FMD Server is the open-source, self-hosted backend for the Find My Device app. Learn how it works, its encryption model, hosting options, and alternatives.
Category
Internet of Things (IoT) & Home Automation
Pricing
Open Source / Free, from Free (self-hosted)
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Last updated
July 18, 2026
Free PlanWeb AppAndroidOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
FMD Server is the open-source, self-hostable backend for FMD (Find My Device), an Android application that locates, locks, rings, photographs, and can factory-reset a lost or stolen phone without relying on Google Play Services or a Google account.
Written in Go with SQLite storage, FMD Server is distributed as small Docker images and is developed by a maintainer known as Nulide under the fmd-foss project on GitLab, with the Android client separately published on F-Droid.
Key Features
Core capabilities include GPS and cellular device location, remote lock, remote ring, remote photo capture, and remote factory reset, all controllable either through the FMD Server web interface or via SMS commands gated by a PIN or a whitelist of trusted numbers.
Its defining technical feature is end-to-end confidentiality: location data is protected with an RSA-3072 keypair guarded by an Argon2id-derived AES-GCM key, so the server stores only ciphertext and the operator running an instance cannot read a user's location or photos without that user's own password.
Pricing
FMD Server is free and open source (GPLv3-or-later) to self-host; the only cost is the infrastructure it runs on, and official Docker images range from about 40 MB (distroless) to 160 MB (Debian-based).
For users who do not want to self-host, third-party managed hosting is available, such as DANIAN's fully managed FindMyDeviceServer offering starting at roughly EUR 9 per month, plus one-click packages on platforms like Cloudron, Hostinger, and Dokploy.
Key Features
GPS and cellular device location — Locate a device using GPS when available, falling back to cellular network-based positioning when GPS is unavailable or disabled.
Remote lock and ring — Lock a lost device remotely or trigger it to ring at full volume to help locate it nearby.
Remote photo capture — Trigger the device's camera remotely to capture a picture of its surroundings, useful for identifying who has the device.
Remote factory reset — Wipe a device remotely as a last resort if it cannot be recovered, protecting personal data from unauthorized access.
SMS command channel — Every core command also works by sending a gated SMS to the device, providing a control path that does not depend on the device having an active data or FMD Server connection.
End-to-end encrypted data — Location data and photos are encrypted client-side using RSA-3072 and an Argon2id-derived AES-GCM key, so the server only ever stores ciphertext.
Lightweight Docker deployment — Official Alpine, Debian, and distroless Docker images (roughly 40 to 160 MB) make self-hosting straightforward behind any reverse proxy.
No Google dependency — Works fully independently of Google Play Services and Google accounts, making it compatible with de-Googled Android distributions like GrapheneOS and LineageOS.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Fully open source and self-hostable, avoiding dependency on Google or Apple location services
Strong end-to-end encryption design means even the server operator cannot read location data or photos
Works on de-Googled Android devices where Google's own Find My Device does not function
Dual control paths (web interface and SMS) provide redundancy if internet connectivity is unavailable
Very small resource footprint, runs comfortably on inexpensive VPS or home server hardware
Cons
Requires technical comfort with Docker and reverse proxy configuration for self-hosting
No official first-party managed hosting; managed options come from third-party providers, not the core project
No formal company backing, support SLA, or roadmap guarantees typical of commercial device-tracking services
Feature set is narrower than mainstream platform services (no cross-device family sharing dashboard comparable to Apple Find My, for example)
SMS-based commands depend on the device retaining a working SIM and cellular signal
Pricing
Self-Hosted (Open Source) Free N/A
Third-Party Managed Hosting (e.g. DANIAN) From approximately EUR 9/month Monthly
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FMD Server free to use?
Yes. FMD Server is open-source software licensed under GPLv3-or-later, and self-hosting it costs nothing beyond the infrastructure it runs on. Third-party managed hosting is also available for a fee for users who do not want to self-host.
Can FMD Server read my location data?
No, by design. Location data and photos are encrypted on the device using an RSA-3072 keypair protected by an Argon2id-derived AES-GCM key, so the server only stores ciphertext and cannot decrypt it without the user's password.
Does FMD Server require Google Play Services?
No. FMD Android and FMD Server are designed to work entirely independently of Google Play Services and Google accounts, which is why the project is popular on de-Googled Android distributions like GrapheneOS and LineageOS.
How do I self-host FMD Server?
FMD Server ships as official Docker images (Alpine, Debian, and distroless variants) that listen on port 8080 behind a reverse proxy handling TLS, with a mounted volume to persist the SQLite database across restarts.
Can I control FMD without an internet connection?
Yes. Every core FMD command also works over SMS, gated by a PIN or a whitelist of trusted phone numbers, so a lost device can still be located or locked even without a working data connection.
Are there managed hosting options for FMD Server?
Yes. Third-party providers such as DANIAN offer fully managed FMD Server hosting starting around EUR 9 per month, and the project is also packaged for one-click deployment on platforms like Cloudron, Hostinger, and Dokploy.