As smartphones become more popular with new technologies being imbedded in these mobile devices, the chances of theft of cellular phones are also on the rise. There is also the possibility that handheld units are misplaced or inadvertently lost.

To help phone owners deal with these situations, developers have come up with apps that help the users track their lost or filched phones. Here are three of these apps available for Android users on Google Play.

1. Where's my Droid - Free

Lets the owner track the phone location online through Google Maps. Lost phone could be password protect so the holder of the unit could not edit the contents and the owner gets notification if the SIM or phone number is changed. The pro version ($3.99) has the added feature of wiping installed SD card or the whole phone and taking pictures of the person holding the unit, using the phone camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BHLhT2AWF0

2. Lookout - Free

This app offers phone find and map location features, plus a photo and location of anyone who attempts to unlock the unit. The picture and location are sent via email. In addition, the app has a backup and restore services for contacts Those who opt for the upgrade version ($2.99) a month to the premium package could also remotely lock and wipe their lost or stolen phones, back up photos and call history and block dodgy URLs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Fwl0iSTsA

3. Plan B

This app is for those who failed to install one and whose handheld is now missing. The app sends the location of the lost or stolen unit to the owner's Google account.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KmyWuM4R80

While these apps are of great help and phone owners are advised to install them, just because you cannot find your unit does not necessarily mean it is lost and it is time to active the app's features.

The phone owner can instead use a second unit or borrow a friend's or family member's phone and ring his owner because it could also just be lying somewhere around the house buried under the sheets or covered by heaps of used clothes. It could also may have been forgotten inside a desk drawer or left at the washroom.

It would also be wise to have a traditional address book with phone numbers and other details listed on paper as the ultimate back-up system which could only be lost if it is the filofax that would go missing or destroyed by natural elements such as fire and water.

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