Remote start: switching on phone protection from afar when it is almost too late
What to do when the phone is gone and protection was not running? The voluntary remote start explained, with privacy notes, requirements and limits.
The most unpleasant case with phone protection is not the phone that is armed and sounds the alarm. The most unpleasant case is the phone whose protection was not running: you ended it, the battery was empty in between, or you never switched it on. Then nobody is there to record the route. That is what remote start is for.
The idea
Another phone in your household, for example your partner's, can switch on phone protection on your phone from a distance. The phone then starts reporting its route and, if you wish, arms itself right away. In the viewer or in the browser you see the position on the map, as with any other protected phone.
Why this only works with your permission
A remote start means that others can retrieve your location. That is why it is off by default and can only be switched on on the phone itself, not remotely and not from another account. In the app there is the switch “Allow remote start by the household”, and before you switch it on a notice appears that says exactly what it means. You can revoke the permission at any time on the phone or in the browser, and signing out ends it.
Only allow remote start for people you trust with this. Anyone in your household can have your phone located with it as soon as it is online. Every remote start is shown in the household as an event with the name of the account that triggered it, and your phone shows a notification. So it cannot happen secretly.
How it works
When you switch the toggle on, a small standby stays active in the background on your phone, with a permanent notification. As long as nothing is requested, the phone sends no location. If someone requests a remote start, phone protection starts and the route appears on the map. If the phone was just without a network, the request is remembered for up to 48 hours and carried out as soon as it is back online.
Requirements
The phone needs VintageCam Ultimate in the household, the location “Always” and a working battery exemption. How to do that is explained in the article Switch off battery optimisation. Phone protection must have been started on the phone at least once so that it is known to the server.
The limits
A remote start is no miracle. If the phone is switched off, in airplane mode, without a network or Android has ended the standby, nothing arrives. Power-saving features can also delay a message. Anyone who really wants to protect their phone should therefore let phone protection run permanently and see remote start as an additional safeguard. What else to do after a theft is covered in the article Phone stolen: what to do right away.
