Sony "my Xperia" service rolls out: Much-needed "Find my iPhone" copycat for Xperia Androids
Sony has begun rolling out its “my Xperia” mobile security service around the globe. Exclusive to the company’s Xperia range of Android phones, it offers similar functionality to Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature, letting users track, lock and wipe an Xperia handset should it become lost or stolen.
Trialled in a limited beta back in February, the my Xperia service offers plenty of options for hunting down or protecting a lost phone. For instance, if you’ve innocently lost your handset somewhere at home, but have left it on silent, you’ll be able to log into a web interface at myxperia.sonymobile.com and trigger an alarm remotely at the handset’s full volume to help you track it down, regardless of the sound profile or volume settings set on the handset itself.
The web interface will also offer precision mapping data sent by the phone’s GPS, letting you pinpoint the handset’s last known location, and sending users an email if a handset that has gone off the grid once again begins transmitting location data.
As well as giving the option to remotely alter pin details, users will also be able to send a message to the lockscreen of the missing handset (perhaps offering a reward for its safe return), as well as a final last resort option of clearing all data on the handset if you fear it’s fallen irreversibly into the wrong hands.
It’s a nice move from Sony’s team, considering the reams of sensitive data we hold on our phones, and the fact that there is no native way to secure a lost phone on the Android operating system. HTC’s Sense Online service previously offered similar functionality to users of their Android phones, too.
Those using a handset from a different manufacturer should check out the Lookout security app, which we’ve featured in the past, which offers much of the functionality of the security services mentioned here for Android handsets regardless of manufacturer.
