Last location of the phone. What to do if you lost your phone - how to find it. How to find a stolen phone by IMEI in Ukraine for free

In most cases, searching by IMEI helps.

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

Modern technology, in particular, middle and higher price category, are of particular value to pickpockets.

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

Rises logical question: how to track your phone 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 give out 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 required document signed, the representative of the authorities addresses 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 legislative framework 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 using software methods change unique identificator, 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, besides, only a few are hired per shift.

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

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

Let's begin with 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. IN best case scenario, 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 details, 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 SMS to specified number, if someone 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 current location gadget via the Internet.

It's no secret that the best remedy searching for a lost phone - calling from another number. The melody set for the call will play, which will make finding the device much easier. But what if the device is turned off or lost outside the home? Let's look at 5 common problems of 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 Only works with a pre-entered Google account.

If you have an active wired or wireless connection, will help you find your smartphone Google technology by searching for a device where the charge and name of the connected device are displayed Wi-Fi networks. There is also a “Ring” button to send sound, even in a silent state. To display your phone on the map, you must first activate geolocation.

Instructions:

1. Open device search page. If necessary, enter your account password.
2. Select a device from the list if 2 or more devices are connected to your account.
3. 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, and also, if necessary, erase data.

How to find a 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 in specified time. In a silent state, when the alarm goes off, it plays user installed melody and volume level.

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

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

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

The leader in this direction is Cerberus. The program allows you to set the location of the phone, take a photo 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

When turned off, only the alarm clock will help you find your phone. Because to perform a pre-specified event, you need to turn on the phone, which happens when the alarm clock turns 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, applications for remote control, etc., finding a phone is problematic. Only the operator can help cellular communications, because 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 searching for a phone is low.

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

Sometimes find lost phone succeeds, but after 3-6 or 12 months from the date of application. If it turns out that the phone accidentally fell behind a nightstand or bed at home, it is quite possible to receive a fine for falsely reporting it as missing.

Conclusion

If your phone is lost at home, start by searching for possible or last places stay. Use Internet search if the device is connected to a network, or remote control if the function is preconfigured. If you are sure that the phone is lost or stolen, then contact the operator or law enforcement agencies for help.

True, in that situation, if the mobile phone was allegedly stolen, you tried to call your number, but it was turned off, then it will be very difficult to find it - until the phone is turned on. Unfortunately, the time period that will be spent on searching can be either a couple of days or weeks or several months. Therefore, decide for yourself whether you really need it. For example, if your mobile phone is already more than two or three years old, then your wasted energy and free time will be spent practically in vain. It will be easier to simply buy a new cell phone. Please also note that most often after a theft occurs, the phone is immediately reflashed (settings reset, formatted), and the SIM card is thrown away. If the phone is reset, you will no longer be able to return contact data, photos, SMS, videos, etc. So think again whether the game is worth the candle.

What to do if your smartphone is stolen?

If, after all, your stolen phone is of great value to you, and you decide to return it with all your might, then even before going to the police, perform a few simple steps:

1) block your SIM card. This is especially important if you have a considerable amount in your account, or if you use a credit form of payment. In order to do this, you will need to contact the customer support service of your telecom operator. You will be asked to provide your passport details according to the contract;

2) if the amount in your account is not so large, then you still need to block the SIM card so that it is not used in for selfish purposes. At the same time, request a printout of calls from your mobile, this will significantly increase the likelihood of finding your phone if it was stolen and it is turned off. It will also make the police's job much easier;

3) this method is more likely from the realm of science fiction, but it’s still worth a try in case your phone was not stolen, but found. Therefore, just in case, try to call your number. If they do pick up the phone, talk calmly to the person, ask how they came into possession of your phone, and tell them that if the phone is returned, you will not contact the police. If the phone is so dear to you, promise a reward. Sometimes you can really agree and not look for other ways to find a phone if it was stolen;

4) if your iPhone was stolen, then you can try using special applications that find the phone (for example, iCloud). Some Twitter and Google apps use geolocation, so you can record all the data that comes from a particular location. You may need them a little later;

5) just in case, change all passwords for programs, social networks and services that you used from your mobile;

6) Additionally, try to personally search for your mobile phone on various websites and newspapers where they advertise the sale of communication equipment. There is a possibility that scammers will try to get rid of your mobile phone in this way;

7) in addition, submit an advertisement for the purchase of your phone model yourself. Try to make your ad stand out from others in some way. Perhaps this way you can literally catch a thief “by the hand”;

8) since any type of phone has a welcome message function, write the number of your friend (parent, relative) and the reward amount as this message. In this case, perhaps the person who stole will be interested in your offer and you will be able to negotiate with him;

9) if you were in a place where there was a large crowd of people before the loss was discovered, try to return there and ask about the phone. It’s quite rare, but it doesn’t always happen that someone found your phone and took it to the sellers (if you were in a store), or to the duty officers (at stations). Do not miss this opportunity, because perhaps people simply do not know how to use this or that phone to call the owner, but they are certainly ready to return it to you. Do not ignore this even if the last time the phone was in your line of sight, it was almost dead. After all, maybe someone found your phone, but simply cannot contact you because it is completely dead;

10) there is another way to find a phone if it was stolen - by imei. He is a unique serial number any phone that supports GSM format. This number is transmitted automatically by the phone when connecting to any network operator. This serial number is located on the box in which the purchased phone was located - under the barcode. Also get the documents for the purchase - they may be useful to you - with the addition in the form of a receipt, the fact that the phone belongs to you will be confirmed.

Further actions

After you have completed these simple manipulations, contact the police directly. There you will need to file a statement regarding the theft (or loss). The application form is not particularly regulated. You must provide your personal information (full name), address, telephone number and signature. After the duty station accepts your application, you will receive a notification coupon with the application number and the name of the police officer who accepted your application. You can find out what will happen with your case, the timing of its consideration and progress either in the duty station or in the internal affairs accounting groups. Then, based on how busy the police officers who accepted your application will be, your mobile phone will be searched with the help of telecom operators. The search will proceed as follows: all SIM cards that were inserted into the mobile phone after the fact of theft will be identified, and the person who inserted their SIM card into the phone stolen from you will be “processed”. Starting from identifying such a person, the likelihood of finding and returning your phone will increase many times over.

Safety Cautions

In order to reduce the possibility of someone stealing your phone to a minimum, try to protect yourself. In addition, even before a possible theft occurs, simplify the task of getting your phone back (just in case):

1) try to carry your phone on some kind of mount - this will increase the likelihood that even if they try to pull your phone out, you will notice it;

2) install on your mobile special code protection - this aspect will greatly complicate the use of a “foreign” SIM card and will even lower the price for buyers of such goods - after all, such a phone will require unlocking;

3) a banal warning, but still worth mentioning - do not let strangers use your mobile phone;

4) try not to carry your phone in purses and bags, because they can be easily cut or simply snatched from your hands;

5) install special programs aimed at preventing theft as much as possible. For example, some of these programs: Guardian, SimWatcher, Thefft, PhoneSecure and the like can be installed for completely different phones: for communicators, and for PDAs, and for smartphones, and for standard mobile phones. If desired, you can install them in almost any GSM service. With the presence of such programs, even if your phone is stolen, you can significantly protect yourself. If another SIM card is inserted into your phone, then this type of program will send SMS messages to the numbers you personally specified. This way you can find out the number of the thief or the person who found your phone. Also, programs can completely block the operation of a mobile phone;

6) save your contact list in another place as well. After all, even if your mobile is lost, everything important numbers will be safe;

7) if your mobile phone very expensive, then you can insure it. Then in case of loss or theft you will receive mandatory compensation;

8) always keep all documents, receipts and phone box.

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 hard reboot (hard reset) to reset 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 a smartphone Android, 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.
In the market Google Play exists application of the same name Remote Android management (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 there will also be an opportunity to block the phone or erase the data stored in it 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 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. True, after that you can find it through the page iPhone search will no longer be possible. But no one will be able to use your smartphone until they activate it using your Apple ID.

If you have lost your OS device Windows, then go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and log in. Select a stolen device from the list of your devices lost smartphone and press Phone search. If its location is known, it will be displayed on the map. Next, click “Block” and indicate the phone number for feedback with 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. On devices Apple In addition to searching for smartphones, there is 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 mobile Internet GPRS, and its location will be determined only 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 number IMEI your smartphone, you can leave information that it is on the list of stolen ones in the database http://sndeep.info/ru/lostolen. Specify the amount of the return fee. Perhaps someone will find it and return it to you.
These are probably the basic steps you can take to try to get your loss back.

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.

Previously, a mobile device was a rarity for people; the cost of services and the phone itself was not affordable for everyone. Nowadays everyone has a smartphone, some people use several at once for different needs. This has become the reason that they sometimes disappear and there is a need to find a lost phone. There are several ways to do this.

How to find your phone

Price cellular devices has decreased significantly and acquiring them is not a problem, in connection with this, the attitude towards things has become more careless. Not every person wants to search lost device, in most cases, a SIM card with phone book. If you are sure that your device has not been stolen, you can follow these steps to find lost device:

1. Visit places you've been to: cafes, locker rooms gym, friends’ apartment, office where the meeting took place, place of work. You must be sure that you have not just posted the device somewhere.
2. If you are sure that the smartphone is somewhere in the same room, but you simply cannot see it, then ask someone for a mobile phone and make a call to your device. This will allow you to detect it by sound or vibration.
3. There is no need to call constantly, because this may attract the attention of other people who will want to steal the mobile phone.
4. Ask your friends to help look for the lost device, it’s good if you split up and go to several possible places of loss at the same time.
5. When independent searches try not to attract unnecessary attention, search quietly, otherwise strangers will understand that you have lost something and will start looking around too.

Sometimes such methods are not effective, sometimes people visit so many places that it is simply not possible to visit them all. In such cases, there are several ways to find a lost phone by satellite:

• By IMEI number;
• With using GPS;
• by SIM card.

Find a phone by IMEI

Only law enforcement agencies have the right to search for a lost smartphone via satellite using IMEI. Any other special services, who offer such a service, in most cases turn out to be scammers. Online programs that claim that they will find a mobile phone for free will most likely turn out to be not free at all. You can search by IMEI only based on a missing report.

To find out the code, you need to look under the device’s battery: there should be a sticker with a 15-digit device number, it is unique and belongs only to this smartphone. If for some reason it was not there, find out digital code you can by dialing *#06#, after which the IMEI will appear on the screen. Write the code down on a piece of paper and keep it with your mobile documents.

By SIM card

Another way to find your lost smartphone via satellite is using a SIM card. This service is provided directly by the mobile operator. The service is not free, and you will also need to prove that you are the owner of the device that needs to be found by satellite. To do this you will need a box, a phone number, an answer to Secret Question. Mobile operator is not obliged to comply with this request and has the right to refuse. If the device is not just lost, but stolen, then it is impossible to track the device using the SIM card when the attacker turned it off.

Finding a phone using GPS

The easiest way to find your phone by satellite is to prepare for such a situation in advance. In old mobile devices such software wasn't, but now you don't even have to install special applications. It is possible to track the location via GPS or GLONASS. To do this, the smartphone must have this function enabled and Mobile Internet. There are several services from Android, Google, Apple that help track the location of the device through special programs.

How to find a missing phone via the Internet

Each company that is involved in the development and creation of a smartphone tries in every possible way to protect a person from possible thefts, hacking of the device, or situations where the device may be lost. Therefore, special services have been created that help track a lost device through Google, the Android or Apple website. All of them imply that the device is turned on, the Internet and the ability to access the network from a computer.

Find My iPhone feature

Since 2011 Apple company sewn into my operating system special function– “Find iPhone.” It is activated on the phone itself and allows you to do the following if your smartphone is lost or stolen:

• activate “lost mode”, which will block the device;
• delete information from memory;
• make the phone emit a signal that will help locate it if it is somewhere nearby.

This item must be activated in advance at the following path: “Settings”, then go to iCloud section, from there go to the “Find iPhone” section and switch the button to the “on” position. From now on, the satellite will track the location of the device, and the owner will be able to block the phone through the website icloud.com, using his account, which must be created in advance and activated.

Find an Android phone via computer

Main competitor Apple among operating systems Android systems cares about its users no less and also offers several ways to find your lost phone via satellite via the Internet or using special programs. They do not violate the law and do not require special contact with the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the telecom operator, but you should prepare for such a situation in advance.

Using special programs via Google

Android Device Manager is one of those programs that helps you find your device when the Internet and GPS program are turned on. You can download the application at official store from Google for free. The program provides the ability to perform the same actions as the “Find iPhone” function: block access to the device, force an alarm, or determine the location. You just need to go to google.com/android/devicemanager and complete the necessary steps.

For correct operation this application must be activated on your phone Account in Google, an enabled service, which is activated as follows:

• go to the “Settings” section;
• select "Security";
• click on “Device Administrators”;
• check the box next to “Device Manager;
• in the window that appears, confirm the opportunity remote actions with the device.

How to find a switched off phone at home

There are situations when a person has to look for a switched off phone at home. The shutdown could have occurred due to low battery or disconnecting the battery from the device, for example, if during vibration it fell from the table and opened. To make your search easier, you can use the following tips:

• remember where you last saw the device;
• check the corners, look behind the chairs, under the sofa or table, because when vibrating, the phone could “crawl away” anywhere;
• if a cat or dog lives in the apartment, check “their places” where they could have taken your lost smartphone;
• search all the bags, pants and jackets in which you went out Lately;
• If you have an alarm or reminder set on your phone, even if it is turned off, it will make a sound at the appointed time.

Video: how to find a missing phone