There is always a possibility that you will lose your phone at one point. It may be that it fell from your bag or pocket during your commute, you forgot about it when dining out, or someone stole it from you. You?ll probably feel a bit panicked when you find that your smartphone is missing. Most of the time, we ask our friends or family members to call your number to see if someone will pick it up or log on to your computer and use a locating app to determine where your phone is. These steps work provided that your phone is turned on. But what if it is turned off?
How to Locate a Lost Cell Phone That is Turned Off Android
If you have lost your Android phone, it is still possible for you to locate it as long as it is connected to the internet for it to be able to transmit its location. But what if your device is turned off? We have several options below that can help you pinpoint the whereabouts of your android phone.
Search Lost Phone with Google and Its Services
The first step to finding your lost Android phone is with the help of Google?s Find My Device. For this to work, there are a few requirements that you need to fulfill:
Your smartphone is connected to your Google account.
Your phone can access the internet.
You allow Find My Device to locate your device (this is turned on by default). You can change this option in the Google Settings app.
You allow Find My Device to lock on your phone?s location and erase existing data (this option is turned off by default).
The Find My Device is the easiest tool available to track your lost Android device and one that doesn?t require you to install any app. The only thing that you need to do is to have your phone connected to your Google account, it is turned on, and have access to the internet. You can visit the website of Find My Device while using your log in account in Google. Once you have entered the website, the site will try to locate your phone. Take note that if you have several Android devices, you should choose the correct device for the tool to search for you.
A recent update on this tracking tool lets you track your registered Android device quickly from the search results. You only need to type ?Where is my phone? for Google to display a map where it will attempt to locate your device. Once Google has found your phone, you can tap on ?Ring? button to let it ring. Although this step makes it faster for you to find your phone, it will not give you all the options available in the full interface of Find My Device.
Using Find My Device lets you track your lost phone, let it ring, and even wipe all data so that your information will not be compromised at all. Aside from these features, there is no way for you to access your device remotely.
If you don?t have access to your laptop when you lost your phone, you can borrow someone else?s phone to find your device. Aside from checking from the mobile?s browser, you can use the Find My Device app and sign in using guest mode plus your Google account. This will help you locate your phone, ring it, and erase the data provided that it is turned on. If your phone is not activated, you will need to wait until it turns on for you to be able to track it.
Activate Google Location History
If you are wondering how to locate a lost cell phone that is turned off with phone number, you may use Google location history to find the last location of your device. To use this feature, your phone needs to be connected to your Google account and has or had access to the internet prior to being turned off. Your phone?s Location History and Location Reporting must be activated on your device, regardless of whether you are using a brand new phone, or a refurbished one. This option doesn?t really track your phone, but rather provide you with the last travel route recorded on your device. If your device is turned off, you can still check location history data of your device to see where it was last located. If you?re lucky, and someone turned your phone on, you will be able to follow the user?s route.
Use Google Photos to Find Your Lost Android Phone
If you are wondering how to locate a lost cell phone that is turned off, you can use Google Photos to help you find it. For this method to work, your device will need to have access to the internet and that you have enabled the ?Backup & Sync? option in your Google Photos. When the person who picked up your phone took photos with it, the photos will automatically appear on your Google Photos.
How is this going to help you find your lost phone? Like it was mentioned before, all photos that are taken with your device will be backed up and synced in your Google photos which you can access. If the person using your phone didn?t log out on your account, you will see new photos appearing on your Google Photos. If the photos that were recently uploaded look familiar to you, you will be able to pinpoint where your phone is at. However, use this information with caution and it is best that you talk to the police rather than find out the thief on your own.
How will you be able to use your Google Photos to locate your phone? You will need to follow these steps.
Head to photos.google.com then log in using your Google account which you are using in your Android device.
Take a look if there are any photos that were recently uploaded.
Click on the new image then click on the info icon that is located at the top right corner.
You will see information about the image such as where it was taken and when.
How to Locate a Lost Cell Phone That is Turned Off Using IMEI Number?
Is there any way to locate your cell phone that is turned off? It is possible with the help of your device?s IMEI number. IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment Identity. This is a 15-digit number that is unique to a mobile phone. This can be used to locate a lost or stolen phone. If you are wondering where to find your device?s IMEI it will vary depending on the type of phone that you have. Here?s how to locate yours.
For iPhone IMEI:
You will need to go to your iPhone?s Settings then tap on General. Tap About then scroll down the screen until you find IMEI. Write down your number and keep it with you at all times.
For Android IMEI:
The first step here is to look at the back of your cell phone to see if the IMEI number is found there. If not, you should go to Settings then scroll down until you find the About Phone option. Jot down the IMEI number that you will see there. You can also turn your phone off, then remove the cover and battery. The IMEI number can be found inside your phone so you will need to copy it as well.
How to locate your lost cell phone using IMEI? First off, you should call the police then provide them with your phone?s IMEI for them to track it down. Another way to find your lost cell phone is to call your cell phone provider, give them your device?s IMEI, and they will do the tracking for you. If you prefer to do the tracking yourself, you can download an IMEI tracking app instead. The good news is that there are plenty of apps that can track IMEIs. You only need to type in your IMEI number, and the app will try to locate your device.
Most of us don?t pay much attention to our phone?s IMEI, but now is a good time to jot down yours just in case you accidentally lost your phone, or someone stole it from you. This way, you will be able to locate it easily.
How to Locate a Lost Cell Phone That is Turned Off iPhone
Aside from misplacing or losing your Android phone, it is also possible for iPhone users to lose their own device. This can be quite devastating if you are using your phone to do most of your work. Yes, you can still do the steps mentioned above, especially the one where you will call your phone to see if it is working and whether someone will answer on the other end. However, if your device is turned off, you will need to take other steps to ensure that you will be able to retrieve your lost phone if possible.
If you have lost your iPhone and would like to track it, you can use these methods:
Using Find My iPhone
How to locate a lost cell phone that is turned off if it is an iPhone? If your device has been turned off, you can use your friend?s iPhone to track it. You will need to open Find My iPhone and ask your friend to sign out of his or her account. Sign in afterwards to see your list of Apple devices. Choose the device that you are looking for. If the device is turned on, you will be able to see it on the map. If it is not, you can tap on ?Lost Mode? so you can see the last known location of your device.
Locate iPhone with Google Maps
Another way for you to locate your missing iPhone is to use Google Maps. This is an alternative solution if you haven?t set up the Find My iPhone option in your device. However, even if your Find My iPhone isn?t set up yet, it will automatically register your device once you turn it on. If it doesn?t turn on, you can go to Google Maps to check your phone?s ?Location History?.
How to Locate Your Lost Phone With Third Party Tools
Depending on the phone that you have, there are third party tools that you can use to find your device. Here are a few options that you might want to consider.
Samsung?s Find My Mobile Feature
If your Android device is a Samsung, you can use its Find My Mobile feature. There are certain requirements to use this correctly. One, your device should have access to the internet, you will need a Samsung account and that your device is registered to it, and that Find My Mobile should be set upon your device to be able to activate the remote controls on your phone.
If you?ve managed to do this prior to losing your phone, you can head to Find My Mobile website. Look at the left sidebar and see to it that your device is connected to your Samsung account. If it is, you only need to select ?Locate my device? and then click on ?Locate?. If your device is online and that you have enabled remote controls on your phone, you will be able to get an estimate of where it is currently located. There are other features to enjoy with the Find My Mobile feature such as letting it ring with a message, locking your device so it won?t be used, and even wipe off the data contained in it.
As you can see, there are plenty of solutions available if you ever find your phone missing. It is understandable that there are instances where we forget where we have placed our device. Fortunately, with the steps mentioned above, you will be able to track your phone?s current whereabouts, or at least remove all pertinent information stored in it so other people won?t be able to use it.
