By 
Our smartphones house some of our most intimate and darkest secrets. Anything from text messages, pictures, to web history — even bank account numbers could all fall easy prey to unauthorized snooping or if a user gains access to your device.
Let’s pretend you lost your $700 Android superphone and you have one of those fancy “security” apps installed that allow you to lock-in on your device’s location using GPS. Let’s just say the phone is indoors and it pins the location down to a couple hundred yards. Let’s pretend you then go house-to-house to locate you beloved but everyone that answers the door says they have no idea what you’re talking about. What then? Well, you could accuse everyone of lying and get the door shut in your face or you could get smart and install GotYa! from MBFG.
Using your phone’s front facing camera, GotYa! will snap a quick pic of the alleged perpetrator as they attempt to unlock your device unsuccessfully. GotYa! will then email you your device’s location including a Google Maps link with a timestamped picture of the perpetrator. You can even set it up to send you the message via Facebook. GotYa! also allows for control of certain functions using SMS commands like:
- Lock/Unlock your device
- Request a location
- Request a callback
- Play an alarm sound (even if muted)
- Be notified on SIM change
The best part? There’s also a “Friendly Mode” that when enabled, will allow access to your device after a few wrong attempts sending the device location in the background. This way the thief (or snooper) will potentially keep using the device to call friends and brag about their spoils. If memory concerns are an issue for you, you will be pleased to know the developer assures users that the app does not need to run in the background to function. GotYa! is only activated along with the lockscreen.
You can find GotYa! Right now in the Android Market in both a lite free version, and a $2 full version. Paid version includes:
- *FULL* size image capture
- Email/Facebook notifications support with location
- Remote SMS commands
- Smart screen ON capture trigger
- Queued system notifications support
- Incremental, timestamped, captures support
Before leaving feedback in the Market — one thing to keep in mind is since security is GotYa!’s #1 priority, the app can only be uninstalled when you disable the service first from inside the app.
Pretty sweet app!!
I know! I have something very similar on my Mac. Amazing peace of mind :D
And what application is that? I’m interested.
http://hiddenapp.com/
Thanks! Now I’ll have to search for this..but I wonder how it will do any good if I have a password and the person isn’t able to connect to a wireless network. Lot’s of people protect their networks nowadays so unless they are able to connect to one you already have saved I don’t see how this would be helpful :/
Chances are if someone steals your computer they will use it and jump on the net. Or they will sell it to someone else who will use it and connect to the net. One way or another… you’re getting your computer back xD
Dang, never had the misfortune of having a phone stolen before, but this sounds really awesome! Definitely will check it out, and $2 sounds like a deal considering the amount of power this app apparently provides.
Neither free nor paid is compatible with Droid Bionic. No reason given.
my phone dont have front camera
Maybe you can get a picture of their feet? o_O
Oh, God, that was actually funny =)
Gay
are you kidding me? Haha that is so awesome I almost want some dude to grab my phone and take his picture to the police! I just bought it, come on 2 bucks? That’s a no brainer, thx Chris :)
works sweet, sends picture and link for gmaps street view.
entered wrong code to test, went to email saw myself, clicked link was looking at my front door. I like it!!! :)
gonna be cool at parties when friends try to open phone can see who
Why am I not seeing this in the market?
There’s a similar app on the market called Ping Mobile Security that you will let you snap a picture from the front or rear-facing camera and upload it, have your phone call any phone number and turn on speakerphone, forward incoming text messages to your email, set a PIN code, do a data/factory reset, and plot your phone’s location in google maps, all remotely from the web site. And it’s free!
Seriously, mister!? 10-50 downloads and 1 review? Rather than promote your software this sneaky way, you should have gone and write a good review on this very site.
I use phonelocator pro – it has this function and many others
Phonelocator looks pretty good too even if it is double the price ($4.20)
Foiled… by a thumb placed over the camera.
good point…the got ya! logo should not show up in the notification bar until after then picture is snapped. Wonder if that is an option that you can disable or if it does this by default.
Not if they don’t know about gotya
I want to buy the full app but I don’t have a credit card.
you can buy pre paid debit cards but i wouldn’t use it
My phone has 3G network off
send the photos as if off the net?
network runs off?
Wow since everyone knows that by a picture you can immediately tell who someone is….
DONT DOWNLOAD THIS APP! Ive use it. You CANT UNINSTALLED this app it also freezes. What a wast i have to restore my phone and redownload my fav apps because of this piece of junk.
that’s frustrating! did you disable it first from within the app? …i’m interested
No couldn’t it got frozen so i reset my phone again
This is awesome, as long as they don’t know about it, and put their thumb over the camera