New App Bridges the Mobile OS Gap to โขHelp Locate Lost Phones
A new application,โข RingIt,โ launched by belgian developer Gaรซtanโ Van Den Berge, solves a common frustration: locating a misplaced phone whenโ the ownerโ is unable toโ assist and uses aโฃ different operating system. Theโค free app, available for both โAndroid and iOS,โ allows users to remotely trigger aโ loud โขalarm on a friend or family member’s phone, even if its โsilenced or in “Do Not Disturb” mode.
The problem arises fromโค the walled-garden nature of existing “find my phone” features. Apple’sโฃ “Find My” is exclusiveโฃ to Apple devices, and Google offers similar functionality primarily for locating paired โdevices. This leaves users with mixed-OS households at a disadvantage โwhen a phone goes missing. simply calling the phone is often โขineffective,โค as many users โkeep their ringers โขoff.
“I kept misplacing my phone, often whileโข it was on silent, โand I’d repeatedly ask her, ‘Do you know where my phone is?’ I remember โฃthinking how nice it โฃwould be if she could just make my phone ring loudly from herโข own device, even if mine was muted,” Vanโ Den โBerge explained regarding the inspirationโค behind ringit.
The app focuses solely on this coreโ functionality, prioritizing user privacy by collecting only email addressesโ for verification purposes-it does not track location or other userโฃ data.
Setup is straightforward: downloadโ the app, โverify your email address with a code sent to your inbox, and grant notification permissions. Granting notification permissionsโค is crucial, as the app requires theโข ability โto override “Do Not Disturb” settings toโ function correctly.
