Cell phones have become an essential gadget, and losing one is a terrible experience. Having the same computing capability as a PC, smartphones serve to be a great storing and processing device. But, in this busy life, people often forget to take care of their belongings, which increases the risk of their cell phones to get lost or stolen.
So, if you have an Android device and want to know how to locate a lost cell phone, you have landed upon the right page. In this article, you will get to learn various techniques and tools using which you track your misplaced or stolen Android phone.
Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen Phone
There are several ways to track a lost phone. Here’s a list of methods you can use to find your Android device if lost or stolen.
Tracking Using Spy Apps
One of the easiest ways to find a lost phone is by using spy applications. Spy apps are handy and widely available in the market.
To use this kind of app, all you need to do is download and install it from the official website on the target device. Following this, you need to register with the app and create an account on its portal. And through this account, you will be able to track every movement of your device, and thus quickly locate a lost cell phone.
The data recorded keeps updating every 5 minutes that never lets you miss a footprint. All the data remains synchronized in the cloud so that you can access the account data from any device at any time.
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Hence, if you are curious about how to track my phone’s last location, spy apps can accurately do the job for you. You do not need to have any technical knowledge to use these apps, which makes them one of the favorite choices of the population.
Tracking Using IMEI Number
IMEI or International Mobile Equipment Identity is a GSMA authorized 15-digit unique code that acts as an identity certificate of a phone. Whenever a mobile phone uses a network to send or receive a call or message, the IMEI number is automatically emitted and tracked.
However, only the legal authorities, including police and mobile network service providers, have access to the database containing all these numbers. They can use it to blacklist those phones that have been reported to be lost or stolen by the users.
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Nevertheless, there exist many apps that can help you independently use the IMEI number to track a stolen phone.
Using Find My Device to Track Phone
Google has a fascinating application by the name of Find My Device, which can help you remotely track a lost phone.
All you need to do is download the “Find My Device” app from Google Play Store, and whenever you need to locate your device, visit the Find My Device website and log in to the account that is linked to your lost phone. On the app interface, you can locate a lost cell phone by using the Google satellite maps. You can zoom in to the map to get a better view and track the exact location.
You can also make your device ring even if it is in silent mode. If you cannot instantly get hold of your device or are sure that it has been stolen, Find My Device will let you erase all the data from your phone remotely.
Help From Dropbox
If you are thinking about how to locate a lost cell phone, you can use Dropbox. Your Android phone must have the Dropbox app, which is generally found pre-installed in many devices. Keep the “Camera Upload” feature activated in it.
So, when your phone gets stolen, and the thief clicks a picture with it, it gets automatically uploaded on your Dropbox without them knowing. From this image, you can find out the thief or their approximate location and report it to the local police department.
Track the Lost Phone with Google Home
How embarrassingly easy it is to misplace your phone even at home, isn’t it? As people tend to be quite careless at home, one can even lose their smartphone inside their house; and this can be extremely frustrating in cases of urgency. But if you possess Google Home on your device, you don’t need to search through multiple ways to find a lost phone, as your Google Assistant can do the job quickly for you. Are you wondering how?
Your Android cell phone must be logged into the same account as that of your Google Home. Your cell phone must remain turned ON and connected to the Internet. Now all you’d have to do is say, “OK, Google, find my phone.” Then, your phone will automatically start to ring, even if it was in silent mode. But remember, this only works if your device has an active Internet connection.
You now might have several questions in your mind like “What if someone stole my phone and turned it off?” or “What if my phone’s battery is dead?”
It is quite a tough job to locate a lost cell phone that is turned off, as it does not emit any signal. The tracking methods mentioned above fails if your mobile is switched off, as the GPS cannot track it anymore.
So, the only thing that can be used in such a case is a mobile application that can keep your phone’s last location recorded, that is, the location just before switching off of the Android device. It is suggested that such apps should always be installed on your cell phone since you never know when your device might get lost, or worse, be stolen.
Conclusion
Most people keep essential data in their phones, which, when lost, can be nothing less than a trauma. And if you’ve already lost your phone, use the above-stated methods to track the stolen phone. However, to avoid such mishaps in the future, always stay careful and alert and be responsible enough in handling your smartphone.