Description: GotYa! Face Trap & Security is, as you have probably guessed by now an Android app that aims to keep your device safe. The phrase ‘Gotya’ isn’t in the title by accident, as the app takes a photo of someone who has failed to get past your pattern or pin lock more than three times in a row. This photo is then emailed to you along with your phone’s location, and other detailed information. It’s a security app with a difference, and while there’s questions to be asked of whether or not this encourages people to take matters into their own hands, Gotya should certainly help users keep their information secure and hopefully get their devices back.
How it Works: You’ll need to download GotYa! Face Trap & Security from the Play Store before you can secure your device. Once you have done, you’ll need to sign in with your Google account before you can go any further.
Then you’ll need to setup Gotya! Which is fairly easy, but it’s not made all that clear that you must use a pattern or a pin, leaving those that like Face Unlock out of luck.
Once you have everything set up, you can go ahead and give it a try, I put in the wrong pin 3 times in a row and it caught me redhanded.
Information included a detailed location of my position and a little Google Maps image to interact with as well.
There’s a host of settings you can tweak as well to further the app’s capability as a security app.
The SMS commands have me quite interested as there’s a lot you can do with them.
If you were to install GotYa on a second device however, say your tablet or your partner’s phone, then you can remotely control it from another. Here I am locating my Desire 610 from my Nexus 5.
From there, you can remotely control your second device. You can easily take an image with either the front or rear-facing cameras and you can also record audio on the device as well.
This information is of course then sent to the email address registered to your account, allowing you to get information on where you may have left your device, or worse where someone has taken it.
Opinion: I was genuinely surprised when GotYa! Face Trap & Security worked the first time I used it, it was quick and sent me an email – which I noticed on my watch – pretty much straight away. From there though, I had a few privacy concerns with the level of info you could get. Along with a photo from the front-facing camera on the device, there is a location and even records of nearby WiFi access points. Essentially giving someone all the info they needed to take things into their own hands. Hopefully, most users won’t do that and forward the information to the authorities and then remotely wipe their device to prevent accounts and other information get into the wrong hands. However, the location stuff is a good way of figuring out if you left it at the coffee house or left it behind at work, which can bring some peace of mind.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – In my experience, GotYa! Face Trap & Security genuinely works and it was quick in getting me emails of an unknown user.
- Features (5/5) – Sure, it does give out a little too much info, but it works well and can at least help you see who is accessing your device and alert users if they’ve lost their smartphone.
- Theme (4/5) – The interface is okay and works well, the setup can be a little confusing but it’s easily overcome.
- Overall (4/5) – A cool, innovative app that definitely works and should help users control what happens to their information after someone tries to get access to your smartphone.
Pros
- Genuinely works – it worked first time for me on a Desire 610 as well as my Nexus 5 and it only gets better when installed on multiple devices.
- Lots of information like a location with a link to Google Maps, IP addresses if on WiFi and names of nearby networks.
- You can send the device remote SMS commands and even be alerted if a thief tries to change the SIM card.
- Should offer enough info to give the authorities a head start on finding your device, as well as alerting those that have lost their phone if it’s stolen.
Cons
- Could encourage users to take matters into their own hands.
- Might have adverse effects on battery life.
Conclusion: For an app that comes across as gimmicky, GotYa! Face Trap & Security genuinely works and it worked a number of times for me. A good idea though Gotya! is, I can’t help but feel it could persuade users to take matters into their own hands. Hopefully that happens very rarely, as otherwise all the information used here could let you know if it’s a friend or family member using your device or just let you know that you’ve left it behind or if it has indeed been stolen. A comprehensive app that might give some users more information than they should get, GotYa! Face Trap & Security is worth looking into if you live in a rough neighborhood or have sensitive info on your smartphone.