Be prepared.

That’s good advice for hosting a Super Bowl party, going to a job interview, or if you lose your phone.

Not being prepared could prove disastrous in all three of those examples, but most people would agree that losing their phone with all the contacts, text messages, photos, and other irreplaceable data is worse than forgetting the Doritos or not answering an interview question well.

If you happen to lose your Android smart phone or tablet, or if someone steals it from you, do not despair. Our clever, FREE app, Avast Anti-theft, will help you find your phone and even, catch the thief.

What is Avast Anti-Theft?

Avast Anti-Theft is a free standalone application designed for Android smart phones and tablets. It’s main purpose is to help you locate your lost or stolen mobile device, allowing you to track it on a map and control it remotely. Since Anti-Theft is a separate application from Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus, it is completely invisible when it is running so that thieves don’t even know it’s there.

This infographic explains what you can do with your phone if you discover that it’s missing.

Locate your device on a map

Remotely locate your phone via GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network – for maximum accuracy.

Remotely lock your phone

Remotely lock your phone to prevent access to your personal data and settings.

Activate a siren remotely

Activate a loud, customizable siren, which reverts to maximum volume if thieves try to silence it.

If you spring for the paid version of Avast Anti-Theft, you get some additional, powerful features.

Take a photo of a would-be thief

You can set your device to lock access and take a picture of the person attempting to unlock it after three failed tries.

Remote data retrieval from your device

Retrieve call logs, SMS messages, and other personal data from your phone.

Avast Anti-Theft is available on Google Play, where it can be downloaded for free.