How to find a lost stolen phone. How to find an Android phone if it is lost or stolen. Applications to counter the theft of smartphones

Was your mobile phone stolen? Not the most pleasant news. Both at home and abroad, you should try to return the device as soon as possible. Modern phones and smartphones are found using a built-in or pre-installed program that allows you to track the device. Such applications have different levels of practicality. In some cases, it is necessary that your device is turned on and connected to the Internet. You can also find a phone the old fashioned way - just call or write a message and arrange a return.

Steps

How to get your lost phone back

Call the phone. If you have lost a regular phone (not a smartphone), from which you cannot connect to the Internet, then you will not be able to track the device online. A different approach should be taken. Start calling your number. If you're lucky, the thief might answer your call. If the phone just fell out of your pocket (in a taxi or on the subway), the person who found it can arrange a meeting with you to return it.

If the call is answered, say, “Hello, my name is [your name]. You have my cell phone. He is very important to me. I would like to return the device. We can meet?"

Write a message. Even if they don't answer the call, try texting. Perhaps the thief will change his mind and decide to return the phone to the owner. Send a short message: provide a number where you can be contacted and ask for the device to be returned. If you find it appropriate, you can offer a reward.
- To do this, you will need another mobile phone. Contact a friend. If you are far away from friends and family, then try asking a stranger with a polite request.
Be careful if you make an appointment. If the person (who stole or accidentally found the phone) agrees to meet with you and return the device, then take precautions. Arrange to meet in a crowded place like a central square or a busy bus stop during daylight hours. Try not to go to the meeting alone. Go to such a meeting with a friend (for the company and for security purposes). Ask a friend to bring a mobile phone with you so that you can call the police if necessary.
- Take every precaution you can, even if the person's tone seems friendly enough when you're on the phone or texting.
How to notify the authorities and the telecom operator
1. Contact the authorities. When reporting a lost phone to the police, they may be able to provide limited assistance in locating the device. Call the police on a non-urgent number. The branch worker will ask you for the serial number of the device. On a smartphone, the serial number can be Android ID, which is listed under the battery (if it is removable). An Android ID is a series of numbers preceded by an "IMEI" (International Mobile Equipment Identifier).
  - When contacting the police, say something like this: “Hi, I assume my phone has been stolen. I noticed it missing about 10 minutes ago near the library.”
2. Notify the operator. If a call to your phone goes unanswered, then call your mobile operator and report the theft of your phone. The company may be able to locate your device using a GPS navigation system.
  - If the GPS search is not possible or the result is unsuccessful, ask the operator to suspend service for your phone. In this case, the thief will not be able to use your number and you will not have to pay potentially large calls for calls.
3. Try looking for a phone. Try to remember where you noticed the absence of the phone, and return to this place. Perhaps the thief suddenly changed his mind and dumped your device near the place of the theft.
  - Follow your route in the opposite direction and continue calling your number.
How to track a stolen phone
1. Turn on smartphone location tracking apps. On iPhone, this app is called Find My iPhone, and on Android devices, it's called Find My Device. The program will track the location of the phone and transfer the relevant information to the cloud storage. First of all, you need to set up this function even when buying a phone (it will no longer be possible to activate the search after the loss).
  
  Turn on Lost Mode. This mode can be enabled remotely: sign in to your iCloud or Google account and activate this feature. If you turn on Lost Mode, the owner of your device will not be able to sign into the account and access the data and applications of the smartphone.

All mobile phones have one unpleasant property - to get lost. In addition, they are sometimes stolen. And, unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it. Until recently, “sowing” an Android device outside the home meant parting with it forever without the hope of a return, because, unlike iOS, there were no search functions on Android. Today they are, which means that the chances of returning the loss are no longer zero. And it's time for us to get to know them.

Let's talk about how to find a lost Android phone through Google and using third-party apps and services.

In case of loss of a mobile gadget, the functions of modern versions of Android allow not only to determine its location by cell towers and satellites, but also to block it remotely. And if there is no hope for a return (stolen) - erase the personal data of the owner.

For this, the following conditions must be met:

The device must be turned on (it is not necessary that your SIM card be in it).
It must be linked to your Google account.
The "Remote control" function should work on it.
It must have geodata transfer enabled and Internet access enabled.
The phone must be detected in Google Play.

If you have turned off the location setting (location sharing) feature to save battery power, you will not have a chance to find your lost or stolen phone. Search via satellite does consume a lot of energy, but in the city it is not necessary to use it. Turn on cell tower location of the device - this option is more economical.

How to enable location sharing on Android:

Launch the Settings app (Settings).
In the "Personal" menu, tap the "Location Services" line.
Check the box for the search method "By network coordinates".

How to see which devices are connected to your Google account:

Open any browser (it doesn't matter on a PC or mobile device), go to Google.com and log in with your account.
Open the Recently Used Devices page. This list should contain the phone you are looking for.

How to enable remote device control on Android:

Launch "Options" (Settings).
Tap "Protection" (Security) in the "Personal" menu.
In the right pane, select Device Administrators.

Check the box next to "Android Remote Control" and open it.

In the box "Activate device administrator?" click Enable.

How to find your phone on Google Play:

Go to the Google Play website through any browser, open the "Settings" section (the button with the gear icon).
Look at the My Devices list. All Android phones, tablets, watches, etc. linked to your account must be on this list.

How to Locate a Lost Android Gadget

The steps below are performed through a computer or other mobile device connected to the Internet.

Open a browser and log in with your Google account.
Go to the main page of your account and in the "Search for a phone" section, click "Proceed".

Select your lost device from the list and re-enter your password to log into your account. Once in the search section, click on the "Search" button.

The location of your device will be displayed on the map.

Other available features:

Phone call. When activated, the device will ring for 5 minutes (even at zero volume), attracting the attention of people. However, this helps more if you don't remember where you put it, but if the dialer is lost or stolen, it can worsen the situation. Also, not all devices support it.
Blocking. Return to the previous page and open the "Lock your phone" section. Modify the default message if desired. Click Block.

Call the phone using the Google Hangouts messenger. To jump, click on the highlighted word.

Sign out of your account on the device. To exit, press the corresponding button.

Delete user data from the gadget's internal memory (excluding the memory card). Select this option if you are sure that the phone has fallen into the wrong hands and an attacker can use the information on it to harm someone. For example, it will start sending malware to your contacts or gain access to electronic wallets. If you agree to the deletion, click the "Yes, delete" button, but the search on the map, blocking and dialing after that will not be available.

Services like Google's Phone Finder are also being developed by mobile device manufacturers. The principle of operation and the set of capabilities they have is the same or slightly larger. For example, Samsung offers the following to its smartphone users:

Location determination on the map.
Remote blocking.
Erasing confidential data.
Ringing (loud playback of a call melody for 1 minute to attract the attention of others).
Access to the call log.
Notification about the removal of the owner's SIM card.
Remote transfer of the device to "emergency mode" - reducing the brightness of the screen with disabling most functions and applications to save battery power. To keep the lost phone in sight as long as possible.

Find my device by Google is a mobile application for finding lost devices

To simplify the search for lost or stolen Android gadgets, you can also use the mobile application available for free download from Google Play. It has the same set of functions as Google's Find My Phone service. Namely:

Allows you to locate the gadget on the map.
Rings it (makes it ring at maximum volume for 5 minutes).
Blocks usage.
Allows the owner to log out of an Android account and remotely wipe user data.

Find my device is intended to be installed on the device that will be used for searching, not the one you want to protect from loss.

The conditions for the availability of application functions are the same as for Find My Phone through the Google browser service.

Phone search services by mobile subscriber number and IMEI

PLNET (Phone-Location.org)

The Russian-language PLNET web service allows you to locate a lost gadget both by phone number and by IMEI (an international mobile device identification code that is assigned to each device at the factory). The search is performed on satellites and cell towers and works in the following networks of Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh mobile operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
Vodafone.
Altel.
TELE2.
Velcom.

The main functions of the service are paid. Free, unlike Google, it allows you to find out only the country, region and city in which the device you are looking for is located. More accurate coordinates - for 500 rubles and after registration. In addition, real-time tracking of the device, the history of its movements and search by IMEI are available for a paid subscription. In the latter case, along with IMEI, you should also indicate the number of the SIM card that the owner used before the phone was lost. If you did not have time to write it down while you had the phone, look at the stickers on the box.

The service has similar functions for locating devices, with the exception of searching by IMEI. For paid subscribers, printouts of the movement history are also available. The service of a one-time determination of the exact coordinates by phone number costs 900 rubles.

The service works in the networks of the following mobile operators:

Beeline.
Megaphone.
Kyivstar.
Kcell.
TELE2.
Velcom.

And PLNET, and OM-TEL, and other similar resources are still more suitable for spying on loved ones (children, spouse, etc.). In the search for stolen smartphones, they are of little use, because the attacker, if he is not devoid of reason, will immediately replace the owner's SIM card with his own. In this case, the service will show the place of the last registration of your SIM card in the operator's network. Or show nothing.

— a service for checking the serial numbers and IMEI of various mobile devices to see if they are in the database of lost and stolen. Supports all models and brands of phones.

The SNDeepInfo user can add the IMEI or the serial number of the lost or found device to the service database, leaving his email for communication. Optionally, here you can specify the amount of remuneration for the return. Registration or payment is not required for this.

The service works similarly to the previous one, but only IMEI database is maintained. With it, you can, for example, find out if a hand-bought phone was stolen from the previous owner. And also add the code of your device to the database.

The author also considers phone search services by IMEI to be of little use, because with their help it is impossible to find out either the location of the device or who is currently using it. They are designed for honest people who, in the event of finding a device lost by someone, will themselves begin to search for its owner. Law enforcement agencies do not use such databases either - they have the opportunity to obtain the necessary information directly from mobile operators.

Applications to counter the theft of smartphones

CM Security: protection and antivirus

In addition to antivirus, firewall and system optimization tools, the anti-theft module is included. It includes:

Cerberus is an anti-theft software with an extended set of features. Among them:

Remote monitoring of the movement of the phone through the application site.
Remote blocking.
Calling.
Sending messages to a lost phone.
Removed screenshots.
Taking photos and videos of the intruder's face. Recording sound through a microphone.
Erase user data from internal memory and SD card.
Remote control of the device through the console interface using commands.
Automatically enable geodata transfer if it is disabled.
Power off lock to prevent a thief from turning off the machine and thereby interfering with its search.
Creating your own user rules, etc.

The bulk of Cerberus functions only work in the paid version. Even more of them are available by obtaining root rights.

A smartphone is a thing dear to the heart and wallet. Invaluable information is stored on mobile devices: contacts, photos, passwords, open accounts on social networks, work and personal mail.

Itcrumbs has compiled a small guide for smartphone users that will help protect content on devices running iOS, Android, Windows Phone and return the gadget in case it was stolen or lost.

iOS

Due to its high cost and popularity, Apple appliances have become the number one target for thieves and scammers. And Apple, taking care of its customers, has developed a service Activation Lock (Activation Lock), which is able to lock the iPhone, turning it into useless scrap metal for an attacker.

Setting Activation Lock on iOS 7:

Enabling Activation Lock in iOS 7 is very easy. When you set up your iPhone for the first time, you need to enter your iCloud account settings and then turn on Find My iPhone. That's it, Activation Lock will be enabled on iPhone.

Now, even if the attackers reflash the stolen device, it will still not be possible to activate it. The screen that requires you to enter your email address and password cannot be bypassed.

Remote device control on iOS 7:

To manage your device from a distance, you need to go to iCloud.com, select the Find My iPhone app, and enter the lost device.

More about features:

Play Sound - This feature will make your iPhone ring. Such a call will allow you to identify a smartphone if it is somewhere nearby, for example, it fell under the sofa.

Lost mode - turn on this feature without delay if you are sure that the smartphone has been stolen. Lost Mode blocks access to data and allows you to track the device on the map.

Erase iPhone - this function will completely delete your data on the device so that they cannot get to intruders in any way.

To date, there is no way to bypass the "Activation Lock". Even the American authorities, who tested this mechanism in iOS 7, were satisfied.

Android

There are a huge number of programs for Android that can help in finding a stolen smartphone, blocking it or deleting data. There is also a built-in tool in the operating system called Android Device Manager (Device Manager). For older phones, the feature is available without an OS update.

With built-in security, you can:

find the phone on the map;
remotely delete data from it;
make the smartphone ring even if the volume is set to minimum and there is another SIM card in it.

Android smartphone setup:

Working with the function is very simple, you do not need to install anything or radically change the device settings. All you need is an Android smartphone linked to a Google account. You can remotely control the device from any computer with Internet access.

To enable Android Device Manager, you need to go to the menu –> Settings –> Security –> Device administrators. Next, turn on the Android Device Manager by checking the box.

The next step is to confirm that you allow Android Device Manager to delete data, change the pattern password and lock the smartphone display (at your command) and click the "Activate" button.

That's all, the device is ready for remote control.

Remote Control Android Smartphone:

In order to find a stolen or lost Android smartphone or use other remote control functions, you need to go to the official Device Manager portal: www.google.com/android/devicemanager.

Immediately on the main page you will see the main functions of the "Device Manager" and a mark on the location of your smartphone on a Google map.

Learn more about the Device Manager feature:

Find the location of the smartphone - this function works using GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular networks, even if another SIM card is installed in the smartphone. Your smartphone must be connected to the Internet in order to be detected. If the device is currently offline, Google will show a preview of its location and the time it was last active.

Make the phone ring - with this function, your smartphone can ring at full volume for 5 minutes. The function will be useful for those who can lose their smartphone in the apartment, but there is no second phone to call.

Erase all data from the device - this function resets all settings to factory settings. This will erase the phone's internal memory. A separate SD card, depending on the phone model and Android version, may or may not be erased.

Windows phone

Setting up a smartphone on Windows Phone:

The easy-to-use system function "Find my phone" is responsible for finding a lost device based on Windows Phone. Please note that this feature is disabled by default to conserve battery life. To enable it, go to the system settings by selecting "search for phone" and activate both options available there. Now you will always know where your smartphone is.

Remote control of a smartphone on Windows Phone:

To see the location of your smartphone, go to the Windows Phone service ( www.windowsphone.com/ru-ru/my/find), where you will immediately see a map showing the approximate location of the smartphone. On the service, you can use three functions: Call, Block and Clear.

More about features:

Call - activate this function and your smartphone will ring at full volume, even if it is set to silent mode.

Block - this function completely blocks access to smartphone data. In the Find My Phone service, you can write a text message that will be shown on the lock screen and set a PIN code to unlock your smartphone. In the message, be sure to indicate the phone number to which the person who found your device can call and arrange a return. If someone tries to enter the PIN code, you will immediately receive a notification about it.

Wipe - use this function to remotely erase data from your smartphone and reset it to factory settings.

I will analyze the current question today: how to find a lost android phone, and in very cool and cool ways.

All smartphones work through android or ios. The ios protection system is known to everyone and is carried out using a special program that allows you to track and find your phone. But what about Android owners? Is there protection here and is it possible to find a lost phone? Let's figure it out further.

How to find a lost android phone when the phone is lost

Unfortunately, situations often occur when the phone is stolen or lost, and the question arises of how to find a lost android phone. Many of you will immediately go to the nearest police station with a statement, but at the same time you know that the chance of a positive result is minimal.

Now I will tell you about reliable and effective ways to find a smartphone, rather than contacting the authorities. In order for you to be able to find a smartphone and track its location, complex actions are not required. However, you must have a Google account. If your data is not entered into the phone, you will not be able to find it.

You need to activate the "Remote control" item yourself, in other words, set all the parameters. To do this, go to "My location" in the smartphone settings and check the box "Allow tracking coordinates."

As you can see, everything is easy and simple. Google takes the issue of protecting personal information very seriously, so by checking the box, your smartphone will always be in touch in case of loss.

How to search on a computer

There is an Android Device Manager service specifically for searching through a computer, but if the gadget is turned off or all settings have been reset, then the capabilities are not so functional. However, no one claimed that thieves would be masters of this business, did they? To search for a device in this way, you need to do the following on your computer:

Follow the special remote control link https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager.
Enter your username and password, and then log into your account. If you don’t have an account yet, then be sure to create it, as it is very useful and necessary (after creating, you can also log into your account via a smartphone).
Then everything happens automatically, and you will see a window with the following information.

As you can see in the example, here you can remotely lock your smartphone via a computer by pressing the appropriate button. You can also make a call or clear all data from the device's memory.

If the phone is lost at home

Due to forgetfulness or their own absent-mindedness, a person can easily lose a phone at home. In this case, you can call yourself using this program via the Internet.

Within a few minutes, your phone will ring, and this is completely independent of the set mode. Thus, even in a silent state, the phone will ring loudly and you can easily find it.

Sending a message to a lost or stolen phone

If you have lost a gadget, and the person who found it wants to return it to its owner, because even in our time there are responsible people among us, then this can be helped. You can send a message to the number that will appear on the screen of your lost smartphone. We use the same service and the "Set up blocking and deletion of data" button.

In the window that appears, you can do the following:

Enter a password that can be used to lock the machine.
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 the standard factory settings.

Additional programs

In addition to remote access, there are many other programs with similar functionality. The best of them is Lost Android. It is installed on the phone in the same way as other programs, that is, using the Play Market.

Helpful advice: after installation, the program will be displayed as Personal Notes with the appearance of a regular notebook. This is done so that thieves do not suspect anything. So don't worry if you don't find this program as listed in the Market.

After launching this program, give it administrator rights. To do this, click the appropriate button. How to do this can be seen from the screenshot below.

Then go to the official website of the application and log in again through Google. Enter your username and password, and then log into your account. All available functions are listed there.

These two methods I have listed, through Google and the program, allow you to find even a switched 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 (via satellite) and by sim card (by mobile phone number)

Here I hasten to disappoint none of these methods will give results even through a computer by phone number. By imei through a computer, only law enforcement agencies, and even the most advanced ones, can track the number. Those in the provinces may not hope for this method.

Of course, through a computer on a SIM card, you can determine extremely vague data like “Your phone is located in the city of Ivanovo”. Modern search services will not provide correct and accurate information, only the police own such technologies.

By phone number, also unlikely. Because as soon as they find the phone and want to keep it for themselves, they immediately throw away the SIM card, which makes tracking difficult. You can’t even find it through a computer if it is turned on (phone), mobile operators do not bother with such actions, although they are obliged to.

Do not waste time on these methods, but about them below, at the end of the article.
Protection with avast! Anti-Theft for Android
In case of loss, you can pre-configure the phone. To do this, I found a very interesting program that caught my attention. Here's what to do:
Download antivirus avast! Mobile Security and open it.
Go to the settings menu and check the box "Pin code protection" and "Protection from deletion". If a person detects an antivirus, then until he enters a pin code, he will not be able to get rid of it.
Then we create an avast account.
We go to the official antivirus service and click Create Account Now, put the mail and drive in the password.

From now on, your phone is protected.
Setting up the avast! Anti-Theft in a gadget
The advanced settings menu in this program provides the following functions:
Protective, that is, what needs to be done to the phone if it is lost. You can block the gadget, set an alarm, block access to settings, notify about low battery.
Blocking text, deleting information and GPS tracking. Here you can enter the text that will be shown on the phone screen. Now your device is completely protected.

The last way
If the previous methods did not work for one reason or another, for example, you forgot your Google account login and password or did not create an account at all, then there is one more, as they say, in case of emergency.
It is impossible to find your smartphone by 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.

Tip for those who have not yet lost their phone: be sure to write down your IMEI code. You can find it out using the *#06# command.
Based on the past text, finding a phone by imei address is not very easy, more precisely, it is 0.5%, as statistics show, and less every year. But if you decide to go by this method, then I do not envy you, it is very difficult, the only worthwhile means is the police.

Finally
That's all, dear friends! I have listed the most reliable ways to find a stolen phone. In conclusion, I want to give two main and useful tips:
If possible, turn on the Internet on your smartphone to access data in case of loss.
Set a screen lock. This is done as follows: security - encrypt the device - configure the type of lock - password or pattern.

I hope my advice will be useful to you and you will find the answer in the article on how to find a lost android phone, although it is better not to encounter this situation at all. Subscribe to my blog, leave comments and share the link in social networks.