Prey: free software for tracking stolen laptops and locating lost gadgets

Imagine the following situation: you’re sipping from a Starbucks coffee and turn around for a few seconds to someone who asked you a polite question, then as you turn back you discover your laptop was stolen. Don’t laugh, that’s a problem many people are facing all over the world. As mobile devices become more and more important to use because of the data they contain a situation like this becomes a catastrophe.

While there are quite a few programs and services which can help you erase the data on your stolen laptop or mobile device in most cases recovery of the device is needed. Here’s where Prey Project can help you.

What is Prey and how does it work?

Prey Project is a free software tool and online monitoring service that can track stolen or lost devices. While there is a paid PRO service the free version is more than adequate for most users. What Prey does for you is install a small program on your Windows, Ubuntu, MacOS X, Linux or Android device and then allows you to set any of the tracked devices as lost/missing from your online Prey account. In the case of Android devices you have to activate the resident Prey app by using an activation phrase (default is GO PREY) sent by SMS. To stop tracking you send an SMS with STOP PREY message. Once you report a device as stolen, depending on your device settings (also available online) you start to receive periodic reports about that particular device, if it’s used by the thief.

The list of devices tracked by Prey

With these detailed reports you can get a geographical report, a webcam picture that can possibly reveal the face of the thief and a desktop screenshot. You can even get a list of running programs and modified files. With those reports you can go to the police and ask them to pay the thief a visit. It has worked for some people so it’s a small change you’ll get your laptop or gadget back. In the case of gadgets with GPS chips you’ll get a very accurate location on map. If there’s no GPS compatibility or the tracked laptop is used indoors WiFi triangulation is used.

Lots of settings for tracked devices on your Prey online account

The Prey resident module is smart enough to stay hidden from untrained eyes and can even connect to nearby unsecured WiFi networks for location purposes and to send its periodical reports. Believe it or  not, triangulation via WiFi proved very accurate in my case, as I was testing the service.

Typical Prey report

Prey paid plans

The free version of Prey allows you to track up to three devices and gets you 10 reports per device. As new reports are issued older get deleted. PRO plans extend the number of devices and reports that are stored in your online account, as well as add the option to lock the device, erase data, as well as getting on demand reports. The cheapest plan is $5 per months and allows you to track 3 devices, with 100 reports for each one. You can step up to $399 per month which will get you 500 devices with 100 associated reports for each.

Prey PRO paid plans

Final words

Since it costs nothing to install and configure, just a few minutes from your time, Prey Project is a must have free software to track stolen notebook and other Android devices. Probably iOS support is coming soon, but as it stands right now, Prey could prove to be difference between buying a new laptop and recovering the lost one.