Where is the phone by imei. How to find a lost android phone: all the ways and recommendations

Reading time: 3 min

Today we will consider a rather popular question of a lost android phone, how to find it via the Internet, if turned off, via a computer, by imei. There are several ways to find a lost phone, and each is good in its own way.

Each smartphone runs on some operating system, such as ios, android, windows phone and others. Each OS has its own security system. For example, a lost phone on OS ios can be found using a special program provided by the manufacturer. The program can track and find the phone. But what about users of other devices. on which the Android operating system? Let's look at several ways to return the lost.

How to find android phone if lost

There are situations when the phone fell out of a pocket, bag, was generally lost or stolen. And it needs to be returned. First of all, you will want to write a statement to the police, but as practice and other people's appeals with the same problem show, there is no smell of success there. It remains to rely only on those who will find and return the phone to the owner, unfortunately there are few of them or look for the phone on their own.

So let's start looking for a phone, because every minute is important to us. In order to determine the location of the phone, there is nothing complicated. To start the search, we need a google account and if the google account is not added to the phone, then this method is not suitable. But usually everyone has it, otherwise you would not be able to use the services from Google.

Also in the settings, in the Location section, you need to check the boxes as in the screenshot.

As you can see, in this method, everything is simple. Google provides a search function for your smartphone.

How to search on a computer

The Android Device Manager service is designed specifically to find a lost phone, but if the settings on the phone are reset or it is turned off, then there is no sense in it. But not every thief knows how to do this, so it's worth trying this method.

What we need to do to find the device:

Enter your username and password, and then log into your account. If you don’t have an account yet, then be sure to create it, as it is very useful and necessary (after creating, you can also log into your account via a smartphone).

As you have already noticed, you can remotely call the phone, block or clear the device of all data if you do not want anyone to see them.

How to find a phone at home through a computer

If it happened that you somehow managed to lose your phone at home, then you can call it from a computer using the Google service

Within a few minutes, the phone will ring at full volume and no matter what mode you have enabled.

Sending a message to a lost or stolen phone

If the phone is lost, and the person who found it wants to return it, even though there are few such people in our time, there are still such people. You can display text on the phone screen that will help the finder to contact the owner of the gadget.

We use the same service and the "Set up blocking and deletion of data" button.

In the window that appears, you can do the following: Enter a password that can be used to lock the machine.

Write a message, after reading which the person will return the mobile phone.

If it is not possible to return the gadget, then it is recommended to protect your personal data. To do this, click the "Clear" button. In this case, everything will be deleted and the phone will go to the standard factory settings.

With the help of programs

In addition to finding a phone using google services, you can find a phone using programs. The Lost Android program has proven itself well. You can install it from Google Play. But after installation, the application will be called Personal Notes. so that it does not catch the eye and the attackers do not suspect anything.

After starting the program, we give it administrator rights, for this we click on the button as in the screenshot

These two methods I proposed, through Google and the program, help to find even a switched off smartphone. This is achieved by the fact that Google services record the moment when the device was last turned on, and, accordingly, the location.

Find phone by imei and sim card

And here I want to upset you, there is no way to track the phone by number or by imei. By imei, only authorities can track the device, and then not all.

Protection with avast! Anti-Theft for Android

Just in case, you can set up the phone.

Here's what to do:

  • Download antivirus avast! Mobile Security and open it.
  • Go to the settings menu and check the box "Pin code protection" and "Protection from deletion".
  • If a person detects an antivirus, then until he enters a pin code, he will not be able to get rid of it.
  • Then we create an avast account. We go to the official antivirus service and click Create Account Now, put the mail and drive in the password.

If not one method has yielded results or you do not remember the login, password from the Google account that was added on the phone, then there is the last method.

It is impossible to find your smartphone by phone number. But you, as a victim, can come to the police station, write a statement and attach evidence that this is really your phone. Among them are the following: Warranty card. Purchase receipt. Gadget box. IMEI code.

In the modern world, we cannot imagine our life without mobile gadgets, namely smartphones, tablets and other devices.

Each of the smartphones or even mobile phones has its own identifier, which consists of a 15-digit code. This code bears the well-known but cryptic abbreviation IMEI, which literally stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. Knowing this identifier, we can easily find out the status of the phone, for example, whether it is lost or stolen, whether it is wanted, and we can also find out the smartphone model and even belonging to any country.

So, when buying a smartphone, using the IMEI code, we can make sure that it was brought into our country legally. To see the IMEI of your smartphone, you need to look at the back cover, there will be a sticker with a code from the manufacturer, it is also indicated on the battery, box, in the warranty card. And if we enter * # 06 # in dialing, then we will see it on the smartphone display. In view of this, many users have a reasonable question, is it possible to find a phone through IMEI?

Is it possible to find a switched off phone byIMEI?

The loss of a smartphone is quite an unpleasant incident. The mood becomes bad, we are irritable, and the first impulse is to find our gadget as soon as possible. At the same time, the reason for the loss may be different, we could lose it through negligence, or it could be stolen from us by intruders. One of the first thoughts that may come to mind is the question, can we find a phone by IMEI?

In fact, we can, but for this, GPS must be active on the phone, namely, data transfer is enabled in the settings. So, even if the SIM card is removed from the smartphone, for example, the attacker deliberately took it out, it becomes possible to track the location of the device. But to do it yourself, most likely, will not work, it is better to seek help from law enforcement agencies and the telecom operator. If the phone is turned off, then tracking it will not work, because it is very important that it gives a signal.

Program to find phone byIMEI is free

Programmers and developers of various software offer us a wide variety of products that perform a variety of functions. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that programs have appeared in the list of such software that offer us to find a phone via IMEI for free. But it should be understood that access to the databases of mobile operators is not open, and without their knowledge it is impossible to get such access. Therefore, it can be assumed that searching for a smartphone using free software may be ineffective.

We should be much more alert to those programs that promise to find a phone for free by IMEI via satellite, and then ask, for example, to send some SMS. More often than not, this turns out to be a scam. If you still use the services of such programs, then it is best to use those whose work is based on the use of information received from the user. The most requested such program is IMEI-Poisk 2.0, which takes into account the phone number, IMEI, last location and usage.

How to find a phone throughIMEI by computer?

The principle of searching for a lost or stolen smartphone using a computer is approximately similar to the previous one. The easiest way is to find a phone by IMEI via satellite, but for this you must first install the desired application on it, otherwise our task will become more complicated. If the phone was not prepared, then using the IMEI code on our own we can only find out the status of the smartphone, its model and, possibly, information about where it was purchased.

But if we take care of our device and install the necessary applications, for example, in the Eset Mobile Security antivirus, in addition to protecting against viruses, the Anti-Theft module is provided. By activating a similar function on your smartphone, if you lost it or if it was stolen, we will be able to track the location of the gadget on the official website of the program developer.

How to findiPhone onIMEI?

Needless to say, the Apple iPhone today has perhaps the most recognizable logo that is present on the mobile technology market. Let's be honest, because we all recognize the "bitten apple" on the back of the phone. But such popularity is not only beneficial, sometimes vice versa. iPhone becomes a coveted prey for attackers who seek to steal someone else's device.

Finding a phone by IMEI online, if you own an iPhone, is not the best idea, because the developers took care of the safety of their gadgets. The best solution is to connect to the iCloud utility, where to find and turn on Find My iPhone. In the event that the smartphone is lost or stolen, we need to go to the icloud.com website, where we will need to enter our Apple ID and password. After that, we can easily see the location of our iPhone and even its movement around the city.

How to find a stolen phoneAndroid on

IMEI?

Despite the popularity of the Apple brand and their iPhone smartphones, Android devices also do not lose their appeal. What to do if we have lost or stolen our Android smartphone? Indeed, in this case, the focus with iCloud will no longer work. Nevertheless, we do not lose the chance to find a phone by IMEI via satellite for free. The well-known corporation Google will help us in this.

We recall that when we launch an Android smartphone for the first time, we link it to our Google account. From now on, all information about our device will be stored here, including IMEI, its location and even the battery level. In order to find the lost device, we need to go to "Android Remote Control". Here we will get the opportunity to make a call to a smartphone, delete data from it or block the gadget.

How to find a phoneSamsung onIMEI?

It is pointless to dispute the popularity of the Samsung brand in the world of mobile technologies, for example, with Apple. In our opinion, they are completely equivalent today and have approximately equal popularity and an equal army of fans. Thus, we can conclude that for intruders who can steal your smartphone, Samsung is no less desirable prey.

We all understand that the developers of Samsung decided not to use an individual operating system for their smartphones (although there have been persistent rumors for a long time that Samsung gadgets will run Tizen OS), but install only their shell on the mass Android system. Thus, IMEI recognition methods and options for how we can find a phone by IMEI for free are no different from other Android smartphones.

How to find a stolen phoneIMEI in Ukraine?

Even if you know the IMEI of your smartphone, then independent attempts to find it may not lead to anything. You can find a phone via IMEI via satellite only if you have installed the pre-requisite software, or using services from Google or Apple. But what if the smartphone is turned off?

In our country, the most effective measure to find lost or stolen smartphones is to contact the police. This procedure will take some time, because first our police officers need to get permission to check IMEI in court. Further search activities are carried out and the person who illegally owns your device is established. For this procedure to take place, we need to contact the nearest police station and write an official statement about the loss or theft of a mobile device.

In fact, finding a lost smartphone is a very difficult undertaking, even if you know its IMEI, serial number and other identifying differences. Therefore, if you are afraid of such a case (and you should always be afraid, because theft or loss always happens unexpectedly for us), then you need to take care of the security of the gadget in advance.

We can install applications on our smartphone with an anti-theft function, which will allow us to track the location of the smartphone, master “Android Remote Access” in advance in order to quickly navigate and find the location of our smartphone at the right time using Google services. And it is best to promptly contact the nearest police station and write a corresponding statement.

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Today we will look at:

The search for a mobile communication device, simply a phone, is a very relevant topic for discussion today. Still, modern man simply cannot do without this device. Well, if we take into account the fact that the lost device was purchased for “big money”, interest in the search can develop, frankly, into a manic passion “to return your favorite mobile phone at any cost”, which will also be identical in the case when the stolen phone is an electronic keeper priceless information. In general, let's talk about whether it is possible to find a phone by imei via satellite for free and which search method is the most effective given the specific modification of the mobile phone?

You will know the price of a thing, how you will lose

It is impossible to foresee everything. However, a far-sighted user equips his mobile device with a special key fob in advance or installs software with which you can easily determine the location of a lost phone. For a practical user, the presence of a GPS module in the purchased model is the determining factor in choosing a multifunctional communication device.

Nevertheless, many of the owners of the super-theft and loss-proof iPhone, out of ignorance and with the carelessness inherent in frivolous people, leave the extremely important function of the built-in security system - Find My iPhone - unused. But how much would this item be simplified, if it were activated, the search for a missing mobile phone, in the event of an unfavorable set of circumstances.

Destruction of the myth about the effectiveness of the phone search method by IMEI via satellites

Unfortunately, even if you submit an application to law enforcement agencies, no one will look for your phone via satellite. No, of course the method itself is quite effective and there is no reason to doubt its practical effectiveness. However, the realities of today's life are as follows: to "strain" all the operators of the cellular network operating in your region is a rather ruinous occupation, from the point of view of financial costs. And let's face it, it does not apply to all ordinary citizens. A similar search option is the privilege of "the influential of this world", and therefore we will leave this "imei search idea" and turn to much more real ways to find your device through the Internet technologies.

Dubious Internet resources and the futility of their existence

In the modern global network, everything is built on the main component of the success of an enterprise - this is attracting attention. Therefore, it is foolish to believe that any site or "super duper service" will provide you with free information about the location of your phone, which was stolen a few minutes, hours or a couple of days ago. The more shocking truth is that especially gullible "victims" send certain amounts of money to pseudo-assistants who swear by the 100% effectiveness of their services in catching the attacker. Sorry, but this is nonsense!

Tell me, which mobile operator will provide access to the subscriber base of its customers left and right, and even more so, which government structure will allow satellite equipment to be used to track a specific imei identifier? Have you thought about how crazy the idea is to trust some charlatans, sweetly promising to find your cell phone by international identifier, and on an absolutely free basis?

However, there are still chances for the success of the search operation “find a phone by Imei”. Whether it's one in a million or one in a billion, the fact remains that the possibility still exists. The world, as they say, is not without decent people ... today there are many different Internet services that have a very impressive database of stolen imei numbers, where there are, so to speak, their own communities of "victims" who constantly exchange experience using various dubious schemes for a successful scenario for returning a lost phone back to its owner.

However, the effectiveness of such methods, to put it mildly, is a moot point. The only thing a particular site with a database of stolen identifiers can be useful for is when it is used by a person who wants to buy a phone on the secondary market in order to check the “cell contender for purchase”, so to speak, for the legality of its resale. Otherwise, one laugh, some sites offer to bury their devices in a virtual cemetery of mobile phones. In general, no specifics about the guaranteed effect "we know where your phone is."

The most effective way to find a phone by IMEI via satellite

If you are the owner of an iPhone device and the iCloud service is activated on your device, that is, the “Find My iPhone” option is enabled, then you are incredibly lucky!

Log in to the official icloud resource under your account and do the following:


However, do not forget that the device must be turned on, and in some cases the attacker must access the Internet.

As for other brands of mobile phones, there are also a number of opportunities to “find your device” or install a special application that systematically or at the “remote request” of the owner will “quietly” send its geolocation data to the device from which the request was made. However, there are more functional Internet resources, the software of which is able to activate the built-in devices of a smartphone (front camera, for example) and give you a visual signal in the face of an attacker (you can download the software).

You can easily find such software solutions on the official resources of your manufacturer. Also, do not forget that modern smartphones are a kind of mini computers, the hardware of which runs under the guidance of the OS. Therefore, no one and nothing can stop you if you want to protect your phone from unauthorized hacking, theft, or other kinds of life misunderstandings - download and install "security software" on your device from a specialized store or the official technical support website.

Summary

Well, let's hope that the information presented will still be useful to you, despite its "not encouraging" style of writing. However, it makes no sense to be offended by the truth, and even more so to feed yourself with the illusion that the world is so pink, and its population is only well-wishers. Be vigilant and never leave your phone unattended, and most importantly, be sure to equip your device with software protection against theft and loss.

Every modern person cannot imagine his existence without a mobile device, which, for obvious reasons, almost never leaves his hands. Current gadgets, in addition to ordinary calls and SMS messages, have other functionalities, for example, take pictures, shoot videos, use them to access the Internet and plan your schedule.

Therefore, the loss of such a multifunctional gadget for its owner becomes a real disaster. However, do not be upset prematurely, since each modern communicator has its own individual code, with which you can track the location of the loss. In addition, there are several more ways to help find the phone if it is lost.

Search for a switched off phone

If the phone is lost and is in the off state, then this may mean the following:

  • it was stolen and turned off;
  • he arbitrarily got lost and after a certain time his battery ran out.

If the phone was simply lost within a certain room, then the following tips must be applied to find it:

  1. Go through all the rooms, with special attention to be paid to those places where it would be convenient to put the gadget.
  2. Conduct a survey of people in the same room. Since there is a possibility that someone just took the lost smartphone for their own needs.
  3. If an alarm clock was set on a mobile device, then you should just wait until it works. This will happen anyway, even if the gadget was turned off.

If the communicator was stolen or lost on the street, then it is necessary to carefully examine the last route of movement, carefully looking under your feet. However, in this case, the turned off gadget means that it was stolen, or it was found by a third party and turned off. Then, to find it, you can try using the following methods:

In the case of searching for a switched off phone using a SIM card, first of all, you need to contact the operator. Currently, all mobile companies can send a signal to a SIM card installed even in a disabled gadget.

The signal is sent through the GPS system, which, in turn, is connected to the satellites. It turns out that the SIM card will receive a signal sent from two or more points. And then nearby cell towers should have time to fix the received signal. This is what allows you to determine the location of the communicator, even show it on the Internet map.

The step-by-step instruction for detecting a disabled device by SIM is as follows:

  • call the operator;
  • ask to find a lost accessory;
  • to dictate the phone number that was lost;
  • name the agreement number on the SIM card;
  • wait for a response from the operator.

Gadget search by imei

Imei is a unique GSM code for each gadget, translated into Russian as "International Mobile Equipment Identifier". When a mobile connection is connected, the cipher is automatically sent to the mobile cellular operator.

If another SIM card is inserted into a lost or stolen communicator, at least one outgoing call is made, then law enforcement officers have the opportunity to identify the mobile device by imei, that is, to find out information about the owner of the new SIM card. Then it remains to track the thief, seize his telephone device.

Finding out the imei of a gadget is not difficult, especially if it was purchased in accordance with all the rules and has all the necessary documents. Usually such code is stored in the following places:

  1. On the outside of the package.
  2. Under the communicator battery.
  3. In the firmware of the phone.
  4. In the warranty.

On many mobile phones, such a code can be retrieved by dialing a cipher combination (* # 06 #), after which you need to press the call button.

Today, there are several methods for finding a phone by imei. You can be sure that without the help of law enforcement agencies and cellular operators, changing this code is quite difficult, and in some cases even impossible. It is also worth noting that in some countries of the former union, this action is illegal, carries administrative or criminal liability.

If for some reason the victim does not think to search and return his phone, he can simply block it using imei. This requires an oral appeal to the mobile operator.

Independent search for a gadget

To independently find a stolen or lost communicator, you can resort to programs that were developed specifically for Android and IOS. However, if there is one hundred percent certainty that the gadget was stolen, then it is best to contact the police, where you will need to write a statement indicating the unique imei identification number.

You can independently track the location of a smartphone using the Internet, but in this case, the mobile device must be linked to a Google account.

  • go to the personal account of the search engine;
  • find the function "search for a mobile device";
  • select the device that the system should detect;
  • press "start".

After completing the above steps, the system will start searching for the gadget, if the results are positive, the approximate location of the device will be displayed on the online map.

Another way to independently find a phone is to use the capabilities of the smartphone itself (iPhone).

To do this, you need to use a special service from Apple - iCloud. This program allows you to synchronize gadget data to a personal computer.

In addition, the developers of this service provided for the presence of the "iPhone search" function. In order to use this feature, you need:

  1. Access the Internet from a personal computer or laptop.
  2. Connect to the official iCloud website.
  3. Enter an existing ID.
  4. Enter password.
  5. Select the "search for iPhone" function.

If at the time of the search the mobile phone was turned on, the service will show its location.

In addition, using this program, you can block the device or delete all data from its memory. To do this, you just need to send a special cipher.

Despite all the available programs and services, there are times when the owner fails to find his gadget for some reason. But before you get upset, you must definitely try all the possible and impossible ways to find a communicator.

There are cases when one service does not work, and the other, on the contrary, shows the owner the location of his lost device on the first try.

A mobile phone has long been an integral part of the life of almost every modern person, and the technical capabilities of iPhones and other modern smartphones allow you to store a huge amount of important personal and business information on them. In this regard, its loss can be a real disaster for its owner.

What to do if your favorite gadget disappears? You need to act as follows:

  1. First of all, you need to make sure that the device is really lost or stolen, perhaps it was simply left somewhere within your apartment, littered with a pile of things or rolled behind the sofa and is difficult to find. So try to remember when you last saw him and look there.
  2. If there is another telephone in the house - call "yourself" and listen, maybe you will hear it.
  3. If your mobile phone is not found at home, remember where you were recently - people often forget their gadgets at work, in the car or visiting friends and relatives. Look there.

If all this did not give positive results, the device can be considered lost. But this is not yet a reason for panic. Perhaps not all is lost.

There are several ways to get your lost or stolen phone back. We note in advance that in the case if your cell phone was stolen, then an attacker can throw away your SIM card and reflash the phone in order to change the IMEI code, so you need to act as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The first way is to call the phone

You can try to contact the new "owner" of the device by calling him on your number from another device. This the first thing you need try to do when the device is lost. To be fair, this almost never works, because the person who found or bought a stolen phone on the secondary market is unlikely to want to part with it, so your SIM card will most likely be thrown out immediately .

But nevertheless, this still needs to be done in order to exclude this option, besides, there are still many decent people in the world who can get into a position and return your loss, free of charge or for material gratitude.

The second way is to contact law enforcement agencies

After you have unsuccessfully attempted to call your phone, the next logical step is to going to law enforcement for the purpose of filing a claim about the loss of the device and a request to find and return it to its rightful owner, i.e. you. It is important not to forget to bring along the documents for the gadget and the IMEI code of the phone, which must be indicated not only on the device itself, but also in the passport of the smartphone and on the surface of its original packaging.

If anyone does not know, then IMEI is an international identifier for mobile equipment, this is a unique 15-digit identifier code, individual for each mobile device. As already said - IMEI is indicated on the body the phone itself, most often under the battery, in the device passport and on the original packaging. And you can also see the phone's IMEI by dialing the combination * # 06 # and the call button - the code will be displayed on the display.

This method, most likely, will be ineffective, because there are whole heaps of such statements in the police departments, and the valiant law enforcement officers already have something to do, besides looking for such losses. Therefore, one must be prepared for the fact that he, most likely, will not be found.

But we also note that when you visit the police with a similar complaint, they will require you to provide documents for the lost phone to confirm your ownership to the device you specified. Therefore, if the device stolen from you was purchased by you in the secondary market and the documents for the device were not attached to it, or they are missing for other reasons, then you will most likely be refused assistance.

In fairness, it should be noted that in more developed countries, such as Germany, the problem of mobile phone theft is completely solved at the legislative level.

Pedantic Germans approached the issue, as always, with the mind. After you have filed a report with the German police about the theft of your phone, law enforcement agencies send out mobile phone providers lists of similar devices with their IMEI codes. Mobile operators, according to German law, are required to block such devices, and they can no longer be used. In Germany, everyone knows this and no one will buy a stolen smartphone, and, therefore, stealing them is unprofitable.

Method three - finding a phone using satellite and the Internet

Legends about the “magic” search for lost phones “via satellite” have been circulating on the Internet and American blockbusters for a long time. So is this a myth or true? Let's figure it out right away. Is it possible to find the loss via satellite?

Mobile phones, even those with Internet access, have nothing to do with satellites other than the GPS function, so to speak about "search via satellite" doesn't make any sense. It's really about searching on the Internet. About it and will be discussed later.

New programs and online services are constantly being created on the Internet, with the help of which you can determine the location of your lost device for free. The choice of a program or service depends on the modification of your device or the operating system on which it runs.

Below are some of them.

Finding an Android phone using the Internet

If you have lost your Android smartphone, you can use a special service provided by Google called Android Davice Manager.

Working with this service is very simple, and it looks like this:

  • you need to go to the site of the service;
  • select the phone model in a special window;
  • if at this moment the device is on the Internet, the service will immediately indicate its exact location.

Finding a phone through the LoSToleN program

To use this feature, you must first install the LoSToleN program on your smartphone. If you lose your phone, when its new owner installs a new SIM card on it, you to a predetermined you will send an SMS message in the “spare” phone number program, which will notify you that the device has been turned on and indicate the number of the new SIM card. In the future, at your discretion, there are two options for action: either call the new owner of the gadget yourself and try to negotiate in a good way, or contact law enforcement agencies with this data and give them the opportunity to solve this problem.

Phone search through maps-info.ru

Another free way to find a lost mobile phone is to search through the maps-info.ru service. It looks like this. We go to the above site in the "free monitoring" section, go through simple registration procedure and indicate there two phone numbers - the one you want to find, and the number to which you want to receive information about the search progress, after which you press the "search" function. Within a few minutes, all the information found will be sent to your new number, after which you yourself will decide what to do with it.

Search using IMEI-Poisk 2.0

This program searches for the lost gadget in the available databases based on information received directly from the user, such as the time of last use, location, phone number and IMEI code.

Find your Apple iPhone

Apple, which manufactures the iPhone, has also taken care of such a problem as finding a lost iPhone. iPhone devices have a built-in factory built-in iPhone finder called Find iPhone, which makes it easy to track your iPhone if you have internet access.

This feature allows iPhone owners to ease the search process.

Search for a switched off phone

Using the Internet, you can find a smartphone only if the GPS function is enabled on it or information is being transferred. If these conditions are not met, then the phone will not identify itself in the network.

After all of the above, it is worth noting that on the Internet, in addition to useful and free programs and sites, there are many fraudulent organizations, which offer access to IMEI databases after you send them an SMS message. There is no benefit from accessing such databases, since this will not help in any way to find the lost gadget.

Therefore, if you are trying to find a lost gadget on your own using the Internet, be vigilant, do not let yourself be deceived, and, in addition to the gadget, also lose money.