A secret Google search feature every Android user should know about

We regularly share hidden iPhone features with readers for one simple reason: there’s so much functionality packed into Apple’s iPhone that it’s impossible for anyone to remember it all. The same can be said of Google’s search product, which is why we also dive into Google search tips all the time.

There’s one Google search trick in particular that every single Android user needs to know about, and we’ll explain how it works in this post.

One great trend that has formed over the past few years is the increasing number of tie-ins between Google search and Android. Google Now was born in part from this relationship, but it extends beyond Google’s intelligent assistant. For example, if you search for directions in Google Maps in your desktop browser, you can use Google’s “Send to phone” feature to start navigating on your handset in seconds.

Here’s another great search integration that every Android user needs to know about:

Say you misplaced your smartphone. Maybe you left it at work, or perhaps it’s at the gym in your locker. Or maybe it’s upstairs in your bedroom and you simply didn’t see it under a pile of laundry. Rather than freak out running around from place to place, type the following phrase into a Google search box on any computer or mobile device on which you’re logged in:

“Where’s my phone?”

Pretty straightforward, no? Typing that phrase will instantly launch Google’s phone-finder tool and you’ll see your phone’s location on a map. Did it turn out to be upstairs in a bedroom like we said? There’s also a feature in Google’s phone-finder that will let you set the phone to full volume and make the ringer play so it can be located more easily.