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All mobile phones have one unpleasant property - getting lost. In addition, they are sometimes stolen. And, unfortunately, nothing can be done about this. Until recently, “sowing” an Android device outside the home meant parting with it forever without hope of return, because, unlike iOS, there were no search functions on Android. Today they exist, which means that the chances of returning the lost items are no longer zero. And it's time for us to get to know them.

Let's talk about how to find a lost phone on Android through Google and using third-party applications and services.

If a mobile gadget is lost, the functions of modern versions of Android allow you not only to determine its location using cell towers and satellites, but also to block it remotely. And if there is no hope of return (it was stolen), erase the owner’s personal data.

To do this, the following conditions must be met:

The device must be turned on (it is not necessary that your SIM card is in it).
It must be linked to your Google account.
The “Remote Control” function should work on it.
The transmission of geodata must be activated on it and Internet access must be enabled.
The phone must be detected in Google Play.

If you have turned off the location setting function (geodata transfer) to save battery power, you will not have a chance to find your lost or stolen phone. Searching via satellite does consume a lot of energy, but there is no need to use it in the city. Enable device location by cell towers - this option is more economical.

How to enable geodata transfer on Android:

Launch the Settings app.
In the Personal menu, tap Location Services.
Select the checkbox for the search method “By network coordinates”.

How to find out which devices are connected to your Google Account:

Open any browser (on a PC or mobile device, it doesn’t matter), go to Google.com and log in with your account.
Open the recently used devices page. The phone you are looking for should be in this list.

How to enable remote device control on Android:

Launch "Options" (Settings).
Tap "Protection" (Security) in the "Personal" menu.
In the right pane, select Device Administrators.

Check the box next to “Android Remote Control” and open it.

In the “Activate device administrator?” window click "Enable".

How to find a phone on Google Play:

Go to the Google Play website through any browser, open the “Settings” section (the button with the gear icon).
Look at the "My Devices" list. All Android phones, tablets, watches, etc. linked to your account must be present in this list.

How to locate a lost Android gadget

The steps below are performed through a computer or other mobile device connected to the Internet.

Open your browser and log in with your Google account.
Go to the main page of your account and in the “Search for a phone” section, click “Get Started”.

Select your lost device from the list and enter your password again to log into your account. Once in the search section, click the “Find” button.

The location of your device will be displayed on the area map.

Other available features:

The phone ringing. When ringing is activated, the device will ring for 5 minutes (even at zero volume), attracting people's attention. However, this helps more if you don't remember where you put it, but if the dialer is lost or stolen, it can make the situation worse. Also, not all devices support it.
Blocking. Return to the previous page and open the “Lock your phone” section. Change the default message if desired. Click "Block".

Call your phone using Google Hangouts messenger. To go, click on the highlighted word.

Sign out of your account on your device. To exit, press the appropriate button.

Delete user data from the gadget’s internal memory (excluding the memory card). Select this option if you are sure that the phone has fallen into the wrong hands and an attacker could use the information on it to harm someone. For example, it will start sending malware to your contacts or gain access to electronic wallets. If you agree to deletion, click the “Yes, erase” button, but searching on the map, blocking and dialing will be unavailable after that.

Services similar to Google's Phone Finder are also being developed by mobile device manufacturers. Their operating principles and range of capabilities are the same or slightly larger. For example, Samsung offers its smartphone users the following:

Determination of location on the map.
Remote blocking.
Erasing confidential data.
Ringing (playing a ringing tone loudly for 1 minute to attract the attention of others).
Access to call log.
Notification when the owner's SIM card is removed.
Remotely switching the device to “emergency mode” - reducing the screen brightness and disabling most functions and applications to save battery power. To ensure that a lost phone remains in sight for as long as possible.

Find my device from Google - a mobile application for finding lost devices

To simplify the search for lost or stolen Android gadgets, you can also use a mobile application, available for free download from Google Play. It has the same set of functions as the Google Phone Finder service. Namely:

Allows you to determine the location of the gadget on the map.
Rings it (makes it ring at maximum volume for 5 minutes).
Blocks use.
Allows the owner to log out of the Android account and remotely erase user data.

Find my device is intended to be installed on the device that will be used for searching, not on the one you want to protect from loss.

The conditions for the availability of application functions are the same as for “Find a Phone” through the Google browser service.

Phone search services by cellular subscriber number and IMEI

PLNET (Phone-Location.org)

The Russian-language PLNET web service allows you to determine the location of a lost gadget by both phone number and IMEI (the international mobile device identification code assigned to each device at the factory). The search is carried out using satellites and cell towers and works in the following networks of Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh cellular operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
Vodafone.
Altel.
TELE2.
Velcom.

The main functions of the service are paid. Free, unlike Google, it allows you to find out only the country, region and city in which the device you are looking for is located. More accurate coordinates are available for 500 rubles after registration. In addition, with a paid subscription, real-time device tracking, history of its movements, and search by IMEI are available. In the latter case, you should, along with the IMEI, also indicate the number of the SIM card that the owner was using before the phone was lost. If you didn't have time to write it down while you had the phone, look at the stickers on the box.

The service has similar functions for determining the location of devices, with the exception of searching by IMEI. Printouts of travel history are also available for paid subscribers. The one-time service of determining exact coordinates by phone number costs 900 rubles.

The service operates in the networks of the following mobile operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
TELE2.
Velcom.

PLNET, OM-TEL, and other similar resources are still more suitable for spying on loved ones (children, spouse, etc.). They are of little use in searching for stolen smartphones, because an attacker, if he is not devoid of intelligence, will immediately replace the owner’s SIM card with his own. In this case, the service will show the place where your SIM card was last registered in the operator’s network. Or it won't show anything.

— a service for checking serial numbers and IMEI of various mobile devices to determine whether they are included in the database of lost and stolen ones. Supports all phone models and brands.

The SNDeepInfo user can add the IMEI or serial number of a lost or found device to the service database, leaving his email for communication. If you wish, you can also specify the amount of the return reward here. No registration or payment is required for this.

The service works similar to the previous one, but only maintains the IMEI database. With its help, you can, for example, find out whether a phone you bought second-hand was stolen from the previous owner. And also add the code of your device to the database.

The author also considers phone search services by IMEI to be of little use, because with their help it is impossible to find out either the location of the device or who is currently using it. They are designed for honest people who, if they find a device lost by someone, will themselves begin to look for its owner. Law enforcement agencies also do not use such databases - they have the opportunity to obtain the necessary information directly from mobile operators.

Anti-theft apps for smartphones

CM Security: protection and antivirus

In addition to antivirus, firewall and system optimization tools, it includes an anti-theft module. It includes:

Cerberus is a program for protecting your device from theft with an expanded range of capabilities. Among them:

Remote monitoring of phone movement through the application website.
Remote blocking.
Calling.
Sending messages to a lost phone.
Deleted screenshots.
Taking photos and videos of the attacker's face. Record sound through a microphone.
Erase user data from internal memory and SD card.
Remote control of the device via the console interface using commands.
Automatically enable geodata transfer if it is disabled.
Power cut-off blocking so that a thief cannot turn off the device and thereby interfere with his search.
Create your own user rules, etc.

The majority of Cerberus functions only work in the paid version. Even more of them are available when you gain root rights.

Instructions

If an attacker who stole your smartphone needs your data, then the first thing he will try to do is completely turn off the device or turn off all communications: mobile and WiFi. If he only needs your device, then the first thing he will do is do a hard reset to return the device to factory settings. Therefore, you need to block your smartphone as soon as possible after discovering it is missing and try to track its location. This is done remotely using special tools.

If you have an Android smartphone, then you need to go to the link https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager to the page for remote management of your devices. If the smartphone is currently online, its location will be displayed on the map, with fairly decent accuracy. If the phone is offline, its location will be determined and shown on the map as soon as it comes online.
There is an application of the same name in the Google Play market Android Remote Control(or Device Manager). With it, you can search and block your device from another Android device.
Also useful for tracking your Android device is the https://www.google.com/maps/timeline service, which collects and stores the history of your device’s movements.

If you have prudently allowed the location of your Android device to be determined and configured to block and delete data (button Configure data blocking and deletion), then here you will also be able to block the phone or erase data stored in its internal memory (data from the SD card will not be deleted). You can write a message that will appear on the device screen and leave a backup number to contact you.

If you are the owner of an iPhone, then go to the search page https://icloud.com/find or launch the special “Find iPhone” application from another i-device. Select your lost device from the list of devices. If it's online, you'll see its location on the map.
Next you need to activate Lost Mode. This mode locks the device with a code. Also here you should set a message about the return reward and leave your contact information so that we can contact you.
Here you can delete all data from your iPhone. However, after this it will no longer be possible to find it through the iPhone search page. But no one will be able to use your smartphone until they activate it using your Apple ID.

If you have lost your Windows device, go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and log in. Select a stolen/lost smartphone from the list of your devices and click Phone search. If its location is known, it will be displayed on the map. Next, click “Block” and indicate the phone number for feedback from you.

Many smartphone manufacturers have their own individual means of finding lost or stolen smartphones. For example, Sony devices have a service My Xperia Theft Protection. From Samsung - Reactivation Lock. In addition to searching for smartphones, Apple devices have a function Activation Lock. Typically, these features are activated by the user, that is, you, until the moment of loss, so we will not dwell on them in detail. Search the website of the manufacturer of your device, it is possible that one of the tools they offer will help you find your smartphone.

After this, it is advisable to contact your mobile operator and leave a request for SIM card blocking. Of course, after blocking, your device will not be able to access the network via GPRS mobile Internet, and its location will only be determined via WiFi. But attackers usually exclude this possibility.
Next we write missing person report to the police and, possibly, to your mobile operator. To do this, you will need your passport, the original packaging of the device and a cash register/sales receipt.
If you know the unique IMEI number of your smartphone, you can leave information that it is on the list of stolen ones in the http://sndeep.info/ru/lostolen database. Specify the amount of the return fee. Perhaps someone will find it and return it to you.
These are perhaps the basic steps you can take to try to win back your loss.

Avast Anti-Theft. It will help you find your stolen smartphone even after the attacker performs a factory reset. Unfortunately, if the program was not installed before the loss, this method is not applicable.

There are many things that a modern person can easily do without, but a mobile phone is definitely not on this list.

And since a mobile phone has long been an integral part of our lives, its unexpected loss (and such a situation can easily happen to anyone) plunges us into a confused state.

Losing your favorite gadget is a nuisance from which no one is immune.

The loss of a favorite gadget makes us sad

And indeed, this device not only serves to make calls, but also contains a large amount of confidential information, including a phone book with the numbers of our friends and closest people, a notebook with a lot of personal information, our favorite applications and games, reminders and social network accounts with automatic entry.

So, what should you do if your mobile device is lost (or stolen), and even if the situation is aggravated by the fact that the gadget is turned off due to, say, a dead battery?

First of all, you should not panic, but try, following the recommendations below, to find your irreplaceable loss.

Recommendation 1. We look for the phone in the suspected places of loss

Before starting the most global search, let’s make sure that we ourselves didn’t leave the device somewhere at work, in a taxi, or at a friend’s house during our last visit to them.

If you have lost your phone, don’t panic, but start searching

Our search would be greatly simplified by such a useful accessory as a keychain attached to a mobile phone and responding to our whistle or clap of the palm.

Therefore, if we are lucky and our phone is found somewhere in the house under a pile of things, the first thing we would like to do is to purchase such a keychain to make our life easier in the future.

Recommendation 2. If your Android phone is lost, the Android Device Manager service will help us

A special service from Google Android Device Manager will help you search

In the event that we have lost a mobile device based on Android, we can turn to a special service from Google, which is called Android Device Manager :

What should we do if the search did not produce results, and our lost device is also turned off? There is another way to search - via IMEI, which is known to be an original 15-digit number stamped on the body of each mobile device, usually under the battery.

As a rule, the 15-digit IMEI is located under the battery.

To find out the IMEI code on your phone, dial the USB combination *#06#

Note: In order to find out our phone number, it is not necessary to remove the case cover, just dial the USB combination *#06# on the phone and these numbers will appear on the screen of our device.

So, knowing the IMEI of a lost mobile phone, you can file a loss report with a law enforcement agency, whose employees will give a request for the location of your device directly to the telecom operator and thus receive complete and reliable information about the location of your device and even the exact address of its new owner.

However, there is one “BUT” - police officers do not always take on the solution of such issues, but only in the case when a crime has been committed - theft. Otherwise, if it turns out that your phone is in your own home, then penalties cannot be avoided.

Recommendation 4. Search for a mobile device by satellite

This type of search is available to mere mortals only in two cases:

Let us consider in more detail the second case, as it is more probable. The above LoSToleN program it works as follows - when you replace your SIM card on a stolen or lost device with a new card, the command of this program is immediately activated, which sends you an SMS message to the specified “spare” number. After which you not only become aware that someone is using the phone, but also find out the number of its new owner. And then it’s up to you – either call and figure it out yourself, or contact the police.

Recommendation 5. An alternative way to search by satellite

Perhaps the site maps-info.ru will help you find the device.

So, to begin an independent search for a mobile device via satellite, first of all, let’s connect to its monitoring on a special website maps-info.ru.

To do this, on this resource we find the “free monitoring” section. We register in the system, indicating two mobile phone numbers - your current one, to which you want to receive information, and the number of the phone that we intend to look for.

The most important thing when registering and in further actions is to strictly follow the proposed instructions, which, however, are very simple - you just need to enter the number of the missing subscriber in a certain field and click the “search” function.

As a rule, all the information found is displayed on our monitor screen within a few minutes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to remind you of one truth - in order not to look for anything, it is better not to lose anything. Take care in advance about the safety of your phone and then you will never need all the above tips. I wish you good luck!

When we lose our mobile phone, we lose contact with our surroundings, partners, friends and colleagues. Despite the fact that the phone has ceased to be something out of the ordinary, cases of theft have not decreased. Therefore, the risk that someone will “cut off” your faithful assistant is quite high - especially if you yawn and don’t look around. How to find a stolen phone? There are quite a few search methods, which we will discuss in our review.

If you are absolutely sure that you lost your phone in a certain place (for example, in a cafe), you can try filing a report with the police. It is likely that your application will still be accepted. If you lost your phone in some unspecified place, your application will still be refused. It must be said that the police are reluctant to search for stolen phones, despite the fact that they have all the necessary tools for this.

The police will be able to find the stolen phone through requests to mobile operators. When registering on the network, each handset transmits its IMEI to the operator. At the request of the police, the operator will issue a response indicating whose SIM card is currently in the stolen device. Further proceedings will be carried out with the owner of the SIM card, even if he has nothing to do with the theft and does not have this phone in his hands at all.

Stolen phones are sold by scammers to ordinary people who may have nothing to do with the crime. The likelihood that the search will come to a dead end is quite high. Therefore, you should not consider contacting the police as a panacea - the police are extremely reluctant to take on such things.

Search by IMEI

Your phone was stolen - how to find it by IMEI yourself? Here we have to disappoint you - there are no tools for independently searching for stolen phones by IMEI. Many people believe that there are services on the Internet that can show a stolen device on a map.

But in reality such services do not exist, since information about the location of mobile devices is not transmitted by operators to third-party services. If you come across such a service on the Internet, you can safely question its functionality - it’s just a tool for fraudulently extracting money.

If your phone is stolen, only law enforcement agencies will be able to find it by IMEI. But we have already told you that the police very rarely undertake to solve such crimes - they need efficiency, which is not manifested in such cases.

Other search methods

If your phone is stolen, can you find it? There is always a chance of finding a stolen device. What can be done?

Post paper notices in the area where the phone was lost about finding the phone and returning it for a reward;
Find a phone through geolocation services (must be previously configured);
Try calling your own number and ask to return the phone for a fee.

The methods are not the most effective, but it’s worth a try - what if some of this really works? In fact, the likelihood of finding a stolen phone is extremely low.. Pickpockets act quickly, and stolen equipment is sold for pennies to buyers and individuals. By the way, it is for this reason that the police do not undertake a full-fledged search - it is very difficult and labor-intensive.

Precautions

So that you do not wonder whether it is possible to find a stolen phone, we recommend protecting yourself and your data from theft. For example, you can set up geolocation on your phone - if the phone suddenly disappears, you will find its location using the web interface of the selected geolocation service.

Also there are many tools for remotely blocking stolen handsets– they are blocked via SMS commands and via the Internet. That is, if you can’t return the phone, you can at least block its operation.

The Android operating system has a basic remote locking capability. But this feature must first be configured - go to “Settings - Security - Device Administrators” and check the “Remote control” box. If your phone is stolen, go to the Google service page “Remote Android Control” and block access. It also allows you to remotely erase the contents of your smartphone – useful for eliminating confidential information.

Content

For many people, a cell phone becomes a repository of personal data, important information, and simply a gadget that is used every day. Sometimes, due to carelessness, a person can lose it or an attacker can steal it. In such cases, you should know how to find your phone, what you need to do in advance with your device.

How to find your phone if it's turned off

This is the most unpleasant situation that can happen if a mobile phone is stolen. The attackers immediately remove the SIM card and turn off the device. This greatly reduces the list of ways to return a mobile phone. If you managed to turn off your cell phone, then you have only one way to find the turned off phone - contact law enforcement agencies. To do this you need:

Find the box from the device, a receipt from the store, take your passport.
Come to the police station with your passport and write a statement.
To identify your phone, you must write the IMEI code, which is unique for each specific device.
Expect the civil service to fulfill its duties.

The number of mobile thefts has decreased significantly after devices became more affordable, but there are still many cases of theft. The police will try to find the cell phone through the operator, but they really rarely find them. You should be mentally prepared for the fact that you will have to purchase a new cell phone. The situation is completely different if you lost your phone, it died and turned off, but the card remained inside. The provider will be able to determine the location of the device and the gadget will be returned to you.

How to find a phone by IMEI

This code is a unique serial identifier for devices. You can find it on the device box or under the smartphone battery. It consists of 15 digits; if necessary, it can be displayed on the phone screen using a special command. After purchase, it is recommended to write down the IMEI somewhere in a notepad or on a warranty card/receipt. If you contact the police, you will need this code.

Law enforcement agencies are asking the court for permission to require the operator to find the phone by IMEI. All smartphones run on one of the operating systems (Windows Phone, Adnroid, iOS), which makes it a mini-PC. With the help of satellites, a telecom operator can find a stolen cell phone using the IMEI code; only the provider can do this. To do this, there must be a court order requesting this operation.

There are sites on the Internet that offer to track your device using the IMEI code. Third-party resources do not have this option; if after entering data you are asked to send an SMS - this is an attempt to lure money. Code databases are stored only by the operator; they are not publicly available. You can only enter the IMEI of your stolen smartphone; other users can then check whether they are being offered to buy a stolen phone.

How to find a phone by phone number

Every person in Russia, when purchasing a package from a company, enters into an agreement and, as a rule, only one SIM card from the company is used. Unfortunately, it is not possible to search for a phone number by card number. Only a telecom operator has such technologies and capabilities, but they will not do this at your personal request. The point is not laziness, but the high cost of the procedure; it is not standard and requires the expenditure of human and technical resources. This only makes sense when looking for limited-edition or high-priced smartphones.

On the Internet you can find resources that offer to determine the location of a lost smartphone for free if it has been stolen. This is another myth; third-party sites do not have such capabilities. The exception is official resources from Samsung and iPhone manufacturers, which link an account to the device and search through a satellite channel (GPS), if it is turned on.

How to find a lost Android phone through a computer

Many portable gadgets run on the Android operating system. It is absolutely free and is very popular, so developers are actively creating applications and programs based on this OS. Every smartphone owner can find an Android device using special utilities. The only negative is that applications should be installed in advance, but most people remember this when their cell phone has already been stolen or lost. You should install it yourself from the official Google Play store. Here are some popular options:

Lost Android. After enabling the utility, it needs to be given administrative rights. To search through the application, you must have a Google account that is linked to your cell phone.
Where's My Droid. This utility will already search for the device through the special “Commander” website. You should also register on it, and log into your account from your mobile phone.

Search for a phone via Google account from a computer

One of the easiest options for finding a stolen phone is through the Google service. The Android operating system belongs to this company, so all devices based on the OS have good compatibility with the system. This does not mean that you cannot find a phone through a Google account on iOS or Windows. To search for a mobile phone that has been stolen or lost, you need to create an account in the system.

Next, you need to go from the settings to the “Accounts” section, click on the line called “Google” and log in. For all owners of devices with Android version 5 and higher, nothing else needs to be done. The system will automatically open access for remote control. All other devices need to go to the “Administrators” section and activate the ability to access the device through a computer. You will then be able to do the following from your Google account:

turn on the signal at full volume to find a lost or stolen device, if it is nearby;
you can block the device and set a message on the screen asking you to return it for a reward;
it is possible to turn on the search, the address where the cell phone was last found will be displayed on the map;
Completely erase all data from the device online using a computer.