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Find your misplaced cell phone with Google Maps' click-to-call

lifehacker.com — Next time you misplace your cell phone and don't have another phone on hand to call it with, take advantage of the new, free click-to call feature in Google Maps and let them call you!

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  • kajoob, on 10/12/2007, -21/+12Just use Skype instead of going though that whole convoluted process
    • fangulo, on 10/12/2007, -24/+11Yeah, because everyone that uses Google has Skype installed in their system!!
    • junkmail02, on 10/12/2007, -32/+2sweet

      -z00kn
    • olddirtycr, on 10/12/2007, -24/+2I wouldn't say everyone fangulo...
    • m3mn0n, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Agreed. Skype owns.

      But this is a cool feature.

      I can just imagine how much fun people will have prank calling with Google. And I can see the headlines now... "Google removes calling feature due to abuse by unknown people around the world."

      Proxies own, too.
    • FTLJohnson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+29skypeout isn't free anymore...
    • m3mn0n, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9It's $15 for a year... that's any where in US & Canada.

      That's a damn good deal.
    • ki1022, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Just use www.ip-relay.com , its also awesome for pranking your friends.
    • herculez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2couldn't you just put in anybody's phone number? hmmm....
    • kalleanka, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3This is neither new or "cool".
      http://maps.live.com/ had this feature well more than a year ago.
    • TaterSalad77, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25For a minute there, I thought Google would have used its Google Earth magic to pinpoint the exact GPS point of my phone. Now that would have been cool...
  • MackDiesel2010, on 10/12/2007, -24/+1How about a cell phone that just wants to be a phone?
  • thefutureisours, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Simple, yet brilliant idea. Thank you.
  • GregoryHarbin, on 10/12/2007, -9/+8Wow, because the pizza place has nothing better to do than help you find your phone. As someone who works at a resteraunt where a good third of our calls are hang-ups, I thank you.
    • gollo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13It doesn't connect the other side of the call until you pickup the call.
    • mediaphile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4...or until your voicemail picks up.
  • samadam, on 10/12/2007, -12/+6Have we really given up on real phones?

    The ones we have in our offices, homes, and schools?
    • jizzimmy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+24Yes.
    • bbene, on 10/12/2007, -0/+24I did. No land line for this guy.
    • KillaGoat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Why pay Ma Bell 35-50 dollars a month for a phone that's attached to your house and is free for telemarketers to barrage?

      I pay $40 a month for 1500 anytime minutes through T-Mobile and use a cable modem; I've given completely up on landlines for years..
    • adidax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22If my cell phone isn't a real phone, does that make it a fake phone?
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Killagoat...where have you been for the past...oh, say, THREE YEARS? The Do Not Call list works.
    • msgyrd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Why use a landline? They're comparitively exepensive for the service they offer.
    • KJSatz, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2The Do Not Call List is also unconstitutional....
    • RomyNo1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The only problem with cell phones is that you don't get those emergency evacuation calls and sometimes 911 can't find you.
  • Br0wn, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4removed
  • AhrenBa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+39Dang, by reading this title, I thought if you had lost your phone in public, Google could call it up and show you on a map where it is. Lol, I guess that's a little ambitious, but nonetheless, cool!
    • m3mn0n, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6That's pretty freaky.

      You do realize that means they could track your location when you have it, right?

      And if that sort of information was public, you do realize that would mean MUCH MORE people besides Google would track you, right?
    • diktator279, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15pah, I've been using google to stalk my victims for years

      That means you, AhrenBa
    • philmiller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9sad but i thought the same thing. I was kind of excited.
    • negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1you can track your on imei number on some website...can't remember the site name though. basically, you provide your cell number and imei and you can locate your phone on a map.
    • lintmonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1URL or it didn't happen
  • KillaGoat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Interesting idea, but cut out the middleman and use sprint IP relay. It's also fun for other uses :)

    http://www.sprintrelayonline.com/
    • mediaphile, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You do realize that the IP relay services use live operators to read your messages out loud. Kinda ***** to make them handle your prank calls, don't you think?
    • droversoul, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You mean kinda hilarious?
    • nullmind, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Okay, well, I used this service today and....Wow! I didn't think that the operator would read my message, but... they did!
  • razdigital, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Would be a nice feature if this could narrow cell towers would help catch a lot of phone thieves even if you need a bit of verification information.
  • affinity, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Heh I used to use some other service that did this to make my friends call eachother. IT was very interesting.. you would put in the number to be called, and your number.. and what it would do is call you and call the number you put in (as you)...it was quite funny to put in known ex-couples.
  • shortarabguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Couldn't I just connect two random people without involving myself directly with this?
    • skatingrox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10But then you wouldn't find your cell phone, now would you?
  • kenvsryu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1i'm sure google will erase your cell phone number from their database. tin foilers unite!
  • KamikazeeDriver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Next time you misplace your cell phone and don't have another phone on hand to call it with, take advantage of the new, free click-to call feature in Google Maps and let them call you!"

    I never been to a place that had a computer with internet access (broadband or dialup) but no phone, what's that like?
    • JPresEFnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's like my house. Why would I pay for a land line when I already pay for 2 cell phones?
  • KiaserLies, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i can see alot of abuse of this feature
  • washcapsfan37, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This Digg title is misleading and the article suggests abusing a legitimate service. The title makes it seem like you could (I suppose if you have GPS on your phone) plot the location of your phone on Google Maps (helpful if you left it somewhere by accident). Instead they suggest using Google Maps directory services to have a random person call you because you requested they do so (i.e., using a Domino's Pizza to call you because they think you're ordering a pizza so you can hear your phone and find it). What happens if your phone's on vibrate? Or not within earshot? There are other websites that you can use to send text messages to your phone for free and without bothering hard-working service people.
  • fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Oh my god! Google is copying a feature that has been available on other sites for more than 2 years! Stop the presses!

    This is so lame it hurts. Spread the love, fanboys.
  • Luckyem, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I put in a friends cell number to call walmart and he didn't know what was happening and then we put his number in to call Wendy's it was so funny!! you have to try it.
    • Cyberdactyl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Hey, if you loved that, try filling a paper bag with ***** and putting it on his doorstep, lighting it on fire and ringing the doorbell, then hide.

      You'll have a hoot when he tries to stamp it out!
  • Psylabs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Now this would be cool if google maps actually displayed the location of my phone, I already know where the closest pizza hut is.
  • serra, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't know about the whole finding your phone idea with this, but I am very happy that I don't ever have to dig through the phone book and dial numbers again to call something that I am looking for. This makes it a lot easier, thanks google! :P Muahaha, eh... one of those nights.
  • Seanpr123, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2ha, just connected all my closest friends with their local strip joints. I don't plan on abusing this service anymore, but either way I don't see how google could possibly leave it up
  • fearphage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why not just text your phone from AIM or some other service? YOu can add any cell phone to your buddy lies with +1[area code][number]

    For instance, +15556667777 then you can text it like any other buddy. same for trillian, gaim, etc.
  • dragstarking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Can it find where I lost my virginity?
    • MelvinSchlubman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7No one here has lost their virginity.
    • jcmead, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@ MelvinSchlubman

      I beg to differ . I have four children. And before you say it Yes they are mine
  • sandersons, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Is it limited to some locations or is it a global? Haven't used that feature yet...
  • Louisd11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What's the URL to get to ths google maps cell phone thing?
  • Louisd11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Found it http://www.google.com/help/faq_clicktocall.html
  • nesibus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Using your home phone to call your cell seems a little quicker.
  • hiscity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Not only have we given up on wired land line phones -- we're giving up wired net connections.

    It's just simply much more useful to have the cell phone or cell term(*) with you as you move about.

    If motion sensors (cp. wii remote) are put in the phone, it could be set to chirp after sensing no movement for say 8 hours. It would also be handy to set auto-answer in that case, so that you could listen to where the phone is at when it's misplaced.

    I'd like my cells to give "R2D2" beeps if they detect a signature whistle or a voice command like "here fido!"

    There's so much that could be done, mere cell phones aren't enough. We need user programmable cell terms.

    (* remote cellular or wifi connected web terminal)
  • ayeroxor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You're too embarassed to call your own phone? That's what this is all about? 1100 diggs?

    Pretty ***** ghey.
  • dominicantech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is sooooo much fun.
    causing havoc at work
  • Inara, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That won't help if your battery is dead, as was the case with my last phone.
  • bsingin64, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've used this trick in the past. Not to mention the google click-to-call service is actually pretty convenient on its own.
  • fireandice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0okay..so with this service it calls a business number for you and leaves a message with them to call you? All JUST so you can find your phone? That would have to be near enough to you for you to hear it? Thats pretty stupid. Why go through all that trouble? Just pick your butt up and LOOK for it .
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