Google copies “Find My iPhone” inaugurating the new “Android Device Manager” function

Google today announced on the official Android blog the launch of a new service called ‘Android Device Manager‘which will allow users to easily locate and remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices. Anyone familiar with the Find My iPhone feature that Apple has made available to users of iOS devices will already be familiar with how the software works.

Just like Apple’s service, Android Device Manager will allow users to locate their device’s location on a map in real time, as well as remotely wipe all data from the device in case it is stolen. Users will also be able to send a call to the device with the maximum volume in order to locate the lost device

Google’s announcement comes at a time when government officials are lobbying Apple, Google and other smartphone makers to roll out new security and theft prevention features. While Google’s new feature suggests a trend in the right direction, we mustn’t forget that Apple has been implementing it since 2010.

Recently, Apple announced a new device activation lock feature that will require an Apple ID and password to wake up a stolen phone and after the user remotely wipes the data via the Find My iPhone app. To disable the Find My iPhone function, an ID and Password will now be required so thieves will not be able to deactivate it and if a user decides to remotely delete the data of a stolen iPhone, they make sure to make the device unusable by some attacker. It doesn’t appear that Google’s new tool includes a similar feature.

Google announced that the new service Android Device Manager will be available later this month for devices running Android 2.2 and above, and an Android app will also be available to help users manage their devices.