Location by imei number. How to find a lost Android phone: all the methods and recommendations. Built-in search function

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 them to store a huge amount of important personal and business information. In this regard, its loss can be a real disaster for its owner.

What to do if your favorite gadget disappears? You must proceed 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, buried under a pile of things, or rolled behind the sofa and is difficult to find. So try to remember the last time you 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 cell 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 does not give positive results, the device can be considered lost. But this is not yet a reason to panic. Perhaps all is not lost yet.

There are several ways to return a lost or stolen phone. We note in advance that in the case if your mobile phone was stolen, then the 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.

Method one - call the phone

You can try to contact the new “owner” of the device by calling him on your number from another device. This first thing you need try to do if you lose your device. To be fair, it is worth noting that this almost never gives a positive result, since a 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 immediately thrown away .

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 step into the position and return your loss, free of charge or for financial gratitude.

Method two is to contact law enforcement agencies

After you've tried calling your phone to no avail, the next logical step is to going to law enforcement in order to file a statement about the loss of the device and a request to find and return it to the rightful owner, i.e. you. It is important not to forget to take with you the documents for the gadget and the IMEI code of the phone, which should 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 doesn’t know, IMEI is an international mobile equipment identifier; it is a unique 15-digit identifier code, individual for each mobile device. As already said - IMEI is indicated on the case the phone itself, most often under the battery, in the device passport and on the original packaging. You can also view the IMEI of your phone by typing the combination *#06# and the call button - the code will appear on the display.

This method will most likely be ineffective, since there are whole heaps of such statements in police departments, and valiant law enforcement officers already have something to do other than look for such losses. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that, most likely, he will not be found.

But we also note that when visiting the police with such a complaint, they will require documents from you for the lost phone to confirm your ownership to the device you specified. Therefore, if the device stolen from you was purchased by you on the secondary market and no documents for the device were attached to it, or they are missing for other reasons, then they will most likely refuse to help you.

To be fair, it is worth noting that in more developed countries, such as Germany, the problem of mobile phone theft has been completely resolved at the legislative level.

The pedantic Germans approached the issue, as always, wisely. After you have filed a report with the German police about the theft of your phone, law enforcement agencies send out mobile providers lists of similar devices indicating 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, it is not profitable to steal them.

Method three - searching for a phone using satellite and the Internet

Legends about the “magical” search for lost phones “via satellite” have long wandered on the Internet and in American blockbusters. So is this a myth or truth? Let's figure it out right away. Is it possible to find lost items via satellite?

Mobile phones, even those with Internet access, have no relation to satellites other than the GPS function, so talk about “satellite search” doesn't make any sense. We are actually talking about searching using the Internet. This 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 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 service website;
• select your 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 using the LoSToleN program

To use this function, 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, contact you to a pre-specified An SMS message will be sent to you in the “spare” phone number program, which will notify you that the device has been turned on and will indicate the number of the new SIM card. In the future, you have two options at your discretion: either call the new owner of the gadget yourself and try to come to an amicable agreement, or contact the law enforcement agencies with this data and give them the opportunity to solve this problem.

Search for a phone via the website 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 two phone numbers there - the one you want to find, and the number at which you want to receive information about the search progress, and then click the “search” function. Within a few minutes, all the information found will be sent to your new number, after which you will decide what to do with it.

Search using IMEI-Poisk 2.0 program

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

Finding an Apple iPhone

Apple, which produces the iPhone, is also concerned about the problem of finding a lost iPhone. iPhone brand devices They have a factory built-in system for finding a lost iPhone, called “iPhone Finder,” which makes it easy to track your iPhone if you have access to the Internet.

This feature allows iPhone owners to make the search process easier.

Finding a switched off phone

Using the Internet, you can find a smartphone only if the GPS function is turned on or information is being transferred. If these conditions are not met, the phone will not identify itself on 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 it will not help in any way to find a lost gadget.

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

Today we will look at:

Losing a mobile phone is not as difficult as it seems, because it is with us always and everywhere. And this time the whole question is how to protect yourself from losing it, and how to find the phone by IMEI yourself.

There is such an opinion on the Internet, a possibility. For reference: IMEI is a code consisting of 16 or 17 digits, and sometimes also letters, located on the original phone battery, in the warranty card and stored in the memory of the phone itself.

You can find out your IMEI by finding it under the back cover of the phone, as well as by typing a combination of numbers on the device itself. In addition, in modern mobile devices, just go to “Settings”, find the “About phone” section (or a similar name) and find the IMEI item and the code itself there. Or you can dial *#06# and press the call button - the IMEI code will be displayed on the display.

This code is assigned to each phone at the factory and is individual for each device. When flashing a smartphone, this code is “lost”; therefore, it will be impossible to find it using IMEI or return it under warranty.

Why is IMEI needed?

This code is used as follows: after the user turns on the phone, the IMEI is sent to the mobile operator, after which a network appears on the device. All these actions occur unnoticed by the user. If your mobile device supports two SIM cards, then there will be two IMEIs.

How to track a phone by IMEI yourself?

So we get to the question that probably interests you most. However, we have to disappoint you - it is impossible to do this. There are several sites on the Internet that supposedly help you track the location of your lost phone, but in fact, all these databases are fake, so the information received will be false.

In general, using IMEI is possible, but for this you need to have an honorary status with law enforcement agencies, which have the right to make a request to the mobile company to find the desired device. All other methods - websites, selling databases or other paid methods are a common scam and fraud.

What to do if you lose your phone?

Oddly enough, write a statement to the police. In this case, you will need to prove that you are the owner of the mobile device by providing documents for the phone.

There's absolutely no point in contacting your network operator for help with the search, but be sure to block your SIM card to avoid getting a hefty bill for calls to other countries or other costs.

This must be done quickly, since the finder can reflash the phone and/or sell it, after which even representatives of the law will not be able to find the device using IMEI.

Losing a phone is a small tragedy for every person. Today, almost every phone contains a piece of its user’s life - these are photos, social networks, SMS messages, contacts and other important information. Due to these users, they are looking for the fastest and most efficient way to find a phone. This solution may seem search phone by IMEI .

Let’s immediately answer the main question of the topic: it is impossible to independently search for a phone by IMEI. There are several reasons for this:

1. A thief can change the IMEI of a device. IMEI is a unique numeric code that is assigned to each phone during production. You can usually find out IMEI in two ways:

— Using USSD command. Open the dialing mode on your phone, enter the command *#06# and press the call key. The IMEI will be displayed on the phone screen.

— Look under the device's battery. There is a sticker there that will tell you what IMEI your phone has. If the phone has a non-removable battery, the IMEI can be found on the box with the device and on the SIM card tray.

Using certain actions, a scammer can change your IMEI, which will cause your device to be considered non-existent.

2. The fact is that only the highest law enforcement agencies have such powers as requesting the IMEI location, which, as you understand, will not deal with ordinary phone thefts.

3. In turn, information about the location of the phone is provided by the cellular operator. However, the operator does not have the right to provide this information to ordinary users, but only to law enforcement agencies (see paragraph 2).

How to find a stolen phone.

1) First of all, of course, try to commit. If you lost your phone due to your own absent-mindedness, then a decent person could very well find it and return it to you. Naturally, you shouldn’t forget about rewards.

2) If you are the owner of an iPhone or Android, you can find your phone by geolocation. This method will only work if you took care of this in advance, i.e. or for Android “Android Remote Control”.

3) And, of course, if your device is expensive and contains a lot of important information that needs to be returned, go to the nearest police station to file a report about the theft of your phone. Unfortunately, this does not always bring the expected result, but it’s worth trying your luck.

Conclusion. To avoid getting into this situation, take care of your device: do not carry it in external pockets, do not leave it on a table in public places, try not to use it in transport or on the street.

A mobile phone is a serious nuisance. There are at least two reasons for frustration in this case. Firstly, the device itself often costs a lot of money. And secondly, its memory contains information that is extremely necessary for the owner and is not intended for prying eyes. This can be personal correspondence, photos and videos, as well as secret data, for example, passwords from payment services or work documents. How can I find my phone if it is lost or stolen? This article describes effective ways to find mobile devices even when they are turned off.

If your phone is lost at home

How to find a mobile phone if you know for sure that it is lost in a house or apartment? The easiest way to search is, of course, to call your number from another device. In this case, the gadget must be turned on.

If the phone battery is low, then you can only rely on your own memory and attentiveness. In this case, it is recommended to try to remember in detail the events that preceded the loss of the mobile device. You should follow this route, carefully examining everything around you. After all, the gadget could, for example, fall behind the sofa, or it lies unnoticed on a shelf, covered with another thing. It could even end up in the refrigerator or trash can.

If you have an alarm clock set on your phone, this can greatly facilitate the search, because the alarm almost always goes off even when the device is turned off. Ensure silence at the time when the mobile phone is about to ring, and listen carefully, while following the sound.

If your phone is lost on the street

Obviously, the chances of finding a mobile device lost on the street or in a public place are significantly lower than in the previous case. But don't give up. How to find phones under such circumstances?

First of all, you should call your number. The mobile device could be picked up by a person who, free of charge or for a certain reward, would happily return the gadget to its rightful owner.

If this action does not bring results, you need to strain your memory and try to determine the place where the mobile phone was lost. You should remember where the gadget was last used and thus try to narrow down the search area. It is worth posting notices about the loss of the device along the entire travel route with a request to return the mobile phone for a reward. Posting notes in relevant social network groups can also be an effective way.

And if the device is turned off, how to find the phone? Using the IMEI number, which is unique for each mobile and does not change when changing the SIM card, you can search for the gadget even when it is not working. This process will be described in detail below.

If the phone is stolen

If it is known for sure that the phone was stolen, a reward should be offered for the return of the gadget. After all, this thing was stolen precisely for the purpose of profit. From a mobile device that belongs, for example, to your friend, you need to send a message to your number indicating the amount you are willing to pay the thief for the phone.

You should also check with your family members and loved ones to see if any of them are using applications that determine your location on your mobile phone. If this is the case, then you need to report the available phone coordinates to the police so that their employees can find and return the gadget to the owner.

How to find phones that are stolen if the above methods were ineffective in your case? Should be submitted To do this, you need to collect evidence that will confirm that the device belongs to you. That is, find the package of documents received upon purchase. Next, you need to go directly to the police and write a corresponding statement. Then you need to report the theft of your device to your mobile operator. After providing the necessary package of documents confirming that the phone is indeed stolen and you are its legal owner, permission will be issued to access information about this device. The operator will need to notify you if anyone uses the device.

Are there other ways to find a phone? You can also try to find the device using the IMEI number. To do this, add this unique mobile code to the worldwide database. And if someone finds your phone, they will be able to contact you using the specified coordinates.

Depending on the operating system with which the mobile device is controlled, there are several ways to find the phone. Android, iOS and Windows Phone support various applications that have similar operating principles. Below is a more detailed description of these search methods.

Finding a phone with iOS operating system

How to find phones if they have iOS installed? It won't be difficult at all. After all, the iPhone initially has a function for determining the location of the device. The main thing is that it is activated before the gadget is lost or stolen.

In order to detect such a phone, the owner should log into iCloud using his account and click “Find iPhone”. After this, a list of your devices controlled using iOS will be displayed on the screen. If the gadget search function is active and the phone itself is turned on, the service will determine the location of the iPhone.

If you select the “Information” icon on the location panel, you can send an SMS, play the selected melody, lock the device, or delete all existing data from it.

After determining the location of the phone, you need to analyze the information received. If the specified area is not familiar to the owner, his friends and acquaintances do not live there, then the device is in the hands of a thief. You need to immediately block the gadget before an ill-wisher has time to use your personal information or disable the Find iPhone function.

The specified coordinates of the device’s location must be reported to the police so that their employees can find and return the phone to its rightful owner.

Finding a phone with the Windows Phone operating system

If you manage your lost device using Windows Phone, how can you find your phone? You should run a special application from Microsoft through your computer, which allows you to determine the location of your mobile device.

This program also contains other useful features. If you press the “Call” button, the phone will ring until the corresponding key on the device is pressed.

When you press the “Block” button, a blocking message will appear on the device screen, which can be removed by entering a password known only to the owner.

If you press the Erase key, all data contained in your phone will be deleted. It should be remembered that after this it will not be possible to use even the location function.

After establishing the coordinates of the device’s location, you need to report them to the police, reporting the theft.

Finding a phone with Android operating system

If the missing device has this operating system installed, how can I find the phone? Android supports an application such as PlanB. This program compares favorably with its analogues in that it can be installed on a phone that has already disappeared.

To do this, you need to log into Android Market using your account. Then you need to install the specified program on the missing device and run it. A letter indicating the location of the gadget will be sent to the owner’s email account. Then all that remains is to provide the received coordinates to the police, and they will help return the phone to the owner.

Finding a phone by SIM card

You can try to find the device by contacting your mobile operator directly. This is another effective way to find a phone. Based on the owner's last name and SIM card number, the mobile communications company is able to determine the location of the device using its own channels. The main condition for this search method is that the phone must be turned on.

Finding a phone by satellite

How to find phones via satellite? To do this, one of the special applications must first be installed on your mobile device. Programs can notify you about the current location of the gadget and the replacement of the SIM card, allow you to control the camera of a missing mobile phone, block or delete the information contained on it. There are a number of such applications, each of which is supported by a specific operating system.

If your mobile device is equipped with a GPS receiver, then there are also certain programs to search for it. In order to see the location of such a phone, you need to register on a special website, and after that you can determine the necessary coordinates at any time.

How to find a switched off phone? It is impossible to do this via satellite, because a prerequisite when searching for a device using this method is that the mobile phone must be turned on.

Find a phone by IMEI code

This is the only way that can help you find a missing phone that is turned off. The IMEI code consists of 15 digits. It is individual for each device and does not depend on the SIM card used.

How to find a phone via IMEI? First, you need to write a statement to the police indicating the code. And secondly, you need to register the IMEI number in the worldwide database. If someone discovers your mobile device, they will be able to contact you using the coordinates you left on the site.

If the location of the stolen phone has been determined, it is not recommended to try to return your mobile phone yourself. You should contact the police.

All documents confirming that you are the legal owner of the device must be stored in a safe place for the entire time you use the phone.

If you still cannot find the gadget, block your account and restore the SIM card by contacting your mobile operator. The IMEI code of the stolen phone must be blacklisted. After such actions, the attacker will not be able to use the device, even using a different SIM card. These are extreme measures that should be used if you are sure that the phone will not be found.

The owner of the gadget should install the necessary applications to determine the location of the device in advance, without waiting for loss or theft.

Conclusion

There are several ways to find a missing phone. They vary depending on the location where the device was lost or stolen, the operating system installed on the gadget, and other factors. The owner of the mobile phone should install special applications in advance that will help determine the location of the phone if it is lost, protect the device with a password, use not the smartphone’s memory card to save data, but act quickly after identifying the fact of loss, because time plays a key role here, and prolongation of the situation only plays into the hands of attackers.

In most cases, searching by IMEI helps.

Read our material on how to track your device and prevent repeated theft.

Modern technology, in particular those in the middle and high price categories, are of particular value to pickpockets.

They can steal your device and then resell it on the black market.

A logical question arises: how to track your phone in order to return it? In most cases, searching by IMEI helps.

This code is a unique 15-digit number that the manufacturer assigns to the device before sale.

It is almost impossible to change, even if you remove the SIM card. To find out the IMEI of your terminal, just dial *#06#.

Or it can be found on the box with the device.

But how do things work in practice, and will it be possible to find a device using the phone’s IMEI? The procedure is feasible, but poses a number of difficulties.

Statement to the police

Let's start with the fact that it is not possible to find the device on your own, because operators who store a list of IMEI numbers in the database will not release the data to third parties without permission from law enforcement agencies. They simply don't have the right.

In this regard, the victim is forced to go to the police, leaving a corresponding statement, attaching to it all the accompanying documentation confirming the act of ownership:

1) box;

2) purchase receipt;

3) warranty card.

It’s worth mentioning right away that the matter is very troublesome, but if you are an influential official, and the device stores a lot of important corporate and personal data, this will significantly speed up the search.

Checking against the official database

According to the legislation of Russia and Ukraine, the law enforcement officer is obliged to go to court, convincing the judges to obtain permission to search for information about the current position of the mobile terminal.

If the go-ahead is received and the required document is signed, the representative of the authorities turns to the national operator with a request to provide information about the IMEI code of interest.

Important: The identifier must be “white”, i.e. officially included in the legislative framework for mobile devices. IfIMEI is “gray”, i.e. the device was brought illegally from abroad, you may be subject to additional fines and criminal prosecution for using contraband.

Even if the operative received all the data, this does not indicate the success of the search.

Based on the information received, investigative measures will be carried out in order to track the current location. In other words, they will try to find the phone via satellite.

In most cases, the device is still located.

Remember that modern smartphones are mini-computers with an OS on board.

Smart thieves can programmatically change the unique identifier, after which no one will be able to find the phone.

This method is very complex and is only profitable when stealing very expensive or rare specimens; moreover, only a few are taken per shift.

The second point is the same trial. Your application may not be successful, and then further action will no longer be possible.

Searching the Internet on your own will also not lead to anything good.

Let's start with the fact that reliable information about IMEI can only be provided by an operator who, under no circumstances, will store its database on any dubious third-party resources.

If you are asked to send an SMS message of any content to receive data, this is a common scam. At best, you will lose money in your account.

Alternative search methods

To protect yourself as much as possible from theft or loss, follow the following points described below.

Fill out the business card in the device profile, indicating contact information, including an alternative phone number, email and residential address.

If a respectable citizen finds the device, he will be able to dock with you, returning the lost item.

Install additional software that will automatically send an SMS to the specified number if someone has changed the SIM card in the phone.

If you are the owner of a product from Apple and other services. In addition, activate the Find My iPhone service.

This will help you calculate the current location of the gadget via the Internet.