Android Device Manager now has a guest mode

Find-my-phone apps are one of those
things that you tend to forget about
until you really need them. So it’s good
that Google introduced its own solution ,
Android Device Manager, giving all
Android users a modicum of protection ink
case of device loss or theft.

Now Google is adding a small feature to
Android Device Manager, that should
make it a tad easier to locate and
manage your misplaced device. As
spotted by the folks at Android Police ,
starting with version 1.2.12, you can log
into ADM as a guest, by choosing Guest
from the list of available accounts.

While in this mode, there’s a prominent
Sign Out button at the top of the app
for when you’re done. Guest users will
have to enter their email and password,
and, in case they set up two-factor
authentication, a verification code.

The default for the verification code is
to send it to the user’s primary phone
number via SMS, which is pointless in
case you lost your primary phone. But
you can also choose to have the code
sent to a backup number or you can
enter one of the default codes (that
you presumably saved and kept in a safe
location – seriously, you should do that.)

You were always able to access the web
version of ADM from any device, so
adding the guest mode to the Android
app is largely just a convenience. But in
those stressful situations when you
can’t find your device, it helps to be
able to quickly and cleanly log in to ADM
instead of having to mess with browsers
on a stranger’s device.

Besides the new guest mode, there don’t
seem to be other changes, and the
changelog is, in typical Google fashion,
empty. The update should hit your device
over the next few hours.