Android Candy: Hire a Cerberus to Find Your Phone

In a recent career shift, I went from an employer who provided me an iPhone to one who provides me with an Android (Galaxy S4 to be specific). Although I was happy to move to a Linux-based handset, I was concerned about replacing the "Find My iPhone" capability that Apple provides. Not only does my family use it to keep track of each other, but we also relied on it when a phone was misplaced. Does the Google Play store offer anything comparable? Um, yes.

Cerberus is a $4 application (with a generous trial period so you can check it out) that blows Apple's "Find My iPhone" out of the water. Not only can it track down a phone, but it also keeps a history of where the phone has been (Figure 1), takes photos and videos, and yes, sets off an alarm to find your misplaced phone.

Figure 1. Cerberus Keeps a History of Where the Phone Has Been

I was worried Cerberus might cause unusually high battery usage due to its regular GPS pings, but I haven't noticed any difference at all. Plus, with all its features (Figure 2), I'd be willing to sacrifice a little battery life. Thankfully, I get the best of both worlds!

Figure 2. Cerberus' Features

If you are switching from an iPhone to an Android device, or if you've been using Android for a while but haven't installed a security device, I urge you to try Cerberus. It's awesome!

Shawn is Associate Editor here at Linux Journal, and has been around Linux since the beginning. He has a passion for open source, and he loves to teach. He also drinks too much coffee, which often shows in his writing.

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