After you install Lockwatch, open up the app and switch on the alert emails. If you don't have a lock screen, you will be asked to set one up.
Once you have activated the alert emails, try locking your phone and deliberately typing in the wrong unlock code.
The lock screen is a feature built into your phone. When you uninstall Lockwatch, it will not remove the lock screen. You need to open your phone's security settings, select Lock Screen, and select None.
If you have forgotten your unlock code, you can try enter an incorrect code 5 times. A “Forgot password” option should then appear. This allows you to reset your unlock code using your Google account.
If this doesn't work, the instructions for your device may be different. Try to Google for instructions for your device model. E.g. "Galaxy S7 forgot unlock code".
When you activate Lockwatch, Android warns that Lockwatch might “erase all the phone's data”. This is due to a permission that Lockwatch uses to monitor incorrect unlock attempts. Lockwatch does not contain any code to wipe your phone, so this will never happen.
It depends on the Android device. On some devices there is no way to intercept fingerprint and face unlock events. If the thief tries guessing your backup code the app will still work however.
Android does not allow apps to use the GPS if it has been turned off by the user. You need to leave GPS on so that Lockwatch can use it when needed. There is nothing we can do until Android improve this.
If our app is not recognising a previous purchase, make sure you are signed in to the same Play Store account that you originally purchased Lockwatch with. You can also try uninstalling our app and installing it again.
Lockwatch will capture the photo and location immediately when the wrong unlock code is entered. It will then wait a few more seconds before sending the email in case the correct code is entered by the owner. This is to avoid sending emails if the owner mistypes the unlock code.
You can hide all email notifications from appearing on the lock screen using Android's lock screen settings. Alternatively, you can use Gmail desktop to create a filter to automatically mark the emails as read or move them to another folder. This will stop the notifications from appearing on your lock screen.
Your email provider might be delivering them to your Spam folder. Make sure you check this folder and mark the emails as Not Spam so they are delivered to your inbox. Alternatively try a different email address.
Some phone manufacturers customize the Android software and may introduce bugs which prevent apps like ours from working. We can't do anything to fix this but you can try reporting the issue to them.
We don’t have any access to your phone so don’t ask us to locate your phone if it lost or stolen.
When you receive the Lockwatch email, contact your local police station and your local newspaper with the photo. Hopefully someone in your community recognises the person in the photo.
