How to find your Android device, lock it or delete data from it. How to return a stolen phone. (Personal experience) Are lost phones found?

We devoted the sixth lesson of our training course to a fairly common problem. Nowadays, no user is immune from losing his phone. You can leave your cell phone in a cafe or accidentally drop it on the street. In the end, the phone can simply be stolen and thereby get all the important information stored on it: from photos to passwords to bank accounts. In such cases, the user does not always understand what can be done to find his phone. It seems much easier to go out and buy a new one. However, there are several ways to detect a mobile gadget.

In our article we will tell you how to find a lost Android phone, spending very little time.

How to find a lost Android phone through a computer

The most common way to search for a lost phone is to use a special service from Google - Android Device Manager through a browser on your computer. Please note: in order to find your phone, you must first perform a number of steps that will help you use the remote access function if you lose your mobile phone:

Go to your phone settings
Open the Security section
Select Device Administrators
Check the box next to the “Android Remote Control” function

In addition, for the Android Device Manager service to find a lost phone, a number of conditions must be met:

The phone must be turned on
Mobile Internet must be running on the phone
Mobile Internet can be replaced with a Wi-Fi connection
Geolocation must be enabled on your phone
The phone user must have an activated Google account

If all steps have been completed, you can search for your lost phone through your computer. Open your browser and enter the following address into the search bar: https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager. Log in to your account, after which a Google map will appear and the system will begin searching for your phone. In a few seconds, Android Device Manage will determine the location of the mobile phone with an accuracy of several meters. You can call your phone through your computer or delete all data from it and block it in case your gadget is found by an attacker.

How to find an Android phone by IMEI

If you are sure that your phone is not just lost, but stolen, you can find it using IMEI. This is a 15-digit mobile phone identification number unique to each gadget. Since IMEI is used during authorization in a cellular network, a user can use it to try to find a phone that he has lost. You can find out IMEI like this:

Dial *#06# in your phone. After this, an identification number will appear on the screen. Please note that a dual-SIM phone will have two IMEIs for each SIM card slot.
Remove the battery from the phone. Below it is a sticker with the serial number and IMEI.
The phone manufacturer may print the IMEI on the packaging.
IMEI is indicated in the warranty card.

After you find out the IMEI, go to the police. There you will need to write an application in which you indicate your full name, passport details and phone IMEI. Don't forget to take documents with you for your phone: cash register or sales receipt. After this, the police must make a request to the cellular company, where the IMEI is used to determine the phone connected to the network. You must be absolutely sure that the phone is stolen. If your cell phone is found at your home, you will have to pay a fine.

This method has a significant drawback. It takes several days, or even weeks, for the police to process such requests. During this time, the stolen phone may well be resold or dismantled for parts. Of course, you can try to find a phone by IMEI yourself using special sites. Just keep in mind that they do not give a 100% guarantee that the phone will be found.

Other Fly smartphones
On our website you can find a catalog with other Fly smartphones on Android.

How to find your phone using apps

Experts who know how to find a lost Android phone very often recommend using special programs that can be installed on it in advance. The most popular and free applications are the following:

Where's My Droid

Where's My Droid

Once you have installed the app on your phone, allow the app to access your location, messages, contacts, and camera. Create an account in the Commander service. You will need it to access the phone detection site. Here you can get the coordinates of your mobile phone, make a call, get a list of contacts, turn on the camera, clear data or block your mobile phone.

After all the settings, the following functions become available in the application itself:

Determining the coordinates where the phone is located
Setting a ringer even in silent mode
Purpose of signal words. By sending them via SMS, you can activate the phone ringer, turn on the GPS or camera.
Create a password for the application
Assign a number to activate application functions
Set up notification about changing SIM card or phone number

After you have launched the application, give it Administrator rights. After this, the program will be able to delete all data from the lost phone, change settings and monitor attempts to remove the screen lock, as well as control password entry. By the way, the application itself on the desktop will be called Personal Notes and will be marked with a notepad icon so that a potential thief will not recognize the threat to himself. After entering your username and password, you can find your phone through the website http://www.androidlost.com, similar to the one used in the Wheres My Droid application.

Once you have installed the application, create an account for yourself by assigning an email and password. After that, you can find the phone using the official website: https://seekdroid.com. Here you can see the location of the phone on the map, find out the IMEI number and battery level, and also block the device. Here you can assign one of the most useful functions of the application - tracking by “breadcrumbs”. At specified intervals, the phone will automatically send data about its location to the server, so that its movements can be tracked with an accuracy of several meters.

How to find a phone using an antivirus program

In some antivirus programs, the user has access to the Anti-Theft function, which launches the GPS module, blocks data on the phone, sets an alarm, takes a picture with the main or front camera, blocks access to the phone settings, and much more. You can read more about such antivirus applications in our article.

For example, to search for a phone, you can use the CM Security antivirus program, which can be downloaded for free on Google Play. Go to the application menu and select the “Phone Search” section here. Next you need to register via Facebook, Google+ or email. After this, the phone can be found through the site findphone.cmcm.com. This shows the location of the mobile phone to which you can call or send a blocking command.

How to find your phone if it's turned off

In the case of a switched off phone, unfortunately, neither a computer nor a running Internet or GPS will help. You can find such a phone if only it is located somewhere in the apartment. And yet there is still a chance to find a turned off mobile phone. The alarm clock on it will help you. Make sure in advance that it has ringing functions when the phone is turned off. Then at a certain moment the alarm will ring and you will be able to find your lost mobile phone.

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to find out where a lost phone is. Have you already tried to find your phone using one of the methods described above? Tell us about it in the comments to this article or in our group

How to find a lost phone and how to prevent it from being stolen - working methods. Information about fraudulent resources that supposedly help you find lost handsets. You can't use them, but some people don't know about it.

To successfully locate your lost phone in the future, turn on Find My Device. Go to “Settings – Security and location” or “Google – Security”, select “Find device”. Activate the items “Remote device search” and “Remote lock and reset”. On some phones, the function is enabled with one tick.

Determining the location of the smartphone

To find your missing phone, go here and click on the device. On the next page, enter your Google account password. After a second, the smartphone management page will open. Select one of the following:

Find – the current location of the device will be displayed on the map.
Ring – turns on the sound signal. The function will make it easier to find a smartphone at home or in the office - when you have lost your phone and cannot find it.
Phone lock - set a password to unlock and a message for whoever finds it. Unlocking is possible only with a password.
Log out of your account on your phone to prevent access to your account. Does not affect search functions.
Contact your operator to block your SIM card and set up call forwarding.
Delete all data from the device - use when storing confidential information on your smartphone. Further searches will become impossible.

Be sure to activate the “Find My Device” function after purchasing a smartphone - this method only works if it is enabled. If your phone is turned off, you won't be able to find it.

For a successful search, the phone you are looking for must be connected to the Internet. Do not forget to activate coordinate determination at least via the cellular network (turning on GPS can quickly drain the battery).

Lock your smartphone while searching - this will prevent access to data.

Mobile application for searching “Find my device” from Google

To use the application, activate the Find My Device function using the instructions above. Download it from Google Play and install it on another smartphone or tablet. Launch the application, log in with your Google account. After a couple of seconds, a piece of map with the exact location of the phone will appear on the screen - go searching. Turn on the call through the application or lock the handset to prevent data theft.

Phone search services by subscriber number and IMEI

Let's look at working and non-working ways to find a lost phone. Some of the above services are fraudulent.

SNDeep.Info

This portal is not suitable for finding a lost phone. It is informational:

Shows the smartphone model by IMEI;
Shows the status - stolen or lost (if the handset was stolen, enter its IMEI in the form and add a list of lost or stolen);
It may show a discrepancy between the smartphone and its IMEI number (if it has been reflashed).

It does not show the location of the device.

The creators of the service claim that they can find a lost device by phone number. In fact, it doesn’t work - cellular operators do not transfer location data to third parties and services. The service is fraudulent, it was created to profit from gullible users.

We conducted an experiment - we used the service despite Yandex’s warning. Enter the number of a telephone that is currently switched off. The system showed the connection was established and correctly displayed the region - this is publicly available information. The city was identified - erroneously, during the experiment the tube was in another city. Wi-Fi was detected to be turned on - erroneously, since this is a simple phone. A few seconds later, the service allegedly identified the location, demanding registration and money. PLNET is not looking for anything - which is what needed to be proven.

There are plenty of such services - they only show the operator and regional affiliation (this is open data). They will not be able to determine the location.

OM-TEL

Another service similar to PLNET. It doesn't work, don't experiment. More precisely, it works - after registering with a phone number, money disappears from the account. PLNET works in a similar way. Remember, services that search for phones by SIM card, IMEI number and other parameters do not work.

Other ways to find a phone at home and on the street

The easiest way to find a lost handset yourself is to return to the place where the loss was discovered. It may have fallen out of your pocket and into the grass. Look for it on your desktop, look in your desk drawers, visit your colleague’s office. If she's lost at home, use Google's Find My Device service. Activate the call and you will hear where the lost handset is. Use the same method when searching for a phone on the street - it will identify the intruder.

How to prevent your smartphone from being stolen

Keep your smartphone in your inner clothing pockets – it’s impossible to get into them. Anti-theft backpacks provide good protection against theft. When holding the tube in your work bag, hold your hand over it - this will help you feel that someone is trying to get into it. Do not leave your smartphone in visible places, including on your office desk or cafe table. Also take preventive measures - install software for remote blocking and search.

Cerberus

The application will help you find a lost phone that is disconnected from the Internet. Management is carried out online and via SMS. If the attacker installs a different SIM card, the application will report the new number. There is a function for remotely turning on GPS using an SMS command - turn it on and get the exact coordinates of the handset.

Other application features:

Keeps a log of incoming and outgoing calls.
Records sound from a microphone.
Gives a loud signal on command - will help you find your phone in a crowd of people.
Tracks your smartphone on a map.

All operations are performed secretly, the attacker will not notice anything. The disadvantage of the application is that root rights are required, installation and configuration can only be done by advanced users.

This application cannot search for lost phones. But it will be able to stop an attempt to turn off the smartphone or put it in airplane mode. In response to these actions, the device will turn on a loud sound signal, revealing the intruder. The application will also sound a signal if there is an unauthorized attempt to pull the smartphone out of your pocket.

Paid functionality – 75 USD/month. If paid annually, the monthly cost will be 27.42 USD.

If you have lost your Android phone or tablet (including within your apartment) or it has been stolen, there is a chance that the device can still be found. To do this, the Android OS of all latest versions (4.4, 5, 6, 7, 8) provides a special tool, under certain conditions, that allows you to find out where the phone is located. In addition, you can remotely force it to ring, even if the volume is set to minimum and it has a different SIM card, block it and set a message for the finder, or erase data from the device.

In order to find a stolen or lost Android phone or use other remote control functions, go to the official page from your computer (or other device) https://www.google.com/android/find(formerly https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager) and sign in to your Google account (the same one used on your phone).

Once this is done, you can select your Android device (phone, tablet, etc.) from the menu list at the top and perform one of four tasks:

Unfortunately, if your device has been reset to factory settings or your Google account has been removed from it, you will not be able to perform all the steps described above. However, some small chances of finding the device remain.

How to find your phone if it has been reset to factory settings or your Google account has been changed

If, for the reasons stated above, it is not possible to determine the current location of the phone, there is a possibility that after it was lost, the Internet was still connected for some time, and the location was determined (including by Wi-Fi access points). You can find out by looking at your location history on Google Maps.

If this doesn’t help you find your Android device, it might be worth contacting the competent authorities to search for it, provided that you still have the box with the IMEI number and other data (although they write in the comments that they don’t always do this). But I don’t recommend using phone search sites by IMEI: it is extremely unlikely that you will get a positive result on them.

Third-party tools that allow you to find, block or delete data from your phone

In addition to the built-in “Android Remote Control” or “Android Device Manager” functions, there are also third-party applications that allow you to search for a device, usually also including additional features (for example, recording audio or photos from a lost phone). For example, the Anti-Theft functions are present in Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Avast. They are disabled by default, but you can enable them at any time in the app settings on Android.

Then, if necessary, in the case of Kaspersky Anti-Virus, you will need to go to the website my.kaspersky.com/ru under your account (you will need to create it when setting up the antivirus on the device itself) and select your device in the “Devices” section.

After that, by clicking on “Block, search or manage device”, you can perform the appropriate actions (provided that Kaspersky Anti-Virus has not been removed from the phone) and even take a photo from the phone’s camera.

In Avast mobile antivirus, the function is also disabled by default, and even after enabling, location is not tracked. To enable location detection (as well as maintaining a history of the places where the phone has been), go from your computer to the Avast website with the same account as in the antivirus on your mobile, select the device and open the “Find” item.

In this item, you can simply enable location detection upon request, as well as automatically maintaining a history of Android locations with the required frequency. Among other things, on the same page you can make the device ring, display a message on it, or erase all data.

There are many other applications with similar functionality, including antiviruses, parental controls and more: however, when choosing such an application, I recommend paying special attention to the reputation of the developer, since in order to search, lock and erase the phone, applications require almost full rights on your device (which is potentially dangerous).

Reading time: 3 min

Today we’ll look at a fairly popular question: how to find a lost Android phone via the Internet, if it’s turned off, via a computer, via imei. There are several ways to find a lost phone and each is good in its own way.

Every smartphone runs on some operating system, such as ios, android, windows phone and others. Each OS has its own security system. For example, a lost phone on OS iOS can be found using a special program provided by the manufacturer. In the program you can track and find your phone. But what about users of other devices? Which operating system is Android? Let's look at several ways to get your lost money back.

How to find an Android phone if you lost it

There are situations when the phone fell out of your pocket, bag, was generally lost or was stolen. And it needs to be returned. First of all, you will want to write a statement to the police, but as practice shows and other people’s requests for the same problem, there is no smell of success there. You can only rely on those who will find and return the phone to the owner, unfortunately there are few of them, or you can look for the phone on your own.

So let's start looking for a phone, because every minute is important to us. In order to determine the location of the phone, there is nothing complicated. To start the search, we need a Google account and if the Google account is not added to the phone, then this method is not suitable. But usually everyone has it, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to use Google services.

Also in the settings, in the Location section, you need to check the boxes as in the screenshot.

As you can see in this method everything is simple. Google provides a search function for your smartphone.

How to search via computer

The Android Device Manager service is designed specifically for finding a lost phone, but if the settings on the phone are reset or it is turned off, then it is of no use. But not every thief knows how to do this, so it’s worth trying this method.

What we need to do to search for a device:

Enter your username and password, and then log into your account. If you don’t have an account yet, be sure to create one, as it is very useful and necessary (after creation, also log into your account via your smartphone).

As you have already noticed, you can remotely call a phone, block or clear the device of all data if you do not want anyone to see it.

How to find a phone number at home through a computer

If something happened that you somehow managed to lose your phone at home, then you can call it from your computer using the Google service

Within a few minutes, the phone will ring at full volume, no matter what mode you have on.

Send a message to a lost or stolen phone

If the phone is lost, and the person who found it wants to return it, although in our time there are few such people, there are still such people. You can display text on the phone screen that will help the finder contact the owner of the gadget.

We use the same service and the “Configure data blocking and deletion” button.

In the window that appears, you can do the following: Enter a password with which you can lock the device.

Write a message, after reading which the person will return the mobile phone.

If it is not possible to return the gadget, then it is recommended to protect your personal data. To do this, click the “Clear” button. In this case, everything will be deleted and the phone will go to standard factory settings.

Using programs

In addition to searching for a phone using Google services, you can find a phone using programs. The Lost Android program has proven itself well. You can install it from Google Play. But after installation, the application will be called Personal Notes. so that it doesn’t catch the eye and the attackers don’t suspect anything.

After starting the program, we give it administrator rights, to do this, click on the button as in the screenshot

These two methods I proposed, through Google and the program, help you find even a turned off smartphone. This is achieved by the fact that Google services record the moment when the device was last turned on, and, accordingly, the location.

Find phone by imei and SIM card

But here I want to disappoint you, there is no way to track the phone by number or imei. Using imei, only authorities can track a device, and not all of them.

Protection with avast! Anti-Theft for Android

Just in case, you can set up your phone.

Here's what to do:

Download avast antivirus! Mobile Security and open it.
Go to the settings menu and check the “PIN code protection” and “Deletion protection” checkboxes.
If a person detects an antivirus, he will not be able to get rid of it until he enters the PIN code.
Then create an avast account. Go to the official antivirus service and click Create Account Now, set your email and enter your password.

If more than one method did not produce results or you do not remember the login or password for the Google account that was added to the phone, then there is the last method.

It is impossible to find your smartphone using your phone number. But you, as a victim, can come to the police station, write a statement and attach evidence that this is really your phone. Among them are the following: Warranty card. Purchase receipt. Gadget box. IMEI code.

Content

Losing your mobile means practically being left without everything: all your contacts, photos, notes, open social networks and who knows what else are there. It’s good if the gadget is simply lost and does not fall into the hands of criminals, but what if not? How to detect the device in this case? There are several different ways to do this, which you will learn about below.

How to find a phone by IMEI

Every smartphone has its own identifier called IMEI. It can be seen on the packaging or under the back cover of the device itself. One of the advantages of this serial code is that it is virtually impossible to change. If someone inserts a new SIM card, the identifier will not change and it will be possible to find the phone using IMEI as soon as the gadget is turned on, but only police officers have the equipment for such a search. There are services on the Internet that promise to find your device using IMEI for a fee: remember, these are scammers!

How to find your phone if it's turned off

There is also the following situation: you lost your smartphone, tried to call, but to no avail, and as a result the battery runs out and the gadget turns off. Is it possible to track a phone if it is turned off? In this case, you will have to submit an application to law enforcement agencies, because it will be very difficult to find the device on your own. To do this, you need special equipment that finds devices using a built-in GPS sensor and communication with a satellite.

If your cell phone is stolen and the attackers immediately turn off the device, you won’t be able to find the device on your own either. You can call all pawn shops, but it is best if you immediately go to the police department and report the theft. You need to have identification documents with you, as well as evidence that the smartphone belongs to you: serial number, purchase receipt.

How to find a lost Android phone through a computer

Owners of iPhones can live in peace: the developers have created a program to determine the location of the phone and built it into the system. Thanks to this, everyone can find out where their gadget is in a few steps, even if it is stolen and turned off. As for the owners of cell phones on Android, recently they also have this opportunity. The system has the Android Device Manager program, which, after some settings, helps you find Android via Google.

Search for a phone via Google account from a computer

ADM shows the location of the smartphone, allows you to block the gadget, and delete information from the map. How to find a missing phone using this application: Settings - Security - Device Administrators, enable Android Device Manager. If your device has been lost, then with this function you can find your phone through your Google account. To do this, log in to android.com/devicemanager and click on the device you need. A map will open showing the location. If the device is stolen, then the likelihood of finding it through Google is low.

How to find a phone by phone number

As soon as a person discovers that the device is lost, he begins to frantically go through all sorts of ways to quickly find it. It happens that when dialing the device, those who found your device pick up the phone: you make an appointment and simply pick up your smartphone. If this does not happen after several calls, the lost person begins frantically searching the Internet for the fastest ways to return his gadget.

One of these are fraudulent sites that, for an additional fee, promise accurate cell tracking using a satellite using the entered number. It is worth warning everyone: it is impossible to find a phone number by number, you will only lose your money and time. The only correct option for searching by number is to contact the police with a request or use one of the built-in search applications described above.

How to find a phone using GPS via a computer

Almost every major company that creates mobile phones has acquired its own programs for searching for a device via satellite. So, an iPhone can be found using AppleID and an iCloud account, Samsung uses the Find My Mobile service, Windows devices can be found using Find My Phone, Android can be easily found through a Google account. We took care of the security of your data in advance.