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Android app will snap photo of thief trying to unlock your device

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The next time a thief tries to break into your smartphone or tablet, you may be able to get the culprit’s mugshot emailed to you.

Lookout Mobile Security has updated its free Android app with a new feature called “Lock Cam” that helps users spot where their lost phones or tablets might be and who might have taken it.

The Lock Cam takes a picture using devices’ front-facing cameras when someone incorrectly enters a device’s unlock code three times in a row.

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The app then emails the picture, along with the location of the device, to the users’ email address. Lookout says the app does all of this silently so thieves have no idea they’ve been captured on camera.

The updated app with the Lock Cam feature can be downloaded from Google Play. It only works with devices running Google’s Android operating system. The company said it wants to add the feature to its app for the iPhone and iPad but doesn’t have a timetable as to when that might happen.

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