Oct. 9, 2012 at 4:10 PM ET
Lookout's app to help users find lost or stolen phones or tablets has been around awhile, but now the company is adding a free feature called Signal Flare which automatically saves your missing device’s location when its battery gets low.
According to the mobile security company, among Lookout users whose phones were stolen or lost, nearly 30 percent said the reason they couldn't recover the phone "was due to their battery dying."
To help remedy that: Signal Flare, available in Lookout 3.0 for Android devices now.
Signal Flare automatically saves your phone's location when the battery hits the red zone. To try it out, Lookout says, turn on "Signal Flare" in the device settings, wait for your phone's battery to get "really low," then go to Lookout.com and check the Missing Device tab. You'll see the Signal Flare icon showing your phone's location.
"We can automatically sense when your battery gets low and send your location to Lookout.com, giving you an even better chance of getting your phone back," the company says.
Lookout's free and "premium" app — $2.99 a month — is available at Google Play. A company rep says among the features of the premium app are a complete remote lock-and-wipe ability if your phone is stolen or lost, something that iOS users can do using Apple's free "Find My Phone" app.
Below is Lookout's video about Signal Flare. For more information, visit Lookout's website.
Introducing Signal Flare
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