Oftentimes I loathe the fact that I can’t leave my home without a modern day tether, the cellphone.

However, when it’s lost, all manner of panic strikes now that the connection to the world is lost with it.

So, while I typically keep the cellphone on a table somewhere within sight, at times I’ve been known misplace it.

Such was the case over the weekend. After hunting for it for hours, and feeling disconnected from the world, I turned to the Internet for potential options that could help me find it.

A search of “how to locate cellphone” found that certain brands offers a tracking service, so long as your account is signed in.

Alas, I have a habit of keeping my apps and signed in accounts to a minimum, so that option was out.

Another page outlined a way to use a messaging app to ring the phone.

Again, Hangouts, the app touted in this quick fix tutorial, told me my number was invalid.

Fortunately the device’s location was discovered through some investigative work, not through these highly advanced pieces of software.

After my tether to the world was recovered, I found a much easier method to locate a lost phone, simply type “lost cell phone” in a Google search.

This method also requires that you be signed in, but this time with Google Mail.

So, if you have a Gmail account, and have that account signed in on your phone, this method provides a plethora of ways to get your phone back.

Not only does it give a GPS location, which can come in handy if you left it at the park, but also make it ring for five minutes so you can find it stuffed between the couch cushions.

If you did leave it at the park, or it was stolen, there is also the option to lock and erase the device.