How to track a stolen smartphone. How to find your phone on the map

It's no secret that the best tool for finding a lost phone is a call from another number. The melody set for the call will play, which will greatly facilitate the search for the device. But what if the device is disconnected or lost outside the home? Let's look at 5 common problems on how to find a phone if it is lost, turned off or stolen.

How to find a lost phone if it is turned on, there is no sound, and there is an active Internet connection

Important! This method works only with a pre-entered account. google records.

If you have an active wired or wireless connection, Google's device search technology will help you find your smartphone, which displays the charge and the name of the connected device. WiFi networks. There is also a "Call" button to send a sound, even in a silent state. To display the phone on the map, you must first activate geolocation.

Instruction:

open device search page. If necessary, enter a password for the account.
Select a device from the list if 2 or more devices are connected to the account.
Opposite the phone name, click on the "Call" or "Find" button. The last button allows you to view the location of the phone on the map, as well as, if necessary, erase the data.

How to find the phone if it is turned on, there is no sound, there is no Internet connection

In this case, an alarm clock will come to the rescue, subject to prior activation and operation at a specified time. In the silent state, when the alarm goes off, the melody and volume set by the user plays.

If the alarm is not set, PLNET, OM-TEL, etc. services can report the location of the phone. Search services are paid, but according to the assurances of the services, it will not be difficult to find the exact location of the phone.

How to find the phone if it is turned on, there is no sound, there is no Internet connection, an antivirus with an anti-theft function is installed

In articles with , applications with theft or loss protection function are presented. Some programs allow you to remotely control your phone via SMS commands - send a signal, turn on GPS or mobile data.

The leader in this direction is Cerberus. The program allows you to set the location of the phone, take a picture from the camera, etc. And if you have root rights, the program will not allow you to turn off the device and will continue to function when you reset the settings and change SIM cards.

How to find a switched off phone

In the off state, only an alarm clock will help you find your phone. Since to perform a pre-specified event, you need to turn on the phone, which happens when the alarm is turned on. And by the sound of the melody it is not difficult to find the device.

How to find a stolen or lost phone outside the home

In the absence of an alarm clock, remote control applications, etc., finding the phone is problematic. Only a mobile operator can help, since it has tools for tracking the SIM card in the phone, even when it is turned off. At the same time, the operator's interest in finding a phone is low.

If the phone was stolen or the device was lost outside the home, the last option to find the phone is to contact law enforcement. Based on a missing phone report, law enforcement officers can contact the operator for help in finding it. At the same time, the search is not carried out so quickly, due to the huge number of applicants arriving daily.

Sometimes it is possible to find a lost phone, but after 3-6 or 12 months from the date of application. If it turns out that the phone was accidentally dropped behind a nightstand or bed at home, it is quite possible to get a fine for a false report of the loss.

Conclusion

If your phone is lost at home, start by looking for your intended or recent locations. Use Internet search if the machine is connected to a network, or remote control if it is a pre-configured function. If you are sure that the phone is lost or stolen, then contact the operator or law enforcement agencies for help.

Statistics say that about 80% of smartphone owners around the world have asked this question. If you are one of them, we will tell you what you can do in such a situation. Lucky people who have never experienced this will also benefit from learning how to prepare a mobile device in case it is lost or stolen.

If you have an Android, iOS or Windows Phone device, the first thing you should do if you lose it is to use Google services, Apple and Microsoft to find their gadgets. All three companies offer their own solutions, which, in essence, do not differ from each other, but have some nuances. And first of all, it is necessary to take into account three rules, under which the search for a phone will be effective:

your device is signed in to your account, depending on the account you use operating system: Google (Android), iCloud (iOS, watchOS, macOS), Microsoft (Windows Phone, Windows 10 Mobile);
the device is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi;
Location Services (GPS) enabled.

How to find an Android phone or tablet

Google's easiest tool to find a smartphone or tablet is called "Android Remote Control". Today, almost all modern devices on Android 4.4 and higher have this service pre-installed in the system. But just in case, we recommend that you make sure that this service is enabled on your device, since quite often it can be disabled by default.

In case of loss of the device, you must go to the service page and re-enter the data from your account. Once you've signed in to your account, the search page will load and Google will immediately try to find your phone. If you have multiple devices, select the one you need from the dropdown list. On the Android Device Manager page, you can do the following:

Call the phone.
When this action is performed, a command is sent to the mobile device that makes it ring at maximum volume for 5 minutes, even if the silent mode is enabled. This feature can be useful if you have lost your smartphone somewhere close to where you are.

Block phone.
This option allows you to lock your phone with a password and add a custom message with a phone number that you can call directly from the lock screen.

Delete data.
The ultimate and final security feature, after which contact with the lost phone is finally lost. You can act in this way only in exceptional cases, and also if you are sure that you will not find it already. With the help of data deletion, you can do a complete data cleanup with formatting the memory card.

Not so long ago, Google updated the service "Remote android control”, allowing users to track their gadgets right in the search results. This means that you can quickly locate any Android device registered to your account using search phrases: “Where is my phone”, “How to find a smartphone” and other variations. When prompted, Google will display a map snippet above the search results and attempt to locate your phone. From here you can go to the appropriate section of the security settings, where you will receive recommendations for performing step-by-step actions in case you lose your phone.

The Android Remote Control service is good because it can be used not only on a computer with Internet access, but also on any other mobile device. If you want to track your gadget from someone else's smartphone or tablet, you will need to log out of its owner's account and log into your account. But this is not always convenient, so there is another option - which allows you to use guest mode. The application works exactly the same, all the instructions above apply here as well.

How to find iPhone or iPad

A similar service from Apple "Find iPhone", despite its name, is designed to search for a wider range of devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Mac. Find My iPhone first appeared in iOS 5.0 as a standalone app, and later became part of functionality iCloud cloud service. In order for the service to recognize your device and be able to detect it, the first step is to enable this service directly on your gadget. For this we go to Settings > iCloud and move the slider to the "ON" position opposite the "Find iPhone" option. At the same time, we allow the service to use the geolocation of your device.

After the performed operations, we log in to iCloud through the web interface and launch Find My iPhone. In the app, you can locate the device on a map, play a signal on it, use "lost mode" to block and track, and remotely perform a complete data wipe.

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the "lost mode". This mode (available on iOS 6 and above) locks a lost device with a passcode and displays a message on its screen along with a phone number. Here, Apple should be commended for a well-thought-out feature that can force geolocation to be turned on. In addition, in this mode, the device does not display alerts and does not play ringtones, messages, notifications, and alarms.

Another useful option is that the Find My iPhone service can send email notifications in case the missing device “lit up” on the network.

How to find a smartphone on Windows Phone

Owners of devices running Windows Phone 8.1 and above were also lucky enough to use Microsoft's service to search and remotely control their smartphone. Previously, the "Find my phone" function was available on the site windowsphone.com. Now, after the release of Windows 10 and the unification of core services for desktop and mobile devices, the function is available in your account after authorization on the Microsoft website.

So, first activate all the options in the "phone search" section in the settings of your mobile device.

On any computer, log into your Microsoft account and go to the "Your devices" section. Here are all desktop and mobile gadgets with installed operating system. Windows system 8.1+ and Windows Phone 8.1+ with added Microsoft account. In front of your smartphone, you will see an active option for determining the location. Then you can act according to the already known algorithm: call the phone, block and clean up the data.

Google Maps

Location history can also play into your hands when looking for your smartphone. Using this method, you can easily find a mobile device, even if its location is not accurate. Thus, there is a high probability of tracking the trajectory and determining the places where your smartphone or tablet is located. Before using this method, you need to enable the recording of your location history in the Google settings on your mobile device.

Unlike the "Android Remote Control" service, Google Maps location is determined via Wi-Fi and cell tower ID, so accuracy may vary slightly. But the advantage of this tool is that you can monitor the location of the device for a certain period of time. This method works for all mobile devices that are logged into a Google account.

Google Photos and other cloud services

It turns out that services with the option to automatically upload photos and videos to the cloud can also be used to find the phone. Whoever uses your lost (or stolen) phone may not realize that all the photos end up in your cloud storage. In this case, you won't get the exact location, but there is a high chance of seeing the "new owner" of your smartphone. Just such a curious incident happened to one blogger whose phone was stolen. The thief did not even suspect that he had become an "internet star" when the blogger published a series of articles with his photographs entitled "The life of a stranger who stole my phone". This method can help determine the location and the person who is involved in the theft of the smartphone.

Possible difficulties

As mentioned above, for the effective operation of phone tracking services, several conditions must be met. In addition, the device itself must be prepared for this in an appropriate way. Of course, search difficulties can be caused by other reasons. This may be firmware specific, for example, some Chinese phones lack Google services or do not work correctly.

Another common hurdle is two-factor authentication for your Google, iCloud, and Microsoft account, which requires you to enter a six-digit authorization code. In this case, you may be advised to add a backup phone number to which you have access in advance or provide other additional ways to confirm authorization. For example, Google offers backup codes as an option for the second stage of two-factor authentication. They can be saved or printed and always have at hand.

Eventually

As you can see, the tools for finding and remotely managing lost devices on the three mobile platforms are very simple and effective. However, remember that if someone resets your device or logs out of your device, none of the above services will be able to help you. In this case, it is necessary to resort to the help of heavier artillery - special applications. We will tell you about them.

It is difficult at the present time to do without a smartphone, so everyone is trying to acquire a modern gadget. The latest models of iPhone, Samsung cost a lot of money, so if they are lost or stolen, the owner conducts a thorough search. Is it possible to find a switched off phone or should a subscriber immediately forget about an expensive purchase?

Is it possible to track the phone if it is turned off

This situation can arise in two cases: the smartphone was stolen and turned off or it is discharged. In such a situation, the question arises: is it possible to find the phone if it is turned off? Searching in each case is different, for example, if you are sure that the device was not stolen and it is hidden somewhere within the apartment, do the following:

Follow the last route in the apartment, see if you left the device in the bathroom, in the kitchen near the microwave or on top of the refrigerator (and sometimes inside it).
If you do not live alone (soulmate, children), ask them. It is possible that someone took to use (play) your device.
If there is an alarm clock in the device, it will play even if the gadget is turned off. You just need to wait for the set time.

When the device is stolen or lost on the street, you must first go along the path of your last trip, search on the ground, but the off state often indicates that the cell has already been found. There are several ways to find the phone if it is turned off:

search through special program on Android;
contacting the operator with a request;
write a statement to the police so that they comply.

How to find a phone by IMEI

One of the options for finding a turned off device is to search for a phone by name. This is a special digital code that is located under the battery (usually) of the gadget. But how to do it if there is no device? You can rewrite the code in advance and store it at home, or find a box from a smartphone. Each package must contain the serial release code and Have the device, it consists of 15 digits. Instructions on how to find a disabled phone:

Rewrite IMEI.
Go with your passport, a contract for a SIM card to the nearest police station.
Write a statement that the cell is missing, and law enforcement officers will make a request to the operator of the company, who can search for your cell by this number (IMEI).
If the mobile phone is found in the applicant's apartment, then a substantial fine can be received, because the mobile phone could be found on its own.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of reports of theft and services do not often prioritize such cases.

How to find a phone by SIM card

Another possible way to track a switched off phone if you have lost your device is to contact the operator directly. All modern companies (Megafon, MTS, Beeline) have the ability to send a signal to the SIM card even if the device is not available. For this, a GPS system is used, which works through a system of satellites. The signal that was sent from several points will be received by the card, which will have time to fix the nearest communication towers. This will help to calculate the location of the mobile and show it on the map. To find a phone by SIM card, you need the following:

Contact the company office with a request to search for a device.
Name the mobile number that you lost, provide it with IMEI, the number of the agreement for the SIM card.
Wait for the operator's response.

How to find an Android phone

If you lost your device while it was on, then the Android operating system has a handy tool for finding your cell phone. To do this, you will need a Google account, a computer and Internet access. Find Android will help a special utility - Android Device Manager. It is completely free, installed on any version of the operating system. You need to install the program in advance, link the mobile number and model to the account. You can download the utility from the official Google Play store.

The registration process is extremely simple and intuitive, just follow the instructions that the program installer will show. After that, it will be possible to perform several actions on your smartphone directly from your computer:

Call. The device will start to make a loud sound, which can only be turned off by you from the computer or by removing the battery.
Block. You install an additional code on the device.
Erase. You can remotely completely destroy all data from your mobile (it cannot be restored).

The only point in this method is that the device must be turned on, the Internet and GPS must be activated. This program is also able to display the location of your device. This case is more suitable for the loss of a cell. When stolen, attackers often take out a card, turn off the Internet, GPS, and the smartphone itself. In this case, this program will be completely useless and the above methods of searching for a turned off mobile should be used.

Find out more ways

If your smartphone is still with you, then there are a few things that you should do to make life easier for yourself when the “X-time” comes. Consider the necessary steps for owners of Android smartphones and iPhones.

android smartphone

Many manufacturers of Android smartphones equip their own tools for finding and remotely managing devices, but for several years now there has been a proprietary solution from Google - Find My Device.

This function is enabled in the system settings, in the "Security" section, where you need to allow remote control.

In addition, turn on the transfer of geodata in the settings. Without it, finding a lost device will not work.

Be sure to also enable a PIN or other screen lock to protect your privacy. Otherwise, mail, messages, photos, social networks and a lot of other information that is not intended for prying eyes can be read like an open book.

If a good person finds your smartphone, then, knowing your contacts, he will be able to return it to you. To do this, in the security settings, you need to set a message with contact information, which will be displayed on the lock screen in case of loss.

iPhone

The search function for Apple devices appeared much earlier. It's now available on every iPhone and offers more search and blocking options.

You can go looking for an iPhone armed with the Find iPhone application or iCloud web version.

Both services allow you to not only find, but also remotely lock your smartphone or erase all data on it, blocking access to applications, contacts, payment information, and so on. This is the last link that connects you to the lost gadget.

To get started, you can try to search for a smartphone by a sound signal using the “Ring” function for an Android device or “Play sound” for an iPhone. But this only makes sense if you know the approximate location of the loss. Otherwise, you will only waste precious battery power.

If the search was unsuccessful or successful, but not for you, but for someone else, you need to block your Android smartphone or put your iPhone in lost mode. This will block access to your information and provide your contacts. Perhaps your phone fell into the hands of a person who at that moment is just looking for a way to contact you.

The most extreme measure that you can go to is a complete cleaning of the smartphone. You should resort to it to protect your data if you still couldn’t find a smartphone. You can do this remotely, even if the gadget is completely discharged - the changes will take effect the next time you turn it on.

After that, the scenarios for iOS and Android are slightly different. In both cases, you will lose access to remote control of your smartphone, but if the Android gadget can then be safely used, then no one will be able to turn on the iPhone without your Apple ID login data due to iCloud activation blocking.

How to protect your data without access to your smartphone

If you did not have time to set up remote control of your smartphone and did not protect it with a password or Touch ID, then you need to disable mail, social networks and other accounts as soon as possible.

Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter, Gmail and other services allow you to view active sessions opened on your other devices and log them out remotely. For example, in your Google account settings, you can view all the devices you've recently used and delete any of them. The same allows you to do

The theft of a smartphone causes a lot of problems. Basically, this is not only the loss of a gadget, but also personal information, which, in particular, is valued much higher than the smartphone itself. For some, this information is invaluable. In this article, I will suggest:

how to find a stolen android phone if it is turned off;
what software to install in order to independently find the lost device;
how to secure personal data on a stolen gadget.

Finding a stolen turned off phone

If your device is turned off, which is logical when stolen, standard actions like making a phone call won't work. We must act immediately to catch the thief in hot pursuit.

There are three ways to find your stolen device:

Contact law enforcement agencies.
Contact your network operator to determine the location of the gadget.
Use software.

We specify each of the methods.

Search for a disabled smartphone by the police by IMEI code

Each phone is assigned an identifier - . It can be found under the battery of the device itself, found out with the help of, using the service code (*#06#), in the "about phone" settings, or in the smartphone's packaging box.

When contacting the police, it is desirable to know this code. Also, take a passport, a contract for a SIM card and preferably visit the police station of the area in which the theft was committed. Write a statement with the details of the theft and provide the above data.

Advice! Finding a phone by IMEI on your own is a rather difficult task. This will require access to the equipment and databases of mobile operators. And the data of free databases on the Internet in one case out of a thousand can give a real clue.

Search for a device by SIM card number

Cellular network operators can track all actions on the SIM card, up to its approximate location within the radius of a particular tower. Even if the smartphone is turned off, the SIM card will respond if it is within the reach of telecommunication systems.

Try to contact the operator directly, tell the situation and provide:

device IMEI and phone number;
number of the agreement on the SIM card.

According to the specified data, the operator will be able to find out information from the billing server memory.

Smartphone location via app

Almost every smartphone manufacturer offers solutions for finding a lost device in security and privacy settings. For example: Huawei - Find device, Samsung - Remote control. A popular and effective solution is software from Google:

- an application for a smartphone (on the page at the link is detailed instructions work with the program);
android.com/find- page on the Internet, login from your account.

But the problem with using programs is that you need to pre-configure when the gadget is in your hands. Otherwise, in the search for a smartphone, there will be no sense from them. In addition, no application will be able to remotely turn on the smartphone, especially if the battery is dead. But, programs can fix and inform the owner when the gadget becomes active.

harsh reality

The search for a stolen smartphone will directly depend on you and on your preliminary device settings. Hundreds of mobile devices are lost every day in million-plus cities. Such reports may not be a priority for the police, especially when there is little information about the missing person:

IMEI not specified;
there is no identikit of the robber;
configured applications for finding a missing smartphone are not installed, etc.

If there is not enough data, police officers may dissuade you from writing a statement, as they obviously understand that there is practically no chance of finding the device.

The mobile network operator may refuse to provide you with billing data, saying that he has no right to do so without a court order, referring to the legislative framework, which does not regulate the work process in such cases.

If the consideration of the application is delayed, the thief can throw away the SIM card and change the IMEI code (a rather complicated implementation on new devices, which involves replacing chips in the smartphone. Only a technically trained specialist can do this), which makes it extremely difficult to further track the smartphone in the operator's database.

Anti-Theft and Device Locator Software

It will not work to protect yourself from possible theft, but you can reduce the risks of parting with the device. Even if the device is irretrievably lost, your personal data will not fall into the wrong hands and can be recovered. To do this, you can use the following tips and applications:

Find out and save the IMEI of your smartphone in a safe place;
Use a pin code and a fingerprint scanner (or Face ID).
Important! If you lose a smartphone that has a pin code or fingerprint login, an attacker will not be able to access your data. To unlock the device, he will have to erase all data.
Install Find My Device or equivalent. Allows you to determine the location (if geolocation is enabled), call, lock the screen and delete all data. The application works through your Google profile.
Install Lookout antivirus or equivalent. It is interesting that there is a function to automatically save information about the location of the smartphone when the battery is low. The data is sent to the specified email.
Use a paid antivirus on an ongoing basis. Good decision- Kaspersky Internet Security. The "Anti-theft" function allows you to remotely turn on the siren, take a photo from the front camera, block access to the device or delete all personal data.
SIM Change Alarm. When changing the SIM card and turning on the device, the application will send two SMS to the specified number with information: IMEI of your smartphone and the number of the new SIM card, GPS coordinates of the device.
Synchronize data that is important to you or .

I repeat, manufacturers also offer smartphone search services. Take Samsung for example. The findmymobile.samsung.com service can monitor a switched on smartphone, determine the geolocation when it is turned off, indicate the number of a new SIM card, block the device, and much more.

Advice! The article: " " analyzes trust programs that will help you find a smartphone with complex capabilities, even with GPS turned off.

Protection of personal information

The task is:

save your data in order to access them in the future;
restrict access to personal information to an attacker.

To fulfill the first rule, you need to backup (synchronize) your important data. For example:

Photos can be synced with Google Photos.
Notes or important data can be stored in .
Books, videos, music dub in cloud storage(Google Drive, Yandex.Disk, Mega, etc.).
Passwords can be stored in "passwords and forms" browsers or use analogues (eg ).

Restricting access to your data is easy. Use a password (pin code) on an ongoing basis, and if your device is stolen, use one of the services to delete all personal data remotely.