Mobile security firm Lookout is offering a new feature that brings it up to par with many security apps and services now on Android. Using a combination of mobile technologies and snooping, Theft Alerts can help you locate your stolen device or, in the worst case scenario, remotely secure and wipe out your data.
Theft Alerts is practically composed of two parts, triggers and the email report resulting from them. Triggers are actions that smartphone thieves usually take upon acquiring a stolen device according to Lookout's research. These include actions like turning off the device, removing the SIM card, entering the passcode incorrectly a number of times, and even removing Lookout itself from the list of device administrators. Any of these events can be set as a trigger for the Theft Alert system, though users will have to pick out which ones are valid and which ones they usually tend to do themselves a lot.
When a trigger has been tripped, Lookout will send out an email to the registered owner that includes relevant information to locate the stolen device. This includes a photo of the perpetrator silently taken using the front-facing camera and a map of the current location of the device, or at least the last known one before the trigger action happened. The email will also include options to lock the device remotely, send a threatening message to be displayed on the device's screen, or, as a last resort, wipe the device completely to protect sensitive information.
Lookout Theft Alerts come with a price, however. It is only available for premium subscribers to the service, which incurs a monthly payment of $2.99 or $29.99 per annum. However, Lookout does have a special treat for older users of its free service, letting them try out Theft Alerts for free until September 31 this year. This, however, only applies to those who already have an account before this announcement was made, so new users won't be getting the same deal.