Losing a phone in our time can be equated to a disaster.
Literally everything can be done with this gadget.
A mobile phone can be stolen at any time, and not everyone wants this. But how can you find a stolen phone using its IMEI code? Is it even worth spending time on this?
And how not to be a loser in such a situation?
We will analyze all this in detail and clearly.
Contents:
What is IMEI code
This is a unique serial code for each device, which is tracked via GPS.
This code is automatically transmitted to the operator after connecting to the network. IMEI is usually a 15-digit number that is not repeated in any other device.
Important! If the device is designed for two SIM cards, there will also be two IMEI codes. Please keep this in mind when filing a loss claim.
The device code is written on the phone battery, you can rewrite it from that part, but if it has changed since the time of purchase, it is better to use the number.
To ensure the code is correct, check it against the code on the box.
Disadvantages of this type of search
Typically, search by code is carried out by operational services or a telecom operator.
This method is long and ineffective. Of course, it is possible to find the device through law enforcement agencies, but the chance is small.
Therefore, many are interested in searching for a phone on their own.
Even this method has its drawbacks. The robber could have changed the IMEI. Yes, many phones have sophisticated security to access the code, but not all.
If this does happen, the stolen phone can no longer be found. Searching by SIM card in this case does not make sense at all, because... replacing it is even easier.
The search requires special equipment, access to which is only available to high-ranking officials.
They rarely use the database of all operators, especially for such a loss. This is another obstacle to finding a stolen phone on your own.
All access to IMEI through applications is a scam. You can only receive location data from the operator mobile communications. The request is provided by law enforcement agencies, to which the client must contact.
How to avoid accidentally losing your phone
To avoid getting into a bind and protect yourself from standard device loss, think about this in advance:
- on the mobile phone screensaver, indicate any data by which you can find the owner;
- developed special applications and operator services that send SMS to a specific number when changing a SIM card;
- iPhone owners can link their phones or enable the “find iPhone” function;
- Enter the IMEI number into LoSToleN and offer a reward for it. If the phone is resold, most likely they will go to this site first. The chance of returning the phone is not great, but it is there.
How to track a mobile phone yourself
First you need to know it. Therefore, you need to take care of this as early as possible.
Dial *#06#, an individual code will be displayed on the device screen, which is better to write down and not lose. You can write it down on your computer or notepad, the main thing is to remember where this code is located in case of urgent need.
To file a police report about a lost phone, the following is required:
- box from a stolen phone;
- warranty card;
- receipt from the store where the device was purchased.
If at least one item from the list is missing, an official application cannot be submitted.
The matter is quite troublesome, but if important data was stored in the gadget’s memory, this process can speed up the search.
Court permission is required to access the database. After all signatures are collected, a request is sent with the IMEI code.
Important! Only “white” indicators are taken into account. That is, it was purchased legally.
If the goods (and later the client’s device) were illegally transported from abroad, a criminal case may be opened against the owner for the use of contraband.
Of course, you can’t take risks in such a situation, because you won’t be able to get away with just a fine, so if there is uncertainty, it’s better not to take such a case to court.
But in most cases the device is found this way; at what cost it will return to the owner is another matter.
Is there a chance to return what was stolen?
More likely no than yes. After submitting the application, a very long time may pass before the phone is returned to the owner.
Data from stolen devices is usually erased, and the mobile devices themselves are resold.
Searching by IMEI most often does not pay off. You can waste time without getting any results.
As mentioned above, additional problems may arise. It is up to its owner to decide whether the phone is worth so much effort.
Today, phones are stolen quite rarely, because the demand for “refurbished” models is low.
Of course, if this does happen, the chance of returning it to the owner is small.
Warnings
Don't be led by scammers. Many sites and applications offer to track your device for money.
Most likely, the money will go down the drain; in other words, such activities are prohibited in most countries.
For the return of the phone, SMS messages with requests for the transfer of funds may be sent to numbers from the phone book.
If the owner is ready to pick up mobile phone For a fee, arrange a personal meeting.
To know personal number IMEI, without having the device itself, is almost impossible without contacting the operator's service.
This takes a lot of time, but there is no charge for the service.
If your mobile phone is simply lost, it will be easier to return it. Call from any number listed in the phone book.
Most likely, they will try to return the lost item, so look for a lost and found advertisement.
Finding a stolen phone by IMEI is difficult and time-consuming. Often cases of this type of loss are not considered by law enforcement agencies, and it is almost impossible to find them on your own.
Be careful, try not to lose your phone, especially with big amount important information in him.
Most people who use mobile devices have lost their phone or . And it’s not always possible to find it on your own. Enough the easy way search lost phone is search by IMEI. Of course, oh this method not everyone knows, that’s why this article was written. I hope it will help you find your lost phone.
Finding a lost phone in today's environment is not as easy as it seems. Many people who have ever lost their mobile devices have already been convinced of this. Right now, any user of the World Wide Web can find his lost phone using its IMEI. But this is also not easy to do.
What is IMEI
IMEI – international mobile equipment identifier. Each phone receives its own unique code (it consists of 15 digits), which is called IMEI.
In other words, IMEI is something like a serial number that is broadcast to the operator when the phone is authorized on the network. IMEI is used to block or locate a lost or stolen device, as well as . But blocking IMEI with one operator will not prevent it from being used on another network.
How to find out the IMEI of a device
In order to look serial number phone, you need to dial *#06# and press the call button. As you already know, the serial number is a set of 15 digits.
How to find a phone using IMEI
Once you have found out the serial number of your device, you can find it using various projects that provide this feature. This is the case if you want to find your lost phone yourself. Using the site http://trackerplus.ru/imei you can add IMEI to the database. This will help you find your device in the future. You only need to enter the serial number in the required field, indicate the E-Mail and select the status corresponding to the current one.
After adding your serial code to the above service, it will be able to provide you with sufficient good help. How it all works:
After adding your IMEI to the site, the person who found your device will be able to contact you;
When purchasing a phone, you will be able to find out all the information you need about the device;
The police, if they find your device, will be able to find out that you are the owner of the phone and return it to you.
In their right mind, a person who has lost his phone should immediately contact the police. But not in all cases they will be able to help you find a phone. But knowing the IMEI of the phone, it will be much easier for them to do this.
In general, it is quite difficult to find a stolen device on your own. It is not always possible to know its exact location. Therefore, in most cases you have to contact the police with an official statement. But no one will give you a 100% guarantee that your phone will be found. Therefore, keep an eye on your device, and try not to lose it, and once again not to strain yourself and law enforcement agencies. For maximum phone protection, you can use different programs, which can help you find your missing device.
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 numbers, 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 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 others 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 mobile device by providing documents to your 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.
IMEI is a completely unique code that is embedded in a smartphone. Using the identifier, you can distinguish it from another with almost 100% accuracy and prove your rights to the phone. There have been many rumors on the Internet about this IMEI, which claim that you can use it to find your smartphone yourself. As part of the article, we will consider which of this is true and which is fiction aimed at pumping out money.
How to find out IMEI?
There are several places that contain required code phone, the same identifier is duplicated in each of them. Use one of the available options:
- In the phone itself you need to enter *#06#;
- The battery must have a label with a code. If the battery has been changed, then it will not be possible to find it;
- In the documents for the phone and the box. They must contain this information without fail.
Using one of the methods, you will find out a unique 15-17-digit code. IMEI is an excellent option to prove ownership of a phone if there is a dispute. Changing the identifier is extremely difficult and only a few bother with it, and only for exclusive models.
How to find a phone by IMEI?
There is only one real way Finding a phone by IMEI means contacting the police. You must have a set of documents for the device with you:
- Box;
- A receipt indicating the purchase of a smartphone;
- Warranty card.
Based on this data, it will be possible to begin actions to find the phone, but this still does not guarantee a positive outcome. The operation to find a phone via IMEI is very troublesome, but perhaps you will be able to interest law enforcement agencies in resolving the situation as quickly as possible. It’s no secret that the search doesn’t go particularly quickly either in Russia or in Ukraine for the average person, but if you promise a reward or you’re an influential person or just endlessly knock on doorsteps, then you’ll succeed.
Why is it difficult to find a phone by IMEI on your own, or rather unrealistic, but the whole point is that the necessary database for searching is stored by the operator cellular communication. It is natural for him to refuse to provide data without a court order, and even more so they will not post it this database on third party sites.
In this article we will look at a situation where you have lost or had your phone stolen and how to find it by IMEI, as well as what settings need to be made in the phone itself immediately after purchase.
If your phone has been lost (stolen), you can return it in several ways, including using an identification number. IMEI numbers. However, the latter is not always effective; below we will explain in detail why. We will also consider in detail how else you can calculate the location of the device and try to return it yourself.
IMEI is a unique device identification number that is assigned to it at the factory. You can find out the IMEI of your device in several ways:
Please note that on phones with two SIM codes there will also be two.
To find a device by IMEI, you need to contact the police and write a statement. Please note that you will not only need to know an identification number device, but have all the documents for it, sales receipt, box.
Before doing this, you should call your operator and ask to block the SIM card. Some operators, if they submit a statement to law enforcement agencies, can track the phone or block it completely, depriving the attacker of the ability to use it even if the SIM card is changed.
If you have not blocked your phone, then police officers can make appropriate inquiries to the cellular communication company. They, in turn, check if your phone is online, when and where it contacted base station. So mobile operator can calculate which stations your phone has been lit up on recently.
Why is it impossible to find a phone by IMEI on your own?
It is impossible to independently find a smartphone by IMEI, since only the cellular operator has access to the station switching center, i.e., to all stations. Consequently, all applications that allegedly provide a service for locating a phone by IMEI are fraudulent.
Another thing is information services that provide access to their own IMEI database of lost or stolen phones. If you register the identification number of your stolen device in one of them, there is a small chance that you will get it back for a reward. One of these services is LoSToleN.
Using the standard Android remote control feature
For modern devices under Android control it became possible to remotely control the phone. Activating it allows you to:
- block the device and delete all information from it,
- determine the location of the phone.
You can use remote control if the function that allows access to geodata has been activated in advance. You also need to add to it Google account and log in using your ID.
Setting up remote control is carried out in the following way:
You can check if the location feature is working at android.com/devicemanager. Once you've signed in, you should be able to detect your device.
Otherwise, check again whether the remote control function is active on the phone and whether access to location data is open.
Lost Android app
This program offers wider functionality for remote control apparatus. To start using it, you need to install the utility client from Google Play, after which the Personal Notes application will be installed on your smartphone. Further:
- Activate the program and give it device administrator access.
- Sign up using your Google account.
After this, the following functions will become available to you:
- turning on sound, display and vibration on a stolen phone;
- search for a device on the map, and if the GPS on the phone is turned off, the user himself can activate it remotely;
- blocking a device via the Internet;
- sending messages demanding the return of the device;
- viewing and saving pictures, contacts;
- When replacing the SIM card on the device, the owner receives a corresponding notification.
Special service for Samsung phone owners
For Samsung devices A proprietary location and number verification form is available. To do this, register in the Find My Lost Phone service. You need to be prepared for the fact that checking your device during registration may take up to several days. After logging into this service, you need to enter your IMEI, after which the location of the device will be displayed on the map.
How to find a stolen iPhone or iPad
To be able to find a lost or stolen Apple device, enable the Find My iPhone service in advance. To do this, in the device settings you need to go to the “iCloud” section and activate the corresponding switch.
To find a lost device, you need to:
- Log in to icloud.com/find;
- Launch the “find iPhone” program, select your device and look at the latter’s position on the map.
- Activate lost mode. After this, you can remotely lock the device with a password, display a message about the need to return the device, and track the location.
Don't forget to contact law enforcement authorities with your phone's serial number.