syncs across your devices automatically
- Your password keeps working as a fallback during the transition
Next login: try it. Sign out, sign back in, and choose use passkey when offered. One face glance replaces characters, managers and second guesses.
Add passkeys on other big accounts gradually. Apple ID, Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon, eBay: each offers passkeys in its security settings. No rush: create them as you naturally log into each service.

Photo by Stefan Coders on Pexels

Good habits to keep

Passkeys sync inside your ecosystem (iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager), so a new phone brings them along when you sign in.
Keep your account recovery options updated (recovery email and phone); they remain the spare key for everything.
For shared family accounts, each person can add their own passkey to the same login on many services now.

What trips people up

Don't factory reset a phone without signing into the account elsewhere first: know how you'd get back in before you test fate.
Passkeys protect the login, not the device: a weak phone PIN still guards everything, so keep it decent.

Quick answers

What happens if I lose my phone?
Sign in from another synced device or your fallback method, then revoke the lost phone. Recovery options matter here.

Do passwords disappear completely?
Not yet. Passkeys are spreading fast, but most sites still offer passwords alongside them during the transition.

Keep reading

That covers it

One fingerprint replacing a dozen passwords, with phishing-proof security underneath: passkeys are that rare upgrade where easy and safe finally agree.

How to Check Your Engine Oil the Right Way (Level, Color, and What It Tells You)

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:04:40 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

The dipstick is a 30 second health check for the most expensive part of your car, and most drivers have never pulled it once.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

Low oil is how engines die early. Here's the correct method (yes, there's a wrong one), plus how to read what the oil is telling you.

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels

Common mistakes, and how to dodge them

Checking on a slope fakes the level either way: flat ground or don't trust the reading.
Two different oil types mixed accidentally won't kill the engine, but fill with the right one going forward.

Doing it properly

Park level, warm and wait five minutes. Oil needs a few minutes to drain back into the pan. Checking right at shutoff reads low (all the oil is still upstairs), checking stone cold is fine for a first glance but the five minute warm wait is the classic method.
Find the dipstick. Usually a yellow or orange loop handle on one side of the engine. Owner's manual confirms in ten seconds. Some newer cars do it electronically through the dashboard menus, same principle.
Pull, wipe, reinsert fully, pull again. First pull is meaningless (splash from driving). Wipe it clean, push it ALL the way back in, then pull it out and read the film against the MIN and MAX marks.
- The film should sit between the two holes or lines
- Just below MAX is perfect
Read the level honestly. At MIN, you're down about a quart (a liter): add half, wait a minute, recheck. Never add the whole bottle blindly, overfull oil foams and starves the engine just like low oil.
Read color and texture too. Fresh oil is honey amber, used oil darker brown is normal. Milky or foamy coffee color points to coolant mixing in (head gasket suspicion, seek a mechanic soon). Gritty between fingers means the change was due last month.
Set a habit date. Same day each month, plus the morning before any long trip. Two minutes, engine saved, move on with life.

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels

A few things worth knowing

The correct oil type goes on the filler cap or manual: 5W-30 is a grade, match it when topping up.
A small funnel taped under the hood card turns topping up into a non event.
Oil drop spots where you park plus falling level equals a leak wanting a mechanic, sooner rather than later.

Quick answers

How often should oil actually be changed?
Modern cars on synthetic often run 7,500 to 10,000 miles, but your manual wins every pub debate.

Black oil means change immediately?
Dark color alone isn't an emergency, oil darkens fast while doing its cleaning job. Level and change interval matter more.

Keep reading

One last thing

Pull, wipe, dip, read: thirty seconds a month that quietly decides whether your engine dies at 90,000 miles or 300,000.

How to Stop Windows 11 From Restarting Automatically for Updates

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:04:01 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Few things are more annoying than Windows deciding to restart right when you're in the middle of actual work.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

Windows 11 really wants to install updates on its schedule, but you can push those restarts to times that suit you. Here's the right way to do it without breaking updates completely.

Before you start

A Windows 11 PC
Administrator access

Photo by https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

Here's how it works

1. Open Windows Update settings

Press Windows + I, then choose Windows Update at the bottom of the left sidebar.

2. Set your active hours

Click Advanced options, then Active hours. Set the hours when you normally use the PC. Windows will not restart for updates during this window. Keep it honest: if you work until 11 PM, say so.

3. Pause updates when you need a hard deadline

On the Windows Update page, use Pause updates to freeze everything for 1 to 5 weeks. Perfect before a presentation week or travel.

The PC will still show update notifications
Updates resume automatically after the pause ends

4. Get restart notifications instead of surprises

Under Advanced options, turn on the toggle that says Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating. Now Windows asks before it hops.

5. Schedule the restart yourself

When an update is pending, Windows Update offers Schedule the restart. Pick 3 AM, lunch time, whatever suits you. This is the polite version of forced restarts.

Photo by EVG Kowalievska on Pexels

Tips that actually help

Active hours max out at 18 hours. Set them to cover your real workday plus a margin.
Don't pause updates forever. Security patches matter; the goal is timing, not avoidance.
If a restart happens anyway, check for third party 'update blocker' tools causing conflicts, and uninstall them.

Keep reading

Updates still get installed, your PC stays secure, and the restart roulette stops. Set your active hours once and forget about it.

How to Clean and Lube a Motorcycle Chain (and Make It Last Twice as Long)

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:03:52 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

The chain is the hardest working part of your motorcycle, and the most neglected. Ten minutes of care every five hundred miles can double its life.

Updated August 09, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.

A dry, gritty chain eats sprockets and horsepower. Here's the simple routine every rider should know.

Photo by Ayoub Benamor on Pexels

The fast version

Get the rear wheel off the ground. A paddock stand is ideal. No stand? Roll the bike forward slowly between sections to reach the whole chain. Never run the engine with the wheel spinning near your fingers.
Spray the chain with cleaner. Kerosene is the classic safe choice. Skip harsh solvents like gasoline or brake cleaner on O-ring chains, they attack the rubber seals inside the links.
- Work in sections, wiping as you go
- Cardboard behind the chain saves your wheel and floor

The thorough version

Brush and wipe. Brush each side of the chain until the grime lets go, then wipe with a rag. The chain should look like metal again, not black paste.
Lube it warm. The pro trick: lube right after a short ride, when the chain is warm and the lube penetrates into the O-rings. Aim for the inside run of the chain, one thin pass is enough.
Let it sit, wipe excess. Give the lube ten minutes to set, then wipe the outside lightly. Extra lube just collects grit, which is the enemy this whole ritual fights.

Common mistakes, and how to dodge them

High pressure washers force water past the O-rings and kill chains from the inside. Garden hose at most.
Lubing a dirty chain just makes grinding paste. Clean first, always.

Photo by Shandy Galicia on Pexels

Small tweaks, big difference

Adjust chain slack at the same time: most bikes want 25 to 35 mm of up and down play at the tightest point.
Every second clean, check the sprocket teeth: sharp, worn hooks mean the set is due for replacement as a kit.
Ride off road often? Shorten the interval, dirt country chains work harder.

Quick answers

How often should I do this?
Every 500 miles or after riding in rain. It takes less time than the oil change crowd wants you to believe.

Belt or shaft drive bike?
You can skip this one entirely. Belts need tension checks, shafts need almost nothing.

Keep reading

Wrapping up

Clean, lube, wipe, adjust: a ten minute ritual that saves a two hundred dollar chain kit and keeps your drive smooth.

How to Download Google Maps for Offline Use Before a Trip

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:03:13 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Roaming data in another country costs what it costs, and mountain roads laugh at signal anyway. Offline maps turn your phone into a full GPS with zero connection.

The download takes two minutes on WiFi before leaving. Future you, lost at a foreign roundabout at midnight, says thanks.

Before you start

Google Maps on your phone
WiFi and 5 minutes (plus some storage)

Photo by Theo Decker on Pexels

The steps, start to finish

1. Open the offline maps menu

Google Maps app, tap your profile picture, Offline maps, then Select your own map.

2. Frame the area you need

A rectangle appears that you pinch and drag over your destination: city, region, or that whole coastal route. The app shows the download size live, usually a few hundred MB.

Bigger area = more detail but more storage
Download home city too, tunnels don't care about geography

3. Download on WiFi

Hit Download and let it finish before closing the app. The map then works fully offline: searching streets, driving navigation, the whole thing.

4. Know what works offline and what doesn't

Driving navigation and place search work without signal. Walking, transit and traffic need data. So offline maps are a driving superpower, less so for subway hopping.

5. Keep maps fresh

Offline maps expire after a while, the app nags you to update. Profile, Offline maps shows them with update buttons. Do it the night before travel, not in the airport line.

Photo by William Hadley on Pexels

Good habits to keep

Star your hotel, the rental car place and the airport before going offline: saved places appear on the offline map too.
Download the language pack of your destination in Translate the same way: both apps offline make the ideal combo.
A paper screenshot of the hotel address rides along as plan C, batteries have their own travel plans.

Keep reading

Pinch, frame, download: the cheapest travel insurance against 'where is this street' ever invented. Do it before the bags are packed.

How to Scan a QR Code on Android Without Installing Anything

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:03:05 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Menus, WiFi passwords, concert tickets: QR codes are everywhere, and no, you don't need a sketchy free app full of ads to read them.

Every modern Android scans QR codes natively in at least three ways. Here they are, fastest first.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Before you start

An Android phone (Android 8 or newer covers almost everyone)

Step by step

Just point the camera. Open the normal Camera app and aim at the code like you're taking a photo. A small link banner pops up over the code: tap it. This works out of the box on nearly every modern Android.
The quick settings scanner. Swipe down twice and look for a 'Scan QR code' tile (Samsung has it; Pixel added it too). Tap, point, done. Pin it to the first page if you scan often.
- If you don't see the tile, edit the quick settings panel and drag it in
- Samsung's tile lives under the second swipe page sometimes
Google Lens for codes saved in your gallery. Received a QR as a screenshot? Open it in Google Photos and tap the Lens icon, or long press the home button and use Lens. It reads codes from images, no pointing required.
WiFi QRs are the best use case. Many cafés and routers show a QR for the WiFi: scanning it joins the network directly, password typing extinct. If the camera banner doesn't offer it, the Settings, WiFi, add network screen has its own QR icon.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Good habits to keep

Check the link preview before tapping: legit codes show a sensible address. A QR on a parking meter that isn't from the city is a classic scam pattern.
Scanning someone's WiFi QR never reveals their password to you, it just connects. Hosts love this.
If the camera won't focus, the code is probably too far: QRs need less perfect focus than people assume, move a little farther away.

Pitfalls worth skipping

Random QR sticker placed over another one in public is a known fraud move: prefer codes printed on menus or screens over stickers.
Third party scanner apps are unnecessary and many monetize through ads or data: the phone already does everything.

Questions people ask

My old Android camera won't scan. Options?
Open Google Lens from the Google app, it covers very old versions without extra installs.

Can I create my own QR codes?
Yes: Chrome on any page, Share, QR Code generates one instantly for that link.

Keep reading

Wrapping up

Camera up, banner appears, tap once. The QR era needs zero extra apps, and now your phone treats codes like first class citizens.

How to Use VLOOKUP in Excel, Explained With a Real Example

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:02:25 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

VLOOKUP has the reputation of being hard because tutorials explain it with theory. It's actually one sentence: go find this value over there and tell me what's next to it.

Five minutes with one concrete example and you'll use it forever, in work, budgets, inventories, everything.

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels

The fast version

Set up a tiny practice table. In A1 write Code, B1 Price. Then three rows: A100 with 25.99, A200 with 9.50, A300 with 4.25. That's your 'database'.
Understand the formula parts. The formula is =VLOOKUP(search_value, table_range, column_number, exact_match). In plain words: look for this, inside this table, give me the value from column N, and don't guess.
Write your first lookup. In D1 type the code A200. In E1 type =VLOOKUP(D1, A:B, 2, FALSE). The result: 9.50. Excel found A200 in column A and returned whatever sits in the 2nd column of the range.

The thorough version

Always use FALSE (almost always). That last argument set to FALSE means exact match only, which is what you want 99% of the time. TRUE lets Excel 'find the nearest', a source of legendary and silent errors.
- Memorize the pattern: search value, table, column number, FALSE
- The search column must always be the LEFTmost of the range
Fix the #N/A when it appears. #N/A means 'not found': typo in the search value, extra spaces, or the code truly isn't in column A. TRIM() wrapped around values cleans invisible spaces, the sneakiest cause.
Lock the table with dollars before copying. When copying the formula down many rows, use =VLOOKUP(D1, $A$1:$B$100, 2, FALSE). The dollar signs keep the table range fixed while the search value moves.

What trips people up

Sorting the table AFTER writing formulas with column numbers can silently return wrong data. Dollar locks plus not moving columns keeps you safe.
Numbers stored as text don't match real numbers. If a lookup of a code fails while it's visibly there, that's the reason.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

A few things worth knowing

XLOOKUP (newer Excel and Google Sheets) does the same job better and reads both directions: worth learning right after this one.
Column numbers count only inside your range: if the table starts at column C, column D is '2'.
Test with a value you know exists the first time. Confidence first, scale later.

Quick answers

Is VLOOKUP obsolete because of XLOOKUP?
It still runs in every spreadsheet on Earth and millions of files rely on it. Learn both; VLOOKUP explained everything else.

Google Sheets formula identical?
Character for character, yes.

Keep reading

One last thing

One pattern, five ingredients, and spreadsheets start fetching data for you instead of the other way around.

How to Mirror Your Phone Screen to Any TV (Android and iPhone)

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:02:16 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

Everything on your phone looks better on the big screen: photos, videos, that funny clip the group needs to see.

Mirroring works on almost any modern TV, and the setup is far easier than people expect. Here's every path that actually works.

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels

What you'll need

A TV with built in casting (most smart TVs) or a Chromecast/Fire TV stick
Phone and TV on the same WiFi network

The steps, start to finish

Confirm both devices share the WiFi. This is the requirement that breaks 90% of attempts. Phone on the 5GHz band and TV on the 2.4 one usually still works, but guest networks and mobile data definitely don't.
Android: use Screen Cast or Smart View. Swipe down twice for quick settings and look for Cast, Screen Cast or Smart View (Samsung). Tap it, pick your TV from the list, and the phone's screen appears in a second.
iPhone: use Screen Mirroring (AirPlay). Open Control Center, tap the two rectangles icon for Screen Mirroring, and choose the TV. Most Samsung, LG, Roku and Fire TVs support AirPlay now; the TV may show a code to type once.
Cast instead of mirror when possible. Inside YouTube, Netflix or Spotify, tap the little cast icon. Casting streams directly from the internet, so the phone is free for other things and the battery survives the movie.
- Mirroring = copies your screen, Casting = TV plays it itself
- For photos and apps, mirror. For video apps, cast
No smart TV? A twenty to thirty dollar stick fixes that. A Chromecast or Fire TV Stick plugs into any HDMI port and adds every feature above to decade old televisions.

Photo by Stefan Coders on Pexels

Good habits to keep

If the TV doesn't appear, restart its WiFi connection from its settings menu: TVs hold onto stale network states more than phones.
Rotate the phone to landscape for full screen video when mirroring.
Lower the TV's picture 'processing' mode for gaming to reduce the mirroring lag.

Where people go wrong

Trying to mirror DRM protected apps like some banking or streaming apps shows a black screen. That's intentional copy protection, not a failure.
VPN apps on the phone can break discovery. Turn the VPN off while setting up.

Quick answers

Why is there a delay when mirroring?
Half a second is normal over WiFi. Cast video apps directly to avoid it for movies.

Does it work without internet?
Both devices need the same local network. Some setups work without internet, but home WiFi with internet is the reliable answer.

Keep reading

That covers it

One swipe, one tap, and your pocket screen becomes the living room screen. The only real requirement is sharing the same WiFi.

How to Find a Lost Phone, Even When It's on Silent

Tutomod — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:01:37 +0000

Originally published on Tutomod.

The couch cushions are innocent until proven guilty, but searching a silenced phone still ranks among life's minor tortures.

Both Android and iPhone have a free, built in 'find my phone' system that rings, locates and even locks your device. Set up takes two minutes before you need it.

Photo by Barbara Olsen on Pexels

Pitfalls worth skipping

A powered off phone can't ring, but both services show its last known location, usually enough to narrow the search.
Don't chase a stolen phone to a stranger's address yourself. Share the location with the police instead.

Step by step

Android: check Find Hub is on. Settings, search for Find Hub (formerly Find My Device), and make sure it's enabled with location allowed. This runs by default on most phones, but confirm it once.
iPhone: confirm Find My is on. Settings, your name, Find My, Find My iPhone. Turn on all three toggles including Find My network and Send Last Location.
Make it ring over the internet. Android: go to google.com/android/find. iPhone: icloud.com/find. Sign in, pick the device, and press Play Sound. The phone rings at full volume even on silent or vibrate. Couch cushions surrender immediately.
- The sound plays for about 5 minutes or until you stop it
- Works even if the phone is in another room, floor or car
See it on the map. The same page shows the phone's location with a circle of accuracy. Left it at a friend's? The map settles the question in seconds.
If it's truly lost: lock it down. Both services offer Secure Device / Mark as Lost: the phone locks, shows your contact number on screen, and payment cards freeze. The erase option exists too, as a real last resort.

Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev on Pexels

Pro tips without the attitude

Save both finder pages as bookmarks now, the calmest setup is the one done before panic.
Family Sharing on iPhone lets trusted people see your devices on their own map, great for families prone to losing phones in cars.
Smartwatches can ping phones too: Apple Watch has a phone icon button, Wear OS has Find my phone.

Questions people ask

Can someone else ring my phone for me?
They'd need your account login, or in iPhone families, Family Sharing lets them help directly.

Does it work abroad?
Yes, wherever the phone has internet. Roaming or WiFi both work.

Keep reading

One last thing

Two minutes of setup today means the next 'where's my phone' panic ends in thirty seconds, with the couch finally cleared of all charges.