Prey

All in one security and tracking for your lost devices

Prey is a well‑rounded security suite designed to help you find, protect, and manage your devices when they go missing. Instead of focusing on a single gadget, it brings phones, laptops, and tablets together under one unified account, controlled from either a web panel or its companion app.

Once configured, Prey runs quietly in the background, constantly ready to respond to remote commands. From the dashboard, you can see your devices on a map, trigger a loud alarm, display a custom message on screen, or lock access entirely. In more serious situations, the *Pro* features let you remotely wipe data or retrieve files, an invaluable safety net if a device is stolen and contains sensitive information.

Security is clearly a priority. Prey uses device administrator privileges, background location access, and even Accessibility services to power its lock and remote control tools. It can also make itself harder to uninstall, preventing thieves from easily disabling protection. While this heavy use of permissions may feel intrusive at first, it is coherent with the app’s anti‑theft focus and is well explained inside the interface.

The design is straightforward, with clear labels and logical menus, making it easy to locate options like geofencing, location history, or per‑device settings. In daily use, location tracking is generally accurate, though it can depend on GPS and network conditions, and continuous monitoring can have a mild impact on battery life.

Prey’s free tier is suitable for basic tracking on a few devices, while advanced file retrieval, geofencing, and wipe tools are locked behind a subscription. Overall, it is a powerful, mature solution for anyone who takes device and data security seriously and is willing to trade some extra permissions for stronger protection.