Tech Talk
Lost Your Android or Apple Phone? Here’s How You Can Use IMEI Tracker To Find It Online
NEW DELHI: Losing or having your phone stolen can be a nightmare these days. You’ve not only lost your hard-earned device, but also all the years of essential data and files it contained.
Although the possibilities of reclaiming a lost phone are limited, especially in a congested area, you can still track it using a government-launched website and even remotely lock it to avoid additional damage to your data saved on the device.
Similarly, phone manufacturers have been pre-loading their devices with software and tools that allow a lost or stolen phone to be located in a few simple steps.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire process of requesting to track your misplaced mobile phone, so let’s get started.
What Exactly Is An IMEI Number, And How Can One Use It To Track A Phone?
IMEI stands for ‘International Mobile Equipment Identity’, and it is a 15-digit unique number that serves as your device’s certificate.
It is printed on a mobile phone’s box as well as within the software. What makes it so significant is that the authorities can use it to track down your lost or misplaced cell phone.
Tracers are in place to track any valid IMEI number in the event of illegal activity or a mistake with the device’s owner or user.
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How to Find a Lost Phone Online via IMEI Number?
Although the chances of recovering a lost or stolen phone are small, you can remotely ban your phone via a government portal such as the Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) until the relevant authorities investigate the issue.
However, before you begin, make sure you have the IMEI number of the missing phone on hand.
This number is usually located on the back or sides of the mobile phone’s box. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s how to register a request for a lost/stolen phone.
● Navigate to the CIER website using your PC or desktop.
● When you visit the website, you’ll be asked to fill out a lengthy form with information about the lost phone, such as its brand, model, and last location.
● The portal will also request the phone’s invoice, which you must upload as well.
● Fill out your personal information, then provide an alternate number and click the ‘Get OTP’ button.
● When you receive the OTP on the specified mobile number, click the ‘Submit’ button to finish your lost phone location request.
● You will then be given a Request ID number, which can be used to unlock an IMEI number later on.
After you complete this step and submit your request, network operators will be contacted to blacklist the specific IMEI number to prevent unauthorised usage of your phone.
Following that, you can request that your network operator disconnect the SIM card on your lost or stolen phone.
Please keep in mind that for the time being, this government service is only available in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
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Some Additional Methods For Tracking And Recovering A Lost Phone
Blocking the IMEI number is a time-consuming process, but it is well worth it. However, if you’ve just misplaced or had your phone stolen, you can rapidly trace it down while the internet is still active on the device.
Both Android phones as well as iPhones feature built-in security trackers that can help users locate misplaced devices. This is how.
Google Find My Device can help you locate an Android phone.
Every Android phone features a ‘Find My Device’ feature that may be used to locate a phone using a PC or other people’s phones.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing the same.
● Enter ‘Find My Device’ on Google.
● Next, if the internet on the misplaced device is working properly, the tool will begin searching for it automatically.
● Once the phone or missing Android device has been discovered, you can remotely play a sound if you believe it is nearby.
● Furthermore, the tool can be used to delete data, preventing your sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.
However, for this feature to function, you must have the Find My Device enabled.
Using Find My iPhone, you can locate an iPhone.
Find My iPhone is Apple’s solution for remotely tracking down a lost or stolen iPhone using a PC or desktop. The following is the procedure for utilizing the function.
● Navigate to Apple’s Find My iPhone webpage.
● Log in with your Apple ID if you haven’t already.
● Choose the device you want to find.
● If your device is discovered, it will appear on the map.
● If it doesn’t, you can choose ‘Notify me when found’ to receive an email as soon as the device connects to the internet.
Recover Vital Data From A Misplaced Phone
By default, both Android and iOS backup basic data such as contacts, SMSes, app data, calendar events, and so on.
You can access your email accounts on another device and retrieve the data as long as it is backed up.
However, when it comes to media files, especially if you’ve set the backup option expressly for them, only those locally saved files have a chance of being recovered.
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