Can I activate location tracking on web site by sending an SMS command?

1234ava · 2015-04-04T17:16:01.000Z

If not, this is a feature request. I think it would useful. When I send a locate sms command, I get an sms message with coordinates, but I would like to receive phone location on “My Avast” web site too. (provided that mobile data or wifi is on, on my device).

Eddy · 2015-04-04T19:06:58.000Z

Enable tracking on the my.avast website.

And you can set the location data request to every X minutes, which is basically the same as tracking.

1234ava · 2015-04-05T09:55:08.000Z

That’s not what I was asking for. I would like to start location tracking on the web even before I can access my web account on a computer.

Eddy · 2015-04-05T10:00:07.000Z

If you set the location request to every x minutes it is the same as tracking.

1234ava · 2015-04-05T10:23:45.000Z

Having the location sent every x minutes by SMS is not the same as web tracking, though.

Just consider this: an SMS every 5 minutes makes 12 text messages per hour. I could run out of credit, or the thief could notice the charges, or they could remove the SIM card, or they could move to an area with no cell coverage. Many things could happen, who knows! Activating web tracking too, as soon as possible, would give you one more chance to find your precious device.
Besides, web tracking shows all the locations on a same map, on a time line, and that’s pretty useful.

I really don’t see a reason for not allowing to start web tracking too, possibly as an option, when you send a LOCATE sms command to your phone.

1234ava · 2015-04-06T09:44:01.000Z

Another situation where you might want “SMS-activated web location tracking” is the following.

If you use Google’s 2-step password verification on your Google account, you have “per device” Google passwords which you can manage from your Google Account.

Let’s say your phone or tablet is stolen or lost. You run to your PC and immediately revoke your lost device’s Google password, so that nobody can use your Gmail and Market etc. on your device.

BUT THEN, you find out that you also locked yourself out of Avast AntiThief web commands!
According to my experience, the phone will still connect to the web site, send location tracking data etc., BUT web commands will not be pushed to your phone any more. In other words, you won’t be able to control your phone from the web, correct me if I am mistaken.

In such a scenario, SMS commands are the only way you can still send AAT commands to your phone. If web commands don’t work, you might want to use SMS commands instead in order to tell your phone “Please send data to the web site”. Not only location tracking, but take a photo and backup data too!

system · 2015-04-11T20:03:02.000Z

The tracking is viewed on the avast anti-theft website, whether you start the ‘request location every x mins’ via that website or SMS.
The device being tracked doesn’t send an SMS with the GPS location coordinates, it displays it on the avast website. The device must have an active data connection, Cell or WiFi.

Apologies I just realised you was asking for SMS as a means of communicating the devices position. I got confused by you being concerned about the excess SMS sent.

I agree being able to get an SMS from the device with its gps location would be of great benefit when the device is not on an active data connection.

1234ava · 2015-04-12T00:08:23.000Z

@spencer10

The SMS command
[pin] locate 5
makes my device send text messages in return with its location every 5 minutes,
until I stop it with another SMS command
[pin] locate stop

The SMS command [pin] locate 5 does not activate location tracking on my.avast.com

That’s what I got when I tried it out. Did you get different results?

system · 2015-04-17T00:31:43.000Z

Yes. I can view the tracking that I start via sms comands on myavast.com but I dont receive continuos sms.
Maybe this is to do with Binary SMS being on or off (support android 4.4.x??). Testing that later

1234ava · 2015-04-17T08:00:11.000Z

@spencer10
Thanks for the info.
I tested with Jelly Bean.
What Android version did you test with?

system · 2015-04-21T10:12:56.000Z

Custom ROM based on 4.2.2.

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