Written Android App Review
I am convinced that my Android phone has a mind of its own. That it actually has the ability to sprout little metal legs and hide its self in new and ever more confusing locations. Sure, the fact that I have small children running around the house may play into this belief, but it doesn’t change the fact that my Android phone is very often NOT where I am positive that I left it. Luckily, it has always been found at some point. Once in the freezer and once in the truck of a neighbor’s car, but found none the less. However, I can’t shake the feeling that my good luck could change at any time. That the day will come when it doesn’t turn up and my mobile life will come to a screeching halt.
That will not be a good day.
This fear is what lead me to perform the Plan B Android app review. A new Android app by the same company, Lookout Labs, who brought us one of my favorite apps Mobile Lookout Security. Plan B Android app is just that, a plan b when it comes to finding your wayward phone. I can tell you right now that this Android app has a lot to live up to. So why don’t we go see if it was up to the task.
Plan B
Features
One of the greatest things about Plan B is that you install it after you have already lost your phone. How fantastic is that?!?! I mean, its not like we wake up in the morning planning on spending a good portion of our free time searching for our mobile friend, so being able to add this app after the fact is a huge bonus. In fact, its the whole point.
All you do is log on to the Android Market and send the app to your phone using their install feature. Then Plan B will send messages to your gmail account, giving you the exact location of your phone down to a specific number of meters. The messages continue to update for the next 10 minutes, letting you know if the phone is moving or sitting still. Then, if you still haven’t found your phone, use a friend’s phone to text the word “locate” to yourself. This will start the process over and signal the Plan B to keep sending location messages.
Accuracy
The big question here is “does it work?” The answer, yep….with a catch. When I installed the Plan B Android app on my phone, the messages immediately started coming through, and the reading was exact. I knew that my phone was within 6 meters of my home address, and that’s pretty accurate. Only problem is that I usually know which building I have managed to lose my phone in. What I don’t know is which room or which crevice it has worked its way into. It seems that the free app is designed to help you find a phone that you’ve lost in a specific location or one that you think may have been stolen, not one that you have managed to misplace between making your coffee and grabbing your keys. A nice upgrade here would be to add a feature that would cause your phone to signal (loudly) when prompted by Plan B. This would give you an audio clue to go with the visual map emailed to you by the app.
Value
In terms of value, the user couldn’t ask for more. This is a free app that you can use as many times as you would like. Literally, you can go install it each and every time you lose your phone. Add in the fact that Plan B is the only app of its kind and that free price tag starts to look pretty nice!
Android Apps Review Details: Plan B Android app is free. This app requires Android 2.0 and up. You may download Plan B the Android Market.
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