If you've ever wondered if it's possible track a cell phone by IMEI if it is stolen, in this article we are going to get you out of doubt, since this is not the only method available and, far from it, the best of all, since it is not available to all users
Mobile devices have become the main tool, and sometimes unique, of many users to consult the bank accounts, send an email, scan a document, record videos or take photos, make video calls ...
However, the pandemic brought users back to reality which they had forgotten practically a decade ago, when smartphones were replacing computers in practically all areas, but that is another topic that we will discuss later in other articles.
Table of Contents
What is IMEI
The same as the IP that we use to surf the internet is a unique number composed of 4 digits that no other user can use, the IMEI of a mobile phone works in a similar way.
The IMEI is a unique number of 15 or 17 digits (depends on the manufacturer) that identify the phone. The figures displayed in the IMEI provide information related to the terminal model, manufacturing date, lot and other information that allows the manufacturer to identify the device quickly.
If you lose your terminal or it is stolen, You will need this number to make a report to the police and call your operator to be included in the operators' black list so that it cannot be used with other SIM cards.
How to know the IMEI number
If you are a user who usually keeps the boxes of the devices that you buy, it is assumed that you will also have the box of your smartphone, where the IMEI number is displayed.
If not, you can find out the IMEI number by entering the code * # 060 #. Take a screenshot or write down the phone number in a place you can remember.
Can the IMEI be changed?
Although it is not an easy process to perform, through a process called flashing, you can change the IMEI of a mobile device connecting it to a computer. Once the IMEI number is changed, the telephone operators will be able to locate the phone.
This process is carried out when the terminals have been blocked by IMEI. When a phone has been blocked by IMEI (because it has been stolen or because the operator's installments have not been paid), the phone will never be able to connect to a cell tower, it will only work through the Wi-Fi connection.
Now, This process is generally illegal in many countries. since if we do this we can allow fraudulent activities to be carried out from that new IMEI.
How to lock and unlock an IMEI
The first thing you should do is go to the police to make the corresponding report. In the complaint you must add the IMEI number so that, in case of recovery, you can recover your phone again.
Having the IMEI at hand and the complaint, then you have to call your operator to block the IMEI, in order to prevent friends of others from using it in the future. Now, what if we want to unblock it for any reason in the future? It's going to be something more complicated.
And, just like blocking an IMEI, We have to contact our operator and make the unlocking request. The problem is that many carriers do not take the process of unlocking an IMEI with as much interest as they do to block it.
How to track IMEI number if my device is stolen
There are other easier and more accessible methods to find your phone if it has been stolen or if you have lost it. Only the operators With a court order they can track the cell phone by IMEI. We could talk at length about this topic, but the summary will always be the same.
In the Play Store we can find a large number of applications, in addition to web pages, that they ensure that we can locate a phone number using the IMEI. Don't trust them, they don't have the means to do it. The only thing these applications and websites are looking for is to obtain your credit card information under the pretext of ensuring that you are over 18 years old.
Although now that we know how to track the cell phone by IMEI, I am going to explain to you how to find your cell phone if it has been stolen or lost.
How to locate a lost or stolen mobile
Once we have ruled out that locating a mobile by IMEI is a process that does not depend on us, below we show you other methods that if they are within our reach and that they are much more effective and faster.
Locate a lost or stolen iPhone
Apple allows you to locate each and every one of the devices associated with the user ID via the Search application and from the web page iCloud.com
- If we don't have another Apple device, we access the web icloud.com and we enter the data of our Apple ID.
- Then we press Search and a window will open with a map and the location of our device.
Through this map, we can:
- Play sound: This function allows us to locate the device if it is in our location through the sound that the device will emit.
- Activate Lost Mode: The lost mode shows on the screen of the device the message that we establish where we must include a phone number so that they call us if a Good Samaritan has found it.
- Erase iPhone: With the Erase iPhone function, all content stored on the device is erased.
Locate a lost or stolen Android
To locate an Android phone with Google services, we are going to use the application Find your Google mobile.
- Once we access this website and enter our account information, all the information will be displayed. devices associated with the Google account.
- Next to each device, it will show date and time of the last time your location was accessed.
- To know the location of the device, click on it to open a map with the last location registered by Google.
Through the Find your mobile function we can:
- Play sound. Function that allows us to locate the device through the sound it emits if we are in the same location as the device.
- Lock device. It allows us to set a message on the lock screen with our phone number and log out of our Google account.
- Reset the device to factory state. By clicking on this option, we will erase all the content stored on the device and we will not be able to use this function again to locate it.
In addition to this, if we did not find the IMEI before, now we can do it from the gear button on your device in Google Find My Device. If you click this options button You will see the device model, its IMEI and the date when it was first registered for this service..
How to locate a switched off mobile
Although it is not as simple as we would like, although much easier than tracking a cell phone by IMEI, Android smartphones have systems that can help us recover the lost and turned off terminal. Of course, it is not as precise as one may think and, unlike the mobile phones of the brands that I am going to tell you about below, most Android mobile phones do not send details of their location when they are turned off.
Although what we can do is use Google Find My Device again to see the last known location before it was turned off. Simply use the Google Maps timeline to see where cell phone signals were last found. However, It is very important that you make sure you have Google location history activated on your Android mobile.
But this is if your mobile phone is not from the following manufacturers: Huawei, Xiaomi or Samsung. I explain to you for each one of them.
Find my turned off Huawei brand mobile
If you ever lose your Huawei mobile, don't worry, there are ways to locate it even if it is turned off. But first of all, It is essential to have the “Find my phone” function activated before losing it, if not everything will be much more complicated, almost impossible.
To activate this function we go to the mobile settings, We go to “Huawei Account” and enter “Huawei Cloud”. Once this is done we will find the option that says “Find my phone”, activate it. Now that we have this option activated we will have to use a computer to find the lost Huawei.
The first thing is to access Huawei Cloud from a computer and log in with the same Huawei ID that you used on the lost device. Within the Huawei Cloud panel, select “Search for device”. A list of all Huawei devices linked to your account will appear. Select the lost device and the device's location will appear on a map.
Since the device is turned off, will be gray, but will show the last known location before turning off. This way you can find it so do not hesitate to enable these security functions now if you have not done so before.
How to find my turned off phone if it is from Xiaomi
As always in these cases, when we have a Xiaomi mobile we must be cautious and activate the location function to be able to find it once it is turned off. And it is that With this function we can find the last location of the mobile before it turns off.
It is a process quite similar to what we have seen in Huawei. First, We have to enter Xiaomi Cloud and log in with the MI account that we had on the lost device. Once this is done, all connected devices will open and you will be able to see practically the same thing as with the service Google Find My Device- make it ring, display a contact number on the screen or erase all data to protect your personal information.
The good thing about this service, which is not the best, is that will almost always try to launch a homing signal before shutting down completely, this allows us to have greater precision than with the Google service. Although, as I say, there are manufacturers that manage to locate our phones better once they are turned off.
How to find my Samsung mobile once it is turned off
Samsung offers an advantage with its Find My Mobile system, allowing you to find your mobile even when it is turned off. Activate “Offline Search” in the Samsung mobile settings and make sure you have an associated Samsung account. Access Find My Mobile to see the approximate location using secure connection via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to other Samsung smartphones.
And if it is turned off, the tool uses secure connection via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to other nearby Samsung smartphones to give you an approximate radius of the area you are in. This technology allows other Samsung devices to act as location nodes, increasing the possibility of finding your mobile.
This is exactly just like what Apple does with its devices to make them easier to find
Locate a turned off iPhone
As I said, if you have an iPhone but it's turned off, you can also locate your device from iCloud. This is because these terminals, even if they are turned off, emit a Bluetooth signal which is detected by terminals of the same manufacturer that pass near it. This signal is transferred to the network of Apple devices without the user who has passed near the device knowing it.
If this happens, the user who has lost his phone, you will receive a notification with the approximate location from your terminal so that you can retrieve it again. Have you heard of Apple AirTags or Samsung Tags? Well, if you have heard about these location devices, you will have seen how the operation is exactly the same.
Well, here I leave you the best way to find your cell phone, whether it is off or on, and to track your cell phone by IMEI. It is very important that you understand What methods does the manufacturer of your mobile phone have to find your mobile phone in case of loss or theft and activate it as soon as possible?. Remember Share this article with your close people so that they never lose their phones no matter what model they are.